Flipping Out in the Elementary Classroom

Image courtesy of James Barker / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

I've been hearing and reading quite a bit about flipped classrooms lately. It's the latest trend in education. Traditionally, the movement has been reserved for lecture-heavy high school and college courses. But it is starting to trickle down to the elementary level where it would serve more to build background knowledge ahead of classroom instruction. 

Here's how it works: Flipped classrooms put the lecture part of instruction at home and the homework part of instruction at school. In other words, instead of the teacher introducing a topic and assigning homework, instruction is provided via technology (videos, DVDs, thumb drives). Students watch the content at home in preparation for class the next day. Class time is used to discuss the information, participate in a project or complete assignments that would have been given as homework under the traditional teaching method. The goal of flipped classrooms is to make learning more engaging and interactive for students as well as to give teachers more opportunities to provide individual or small group instruction.

Obviously, there are pros and cons. The biggest obstacle is access to technology. You can call this the Digital Age as much as you want, but there are still many, many families in this country who do not have computers at home. Additionally, there will always be a population of students who do not complete their homework for reasons that stretch way beyond laziness. We have kiddos amongst us who face unfathomable obstacles every day that prevent them from doing school work.

On the Pro side, a flipped classroom could be just what students who struggle with processing issues need to be successful. Watching content in the comfort of their own home, where they can pause, rewind, and review the information as many times an necessary can help them keep pace with their peers. They could jot down questions and topics for discussion ahead of time, which would allow them to collect their thoughts and participate in class in a way they might not have been able to before.

I'm taking more of an interest in this new trend because the school district in which I live is currently rolling out its Future Learner Project (FLiP). It's a multi-year implementation that started with a small pilot group of its 5th grade classes this year. To solve the technology problem, the district plans to put a take-home laptop into the hands of every student. But beyond just handing kids the devices, teachers will engage in extensive professional development to ensure they are comfortable using the technology within a curriculum that correlates with a flipped classroom as well as the Common Core Standards.

I'm hoping this flip won't be a flop because I really can see how this could help students at all learning levels. It won't be easy, but it's achievable. How about you? Is your district looking into flipped classrooms? Thoughts?

Thanks for reading ... It Keeps Your Mind Full of Literacy!

Death Match 2014: Fiction Vs. Non-Fiction

Photo courtesy of: Regonold via photopin cc

 

 

I've been writing a bit about the Common Core Standards (set to take effect in 2014) and the impact they could have on how English/Language Arts is taught, especially at the secondary level. I encourage you to read my thoughts here and here.

 

A Facebook friend alerted me to this NY Times opinion piece on the topic. It's written by Sara Mosle, a journalist and author who also teaches 6th grade English in Newark, NJ. Her perspective is intelligent and offers ideas on how to incorporate more non-fiction into English courses. Her commentary is certainly thought-provoking. At last check, 463 people had chimed in with their two cents.

 

One thing I did find interesting is that Mosle seems to see this as the sole responsibility of English teachers versus an opportunity to collaborate with content-area colleagues. Sadly, teaching in isolation is so ingrained in secondary teachers that we don't even think about it.

 

Thanks for reading! It keeps your Mind Full of Literacy!

 

P.S. More Mindful Thoughts That Kept Me Awake Last Night: I've been reading Seth Godin lately. He contends that the hiring practices or an increasing number of employers are evolving to toward the hiring of  innovative problem solvers who buck the system (in a professional and respectful manner) and who aren't afraid to be human and exert some emotional labor. If this is indeed the case, then self-expression (a trait that David Colman says English classes focus too much on) remains a skill that needs to be taught and cultivated in our students. Thoughts?





Can the Common Core Standards Cultivate a Renewed Sense of Kumbaya in Education?

Image soucre: www.gunnoracle.com

Right now, Education Week is offering free access to the digital edition of  Rethinking Literacy: Reading in the Common-Core Era for a limited time. The edition consists of several articles related to how the Common Core State Standards will alter how the educational system as awhole views reading and writing.

One particular article, Literacy Instruction Expected to Cross Disciplines addresses in more detail what I wrote about here. It's so exciting!

Thanks for reading ... It keeps your Mindfull of Literacy!

70/30: Is Teaching Fiction Losing the Common Core Battle?

Image from Melissa Dority at http://questgarden.com/124/88/0/110420172559/index.htm 

In an earlier post, I wrote about a study that found that only 43% of 2012 graduates who took the SAT had the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college. That’s disturbing, considering that organizations today are looking for people who are creative and innovative thinkers and initiators. Apparently, the creators of the Common Core Standards find these and similar statistics concerning because they took action. To date, 45 states have adopted these new standards, which were designed reflect the knowledge students need to have a productive college life and/or career path.

The Kansas City Star ran an article recently about the possible effects that implementation of the Common Core Standards could have on the teaching of literature. The new standards recommend that non-fiction/informational text should make up 70% of what high school students read and write about. The school of thought is that beefing up non-fiction reading and writing will better prepare students for college.

High school literature teachers are reeling from the new standards, and rightly so. The change will require them to approach their content area in a whole new way. While some teachers view the standards as a mandate to reduce the amount of fiction students read, others view it as an opportunity to supplement the fiction with informational text. As usual, the new standards encourage educators and administrators to see the change as a school-wide responsibility.  

I have mixed feelings about this topic. I loved my English and Literature classes in high school, and I was inspired by the passion that ignited my teachers to share everything they could about authors and their stories. That inspiration and their passion led me to earn a B.A. in English. As an educator, I know how exciting it is when a struggling reader falls in love with a book. More often than not, the books they love are works of fiction. And I know that the skills needed to access informational text – analyzing, evaluating, knowledge of theme and genre to name just a few – are taught when we dig beneath the surface of works of literature.

But at the same time, I know that the transfer of knowledge isn’t there. I know that most jobs require a person to read and comprehend informational texts. In fact, my English degree led me straight into a job proofreading technical documents at an engineering firm. As an educator, I fully support teaching across the curriculum.  Encouraging English teachers to focus more on informational texts doesn’t have to mean shelving their beloved classics. In fact, it should mean just the opposite. This is the perfect opportunity for teachers to reach across the hallway and collaborate with their colleagues. If a class is reading F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, why not work with the history and/or economics teachers to find appropriate non-fiction texts about The Roaring 20s? Or, if a class is studying Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars, team up with the Social Studies teacher to read true accounts of the Holocaust. Take this opportunity to boost students’ literacy skills culturally, historically, financially and politically. Help students make these critical connections and analyze and evaluate their importance to their world.

Transitioning from the current state standards to the Common Core won’t be easy. Secondary-level teachers typically teach in isolation. Intense collaboration is scary, and, it’s been my experience that most content-area teachers don’t see it as their job to help students improve their reading and writing skills. It won’t be easy because some people just don’t like change. But my gut tells me that the Common Core standards aren’t going to fade away, at least not anytime soon. My hope is that teachers, administrators, and schools can all find a way to introduce students to the adventures and ideas that both fiction and non-fiction texts have to offer.