It’s official – Monday 1/30/12 has been declared World Flipped Class Open House Day :) Please take a look at the list of schools participating and think about taking a peak into one of the classrooms opening its doors to you. If you are interested in joining my AP Calculus AB class at Bullis School in Potomac, MD between 10 am – 12 pm, please come join the fun! It will be a great opportunity to connect and learn from one another.
Let me just briefly give a bit of background on what the “flipped classroom” means to me, what I’m doing in my “flipped class”, and how it all started.
At Bullis, our goal as teachers is always to help our students find and maintain balance. Teaching AP Calculus 3 years ago, I realized that the stress level in my classroom was very high, far from an ideal learning environment and not what I was trying to achieve. So when I went to a technology conference and learned about Camtasia Studio, a piece of software which would allow me to record/edit/produce my lessons with ease, I knew that I had found my answer.
By eliminating class lecture, I have been able to spend class time working WITH my students – in groups and one-on-one – and have the time to do the collaborative, engaging work that was lost before.
I have a big interest in technology, but I would never ben one to say that what I’m doing in my AP Calculus class is what I would recommend for all teachers (or even the way I teach in my other classes). Personally, 3 years ago, I looked at my classroom, saw a problem (high anxiety), and then thought about how technology might be able to make it better. By freeing up class time, I was able to provide this relief for my students. That is what “flipping the classroom” has been all about for me.
So if you are interested in seeing it all in action, please join us on 1/30/12!
techieMusings 