Take a look at the standards. Can they be broken down into 10 minute or less chunks? A good rule of thumb is that you do not want your videos more than 10-15 minutes long. I try to stay around 10 minutes for my third graders. Within my videos I did give key vocabulary and practice problems so their lessons would take 15-20 minutes. The next important thing to ask yourself before you flip is, can my students learn this without me through video or will they need me there? If they need you there then you need to do it in class. If it is a concept that can be mastered through basically whole group lecture, then flip it. :) Just about anything I could do whole group, I flipped. This allowed me to do my whole group instruction as homework and then dive into small groups the next day. (More on this to come.) :) It is important to keep in mind that just because you use videos, you aren't flipping your classroom.
Remember, videos are only a part of a flipped classroom. Flipping a classroom involves so many different things. Videos are the tool that allows you extra time to create a differentiated, 21st Century collaborative environment in your classroom.
Once you have decided what to flip, it's time to think about how you want to create your videos. Some of this may depend on your school system's requirements. (See How to Flip - Part 2). Because my system required me to use my website, I had to post videos through that. This meant either through embedding them or a URL code. I felt it important that since my children were young in this adventure, I needed it to be as easy as possible. I wanted to embed my videos so that it was as few clicks as possible to get there. I also felt that since this was their first exposure to flipping it needed to be me they saw teaching the lesson. I also wanted parents to know I was still responsible for instruction, not someone else on a video. I think it helped them see I was still delivering the required curriculum. Of course there are many places online for you to go and get videos. Some of these include Khan Academy and something new I've come across called LearnZillion. This is really going to depend on your philosophy.
Now it is time to create your videos. I used two methods this past year. My parent's enjoyed both buy commented they really liked seeing me in the videos. However, they did comment they understand the time commitment so either way was valuable. The first did cost some money and the second was free.
Since I wanted to be the one in the videos, I first chose to go with Dr. Lodge McCammon's video philosophy. You can check him out at The Friday Institute. All I needed was 6 white boards (that is all that will fit on a chalk tray), a video camera, a tri-pod (or video cameraman), a quiet place to record, and an editing program. I used Camtasia. If you use this method try to make your video in one take. If not, you will drive yourself crazy doing it over and over. It is OK to make mistakes. BTW, kids LOVE it! :) My first videos were horrible and filled with so many mistakes!!!! You get better with time. You need to plan your lesson out in 6 slides. This makes your teaching so much more targeted. It's hard to get it all in but it really does keep you right to the point which is good instruction. I use the editing software to cut out the beginning and end where I am getting up and down out of the chair and maybe any mistakes I make. I also use the editing program to turn the videos into MP4 files to burn onto DVDs. This is a time consuming method. However, it really does get easier the more you do it and you really can get videos down to a science. It happens very quickly! I promise. One bonus use of Camtasia is that you can use PowerPoint and save it as a MP4 file through Camtasia to burn on DVDs. I've done this a few times. However, I did find it more time consuming since I am so slow in creating the PowerPoint and then recording the screen. For me, it was easier to do it live.
About January, I stumbled upon an app that has made my life so much easier. It is the Teach app by Knowmia.
This app allows you to create videos slide by slide, import media (pictures and video), and record the screen as you go so the instruction is happening in real time. AND the kicker is, you can even record yourself in the videos! I've not attempted this yet but am planning to this fall.
You do need to register for a free account through Knowmia.com to house your videos in.
However, I have found this company to be so helpful and user friendly. Through the website you get a URL code and an embed code. You can even make MP4 files of your videos to burn DVDs.
You need to chose a way that is good for you and good for your learners. No matter what, not everyone is going to have Internet access. You will need to burn DVDs for some of your learners. However, with Smartphones and free Wi-Fi, you should only have to do a few of these. I have found that most families either have a gaming system that plays DVDs, a DVD player, or an old computer that isn't hooked up to the Internet. At the beginning of the year, I send home a survey asking who has Internet connection and with what carrier. This is important so you can help with troubleshooting along the way. I also like to know what type of computer PC, Mac, tablet, or iPad they are using. This comes in handy also for troubleshooting. I also have a spot where they can check if they can use their parents Smartphone if needed. I don't want them to have to because it does use data. However, I had a little girl that would do her homework while waiting for dance on her mom's phone. Some parents don't know they have access this way unless you ask. I also have a blank spot for them to check if they do not have Internet. If so, what gaming device do they have. This may sound horrible, but I don't try to sell the fact that I will burn DVDs. This is something you want to do only if you have to. It does become expensive and time consuming. However, it does need to be done for those that need it. You just don't want to do it unless you have to. You want your students who have Internet using Internet. The videos become a resource to them and they are always there. DVDs get lost, scratched, broken, or have to be returned like ours do.
Now the hard part is out of the way. Next up...part 4 what to do with all your extra class time. :)
No comments :
Post a Comment