Controlling a class of 30 different human beings that are all thinking different things is quite the feat.
One kid gets it and wants to move on.
Another is just looking at you with a confused or mortified face.
One kid has their head down.
Three kids in the back are talking and swear they know how to do it.
One kid had the warm-up done ten minutes ago while their neighbor still hasn't found a pencil.
How can we blame them when they're all learning the exact same thing,
but they're not all exactly the same?
I've heard of the concept of flipping a classroom. It's always intrigued me. But I've never considered trying it. In the past few weeks, it's crossed my mind and been suggested to create videos to save time re-explaining the same concept over and over again. While helping one student with homework at 4:45, I can't help but notice another student is just staring at us waiting to get help.
This TED talk by the creator of Khan Academy shares some insights as to how flipping the classroom can make a huge difference.
So, I'm thinking, why not try it. Let's be honest... they don't all do the homework now, so they're not all going to watch the videos at home. But what if I assign it anyway? Some kids will watch, others won't. The kids who don't can watch it in class. The kids who did, can get help while the others are just starting to watch videos. Then I may even have time to do fun projects and activities in class that help get the students invested in math! I think it may be worth a shot!
Use Khan, create your own, search the web, or try something new!
Check out this site for awesome tips if you want to try flipping the classroom.
Have videos ever worked in your classroom?
Is there some awesome way to create videos without spending too much extra time?
