Explore-flip-apply in AP gov

Evolution of the Flipped Class

At the 2013 National Flipped Class conference, Jon Bergman and Aaron Sams hammered the idea that there is no such thing as "THE" flipped class.  You cannot simply follow a template because every class is different.  Last year, I followed a pretty traditional flipped class model.  The kids watched videos at home and then came into class ready to complete activities and take part in discussions.  It was quite successful and my AP scores showed that!

However, I still struggled with getting the students to watch the videos each night.  So, I learned about a different type of Flipped Class this year called Explore-Flip-Apply and am giving it a try this year.  Here is a glimpse into what the first week of school looked like in my classroom.  Will it evolve throughout the year?  Of course!!

Day 1: Students watched a video syllabus created on Camtasia and practiced taking notes to this syllabus.  We talked about coming up with questions about the video each night as well.  Then, students were given several resources showing the probable future of social security.  Here is the link to my google powerpoint that shows what resources I gave to students.   Without any direct instruction, students were asked to determine what they could do to affect the future of this program or what the government could/should do about this problem.  After I presented the problem, I walked around to listen to some of the converstions.  It was quite amazing.  Students were talking about the income tax, about Congress vs the President, and many other ideas (some being quite humorous).  

At the end of the block, I informed them that the video for that night would include information that would help them understand how people and linkage institutions affect the policy agenda and what the government actually could do about it. The next day in class, we looked at this problem again, but with all of the information from the video and reading.  Students discussed the role of each branch in solving this problem as well as what linkage institutions were for and against social security. 

Video Syllabus

A New Syllabus!

I recently received a license for Camtasia and wanted to try it out.  So, what I decided to do is to create a video syllabus for my students and parents so that I don't have to bore the students on day 1.  Most of my videos from last year were made on Showme, so I was excited to try out Camtasia.  Here's the link if you want to check it out!

Here are a few items/tips on using Camtasia that I picked up while making my first video!

• Create a powerpoint first (or use an old one!)
• Think about what you want to say on each slide
• If you mess up, just pause, say "take two" and continue on.  This will make it much easier to edit out the mistakes once you are done recording.
• Use features like the zoom and call out features within Camtasia
• Use Twitter!  The first video that I made cut off the top of my head, so I tweeted @camtasia to get help and within 5 minutes I had a fix!  I also asked my PLN to help with what I should focus on in class.  Within 10 minutes I had several response!

My plan is to mail this video out to parents BEFORE the school year starts.  Then, I will show it to students on Day 1 and use it to model how I want them to watch the rest of my content videos.  It is only 10 minutes, so I have the rest of the block to engage students in better Day 1 activities such as a Problem Based Activity on Solving Social Security.

I plan to compile some data on the future of social security and ask students to determine how they could convince the government to make a change and then how the government would actually go about changing this policy.  This will introduce them to the idea of collaboration our classroom as well as the fact that many of the issues we will tackle will NOT have answers!  Plus, it leads into the first video on the public policy making system!

FlipCon13

FlipCon13

#itwasamazing

Through a grant of money from Michigan Virtual High School, I was able to attend the National Flipped Class Conference in Stillwater, Minnesota.  In a word, it was invigorating!

Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams (the fathers of the flipped class) started off the conference  by explaining the evolution of their idea of the flipped class.  It was exciting to see that my evolution throughout the year, matched much of how they evolved throughout the years.  It was clear that they are still evolving and wanted us to help lead that evolution.  They laid out the four pillars of the flipped class, which I think should be repeated for those new to flipping or want to try!

• Flexible Environment: homework is the lower level of Bloom's, in-class work focuses on analyzing, evaluating, etc.
• Learning Culture:Transfer ownership to kids.
• Intentional Content: How can kids interact with you on the  video?
• Professional Educator: find a collaborator!

After the keynote, I attended breakout sessions. I could go into detail about what I learned, but then this could turn into a book!  What I liked the most was how collaborative most sessions were.  It was not a simple sit and listen.  The presenters not only encouraged questions, but asked participants to share what worked or did not work.  I felt as though I was in a community of learners.  There was no person or group that felt that they were the only ones with the knowledge of a perfect flipped class.  You know why?  There is not such thing as a perfect flipped class!!!!!  The flipped class has always been a grassroots movement and seems to be continuing that way!

I picked up many resources, but more importantly, many co-flippers!  I met 5-6 other AP government teachers from across the country who want to collaborate next year!

We were shown this video on how to start a movement.  
I felt like the "lone nut" in this video at the start of last school year, but I thank Becky Carter, Betsy Foster, Teresa Johnson, Kristy Acker, Todd Kleinow, Ryan Sisco, and Tina Vansyckle for being my first followers! 

Here are a few of the resources I plan to use in my classroom this year

• TedEd videos
• Flubaroo to assess within google forms
• Cycles of learning (Explore-Flip-Apply). A new perspective on flipping!
• The Flipped Learning Journal (my goal is to write an article for this!)
• Camtasia (all participants received a free license to this!)

Stillwater is really pretty!  It is right on the St. Croix river and right across the river  from Wisconsin!


 

20% time in the classroom

20% Time: You are a genius, the world expects your contributions!

I am considered by many to be a little bit of a control freak (or a lot of bit of a control freak).  This year, the flipped classroom was my first step away from that "control-freakness."  Though the AP scores have not been released yet to show data on how much the flipped class improved instruction in my classroom, I know for a fact students were taking more control of their own learning.  After the AP test, there are about 4 weeks of school left without much content to cover.  I took a large step outside of my "control" comfort zone and implemented a 20% project or Blank White Sheet project with my kids.

If you have not heard of 20% projects, you are in for a treat!  In 20% classrooms, students are given about 20% of the time to work on anything they want.  This could be one day a week or a block of time every other day or a chunk of time at the end of the year. Students are given time to brainstorm something they want to know more about or something they want to do better.  Depending on the level of students you are working with, you might need to give more or less guidance.  

I started my 20% unit by sharing the rationale behind Google's 20% time.  Google gives their employees 20% of the time to work on any projects they want.  Gmail was actually a 20% brainchild! I asked them to consider something they thought could be made better or simply something they wanted to learn more about.  We brainstormed in small groups and shared out, which led to many a-ha's.

As the instructor, my job was simply to provide resources for students as they decided on what their project would be.  I also spent time helping students brainstorm what they wanted to do and pushing them beyond simple projects that they could do without much effort or risk.  I emphasized that it was ok to FAIL!

Here are a few case studies of what my students decided to do

• Build an app that would help with our freshmen mentoring program.
• Create a blog showing how to make healthy cookies.  Her first batch was a flop, but we shared this with the class as a learning experience for the next batch.
• learning Welsh
• Preparation for the ACT
• Blog of poetry

Want more resources?  Joy Kirr (who I follow on Twitter @Joykirr) collects 20% resources and posts them to this live binder site.

EdcampCHS

Today was our first day back from spring break and we were right in the middle of a unit.  I knew we needed to review, but knew the kids would be a little tired and groggy and I would need to get them up and moving.  I have read about and have been to several Edcamps for professional development and saw a couple of teachers on Twitter that were using them in their classrooms.   If you have not heard of an Edcamp, it is a conference where there is no schedule until the day of the Conference.  Teachers sign up for what they want to talk about that day and then spend time collaborating with other instructors about those topics.  I decided to do this as a review for my AP Gov kids and was really suprised at how well it went.

Summary of the Class: I created "session" titles that encompassed each standard of the unit we had covered so far including one session for review of the entire course.  Students were given handouts that listed each session, which table it was at, and a list of questions that ranged from "basic" (vocabulary, list, identify, etc) to those that were critical questions requiring more thought and discussion.  Students were allowed to go to whichever table they wanted, for as long as they wanted, but I set the timer at 10 minute increments.   I also set up a todaysmeet.com (Note: I have recently started using Go SoapBox, which I like even more) group where students could share what they were learning in their groups.  The feed from this group was projected up to the front board.

Before I started the students on this adventure, I had posted the packet on edmodo with a short teaser of what was to come.  Kids knew they needed to come to class ready to share.  I also gave them a few guidelines for their time in the groups.  I also explained that they could use notes, ipads, brains, textbooks and that there should not be one person dominating the group conversation.  At the end of the class, we held a "smackdown" where students quickly shared important things they learned (which is now posted on edmodo.

*Note: This year, I grew braver and actually allowed the students to develop topics they wanted to talk about.  I think it actually went better because they felt like they could control exactly what they wanted to discuss!  I drew a grid on the board and gave each group post-its to put up on the board for sessions they wanted to facilitate.

Pro's: All kids were participating.  Some were more focused on contributing by posting to todaysmeet, others vocally.  Kids had notes out and were very focused on the questions at hand.  I heard great conversations about topics like the president versus congress and war powers.  THe time went fast and most groups didn't really notice if I was "hovering" around their groups.  We had a great smackdown at the end with some really key take-aways.  

Con's: The today's meet was pretty superficial and more about recruting other kids to their groups rather than actual important pieces of information.  I need to model this better by showing tweets from actual edcamps.  We needed more than 10 minutes per session . I heard some kids say they really wanted to get to every session.  Some kids still looked to me if they couldn't get something right away rather than going to other students or their notes.  

Would I do it again??? YES YES AND YES!!!!!

My flipped mindset + questions I have pondered

The journey of flipping my class this school year has went far beyond simply recording my lectures and doing more hands-on activities in class.  Before I "flipped," I was comfortable and content with my teaching.  I was decent at lecturing and generally connected with kids well.  Since I had taught AP Gov for several years, I never had to think about the class with the exception of a quick glance at my notes before the class started.   

The flipped class (and my AWESOME professional learning network on Twitter) has forced me to consider some very important educational questions.  Here are a few that I have been pondering throughout the year.  The answers in blue are not to be taken as the "truth" they are just my thoughts as of March. 

1. Why should students attend my class?
This has been asked of me by several students and parents.  If students are watching the lectures at home, what is the point of them being in class?  Several students have noted that catching up while they are gone is much easier in the flipped class.  However, many more have noted that it is in class that the real learning takes place.  Most students/human beings don't learn best by lecture.  This material is provided simply to give them a general overview of the concept.  In class they are discussing the content, applying the content, and questing the content.  

Students have noted that the classroom feels more relaxed.  This is partially due to the fact that what we do in class is guided by their questions during the 10 minute Q/A time at the start of the block as well as the current events they bring up each day.  The questions they have or the topics they are interested in, guide our study of the material for the rest of the block.  For example, the other day, students brought up the sequestrations for current events.  Rather than talk about it for 5 minutes and move on, I asked students to do research on what was going to be cut, public opinion on the sequestrations, and how the sequestrations would affect Congressional approval/reelection.  

I view my lesson plans from the standpoint of a student stating "who cares?"  It has made my lesson planning more challenging, but the class periods much more engaging and fruitful.

2. How can a student demonstrate knowledge?
This question has come up multiple times in the #flipclass conversations on twitter.  In my previous classes, there was no time for students to demonstrate knowledge beyond quizzes, tests, and the occasional group discussion.  However, I now find that as I walk around the room, I can tell whether or not students understand the material by their discussions, their ability to find examples online, or their ability to teach other students.  

My in-class work is not graded (even quizzes).  Instead, students are graded based on their multiple choice and essay tests, which mimic the AP exam.  Do these questions get at the critical thinking that happens in class or route memorization?  Should I allow students alternate ways to show the knowledge, or would that hurt them in their preparation for the AP exam.   

I continue to struggle with this question and probably will for sometime.   However, it helps to know I am struggling through it with the rest of my #flipclass PLN.


3. What is the ideal structure of the flipped class.

 This is what I fretted about all summer.  What would my classroom look like?  What if I ran out of activities?  What if the kids didn't watch the videos?  What if parents rebelled?  What if everyone failed tests?

Well, I have the answer now!  THERE IS NO ONE STRUCTURE FOR THE FLIPPED CLASS!!!!!!  Freeing isn't it??  The flipped class is not a canned program that must be done in a certain way.  It is a mindset of engaging students in their own learning.  In fact, it doesn't have to be videos (though that seems to work for me)! 

Just like anything else in education, the flipped class should evolve over time into something that is manageable for you and helps your students engage in their learning.  

A shift in thinking

If there is one thing the flipped class has done for me, it has forced me to view my role in the classroom very differently.  I generally operated under the assuming that I as the teacher had all the knowledge to give to the students.  In fact, this assuming still guides my class to the extent that I create the videos and plan the lessons.  Now that we have iPads, students are easily able to access any information they want at any time.  My in-class lessons have shifted to students working alone or in groups to take the information they learned in the videos to apply it to real life problems (confirmation hearings, mock congress, crisis scenarios, etc). 

However, it was not until last week that I realized that my thinking had not shifted far enough.  I was still the one creating videos and giving the knowledge.  Why not have the STUDENTS create the videos for other students?  We all have iPads, why not?

I have done this now in two different ways, which I will share below (and provide answers).  This is immensely easier because of our 1:1 iPad situation, but not impossible if you do not have this technology.

Review Activity

• First, I created a word document that consisted of each standard, the vocabulary for each standard, and a few key questions for each standard.  
• Each group received one of the standard sheets and was given 5 minutes to fill in as much as they knew.  Then, the sheets were passed until all groups had seen all standard sheets.
• Finally, I redistributed the sheets and students were given 20 minutes (SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE TIME!) to create a short 2-4 minute video on the standard using an app of their choice (Showme, educreations, etc).  
• Students then posted a link to their video on edmodo.  These kids took what takes me 10-15 minutes and made a less than 2 minute video (I could learn a thing or two!)
• Student Created Video
• Here's feedback I received from one of my students
• "Just my two cents...but I love this video review thing! Don't get me wrong, I enjoy your videos, but it's kind of neat that my classmates are teaching me this information rather than the teacher. The fresh perspective is nice, and I really think it will help me on the test tomorrow. (:" 
• Other students were not as positive about listening to other student videos due to the lack of "polish" of the videos, but all students agreed that actually making the videos was helpful in learning the concept.

Iron Triangle Concept Builder 

• The iron triangle is a key government concept that spans 4 different units in AP Government.  We finished up the last piece of the iron triangle last week, and I asked students to create a video describing an iron triangle (whether specific or vague).
• I thought this activity might take 30-40 minutes, but was surprised that it took all block.  Students knew that others would listen to their recording, so engaged in creating rough drafts, scripts, etc.  All students were required to speak, so everyone had to be an expert in something.  It ended up taking all block and students were silent as they listed to everyone else's recording!
• Here's an example!
• Here's another example!