Below is a presentation I created for Chinese language teachers. It goes over my experiences with flipped learning, tools and tips to get started.
Please feel free to contact me to discuss anything to do with flipped learning or anything else to do with content in this blog. Thanks for checking out the site.
Over the years, I have created a library of Google slides on Chinese language. These slides have a variety of short Chinese language videos that cover language items for most topics that 2nd language learners of Chinese would possibly learn. The main framework of this resource was based on the Ni Hao series of textbooks, Chinasoft. Most of the videos are my own and were created with the flipped learning method in mind. You can read my post on flipped learning here if you are interested. The other videos in this resource have been attributed on the site. Please feel free to use this resource and I hope it can support your teaching of Chinese. Click on the image below to go to the site.
There has been lots of posts, books, and talk aboutflipped learning. This post is about some of my ideas on FL that might help get teachers started if they want to flip their classes. I have been flipping for about ten years now, but the first five to six years, I was flipping inconsistently. This post is my reflection, ideas and experience on that flipped learning journey. In it's most basic form, flipped learning is something teachers have been doing in various forms for years. During my university years of the 1980s and 90s, we could watch videos or listen to audio tapes of the lectures we missed and take notes. Not exactly flipping as we know it today, but, there are similarities. I believe the main surge for flipped learning came with the advancement and affordability of various technologies, maybe around the 1990s-2000. Just around that time or just a few years after, Aaron Sams and Jon Bergman can be attributed for promoting and modelling flipped learning as many of us know it today. The rapid development of flipped learning correlated with this tech surge and this has seen a huge, massive, rocket boost to realms that seem to have no boundaries. Read Jon Bergman's account of how flipping developed for him. I have met Jon several times at conferences and attended his workshops. He is an generous,enthusiastic, expert educator and I highly recommend anyone interested in flipping their class check out the sites below and enrol in some of the courses and read his books.
Flipped learning, as I understand it, is giving students time to watch a short video for example, and learn the content themselves as best they can. This can be completed at home or in class. During or after this process of self-learning, through various activities, students will try to understand and master the new content. If needed, students can watch then re-watch the video as many times as needed and pause when necessary. Any video content that needs to be clarified or discussed with the teacher happens next lesson. If students are confident with the new content, they can proceed with activities that will reinforce the new content and give pathways that will extend the student and take them to mastering the content. The critical thing is to know how much content to give at any one time. Think of each flipped video lesson as a mini-lesson recorded by you, perhaps only about 1 -5 minutes long. The huge benefit of flipped learning is that with the students doing the learning on their own then progressing to the activities, instead of lecturing/teaching at the front of the class for half the lesson, time is given back to teachers. Students can progress at their own pace and the teacher can help those who need it, as in the diagram above, the lecture/learning of information and reinforcing/practicing of content related activities are reversed, or flipped.
Some ways to flip
Most teachers like to use a variety of teaching activities, or blending the teaching and learning. There are times when you may still need to stand up in the front of the class and deliver a more traditional lecture type presentation, I suggest just like all teaching strategies, don't do if for the whole lesson. Here are some ideas to get you thinking.
Non-tech flipping
Let's see how we already use flipped learning in the non-tech activity. This could take the form of giving the students a text to read and prepare, or diagrams, new grammar pattern or solutions and methods to solve a new math equation. Students, from the samples and explanations in the content, then reword and interpret the main gist of the content into words and/or diagrams that helps them understand the content. I like using Cornell Notes as students can note take, sketch note, summarize, draw, shorthand their interpretation of the content in a way they understand it. Finally, once the note taking is complete, students summarize in their own words what they believe is the main idea of the content. Practice activities can be prepared to see if the students have mastered the new content. Any questions are to be recorded and asked about next lesson. I like to initially teach students the formatting and elements of Cornell Notes and then how to take notes. It takes a little training and practice for them to be good note takers. I also encourage them to use other methods of note taking, but include the elements of Cornell Notes in their note taking.
In-flipping is flipping in the class room. So that is why this is known as "in-flipping". I like to in-flip with my middle school and senior classes. You can see, in the gif rotation station diagram, how you can blend teacher-talk, digital learning, and traditional learning activities to create a series of learning hubs. This strategy is a good way to introduce students to flipping the classroom but does take a considerable amount of time to setup and plan. Rotation stations Rotation stations work really well when in-flipping your lesson and are perfect for classes that only have a few devices in the room as well as 1:1. Catlin Tucker has an awesome post on rotation stations that I recommend you check out. Rotations take time to plan and set up but I have found my senior and middle school classes find it very beneficial and enjoyable. When in-flipping, I set up about 3 - 5 stations that vary from card games, device activities (listening, reading comprehension), speaking, writing, reading from the text, video and Cornell Notes/exercises. I introduce a Time with Teacher activity after a few lessons when I think the students can work in groups without me hovering around. Each station can be from 10 - 15 minutes long, depending on the activity. A class timer or buzzer with perhaps a 1 minute warning before the end of the rotation gives students time to wind up that activity and move to the next station.
Flipped Learning Activities
Getting the students to flip confidently and productively takes quite a bit of training, that's why it is good to in-flip first so they can get use to the flipped learning method. The basic framework of flipped learning is outlined above, but it is worth repeating for those of us new to flipping. The great benefit of flipped learning, is that there is more time for the teacher to help students who need help and those who can progress on their own, do so at their own pace. Flipped learning activities of course must be thoughtfully created as well so content that is suitable for the different levels of students.
For example, when I am introducing a new sentence pattern, for the first step I prepare a Google slide presentation that explains how the structures components and how it is used. This presentation usually has the relevant language, examples and a short video explaining the sentence pattern. I then have the students write a set of Cornell Notes and complete an activity sheet to see if they have understood the video or not. Questions are noted down to ask me next lesson. You can see the type of videos I have presented in my Youtube channel link below. The videos are nothing flash, but get the message across.
Technology has really powered the flipped learning method. Flipping can help teachers reach out and help every student, giving precious time back to teachers so we can maximize student learning. Being a Chinese language teacher who loves blending teaching and learning with tech, I have over the years tried different ways to flip and am always trying to improve. Below is the how to flip learning video I made for my students. It is on the front page each my class sites and outlines the basics and benefits of flipped learning and how we can use it to improve our learning. This video is also a good way for parents to get an introduction to flipped learning. I have other language and tech videos you can check out if you are interested and they are housed in my Youtube channel here.
Thanks for taking time to read my post on flipped learning and I hope it has helped you get an idea on this great teaching and learning method.
If you would like to discuss the content of this post, my contact details are on the homepage, happy flipping!
This sample activity was created for Year 10 and they had about 3 years of Chinese language study already, they could be considered around the intermediate high school level. Some of the travel videos in my channel would have supported their learning in this activity.
