Classrooms without Boundaries - SMART Technologies

FEATURE ARTICLEThere is no“right” wayAccording to Bergmann, manyteachers who want to flip theirclassrooms are unsure of the“right” way to do it – they don’tknow what should be covered inthe video and in class. Becauseflipping is a model that can bepersonalized, Bergmann helpsteachers determine how theirflipped classrooms could look. “Thisis the question I almost always leadwith now during a presentation– ‘What is the best use of yourface-to-face class time?’ Answerthat question and then figure out ifthere is something you can offloadto be taught somewhere else.”For physical education teachers,this could mean using class timestrictly for physical activity andthen covering lessons in a video.English teachers trying to fitgrammar lessons into class timecould have students view videolessons at home. And physicsteachers could cover the day’slesson with a video and useclass time for a hands-on lab,providing extra time for answeringquestions, checking studentwork and ensuring everyoneunderstands the concept.The flipped classroom in actionTroy Faulkner, a teacher and head of the math department at ByronHigh School in Byron, Minnesota, has been flipping his classroomsfor two years. During the past year, the entire math departmenthas switched exclusively to the flipped classroom model, with otherteachers throughout the district moving in the same direction.As Faulkner explains, teachers in his department use SMARTproducts to support their flipped classrooms. They use SMARTRecorder in SMART Notebook software to create lecture videosthat record not only their voice but also anything they do ontheir computer. Some teachers do this using their SMART Boardinteractive whiteboard while others use the SMART Slate wireless slate to write notes and record lessons at home orat their desk. Teachers then post their lectures on YouTube,embedding them in Moodle for students to view at homewithout the distractions of the YouTube site.Teachers also use SMART Document Camera to show relatedvisuals or student work and the SMART Response XE interactiveresponse system for formative assessment during class time.Faulkner says SMART Response XE has been the key to his schooltaking the flipped classroom model to the next level. “With the flippedclassroom, there is a lot of collaboration that occurs in the roomJune 2012 | 17