RWL Assignment (15/10/2014)
FLIPPED LEARNING
Flipped learning has been accepted as a promising methodology for the individualized student’s learning. The proponents of the method argue that flipped learning model allow students to “control over the pace of their learning” which in turn “improves their desire to learn” (Butrymowicz, 2012). Research disclosed positive changes in students’ achievements as well as their learning motivation (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, & Arfstrom, 2013). In spite of the fact that few studies found no significant improvements, Flipped Learning becomes more accepted by teachers and administrators. They are getting less concerned about questions related to flipped learning implementation. For example, the percentage of teachers who were concerned about making videos declined from 27% to 19% in a year (2012-2013) and percentage of administrators concerned about the same question dropped from 33% to 25% (Yarbro, Arfstrom, McKnight, & McKnight, 2014). However, one of the biggest issues which stirs a lot of debates is students’ access to videos. |
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/4/0/29409351/1413370556.png?250)
SOLUTIONS TO "NO ACCESS" ISSUES...
In spite of growing popularity of Flipped Learning, teachers, especially those who work with “economically disadvantaged learners” (Wiesen, 2014) are concerned about the limited access of their students to video at home. Practitioners offered a lot of solutions to the problem such as students can use public library, teachers can burn DVDs or put information on memory sticks, students can work at the school’s computer labs/libraries, teachers can make video lessons available via Smartphones, students can use their parents’ iPods or iPads (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, & Arfstrom, 2013) or teachers can use “sideway” method - watch video in the classroom (Ko, 2014). Interestingly, Mary Beth Hertz (2012) found 1000 and one reason why these ideas won’t work. For instance, she argues that public library has a 30-minute limit per user and few computers available; teachers will get tired of wasting their time to burn DVDs, and, finally, the school library cannot provide room for every student. I believe each of these solutions may work for one and might not work for another. So that every teacher should try and see what suits best for him and his students. I would like my students watch video as a homework. Most of them have computers at home with the Internet access. Students who live in the dormitory have a computer lab there or at the library or any other University lab. My videos also can be watched on Smartphones as most of my students have them. In exceptional cases students are allowed to watch a video in the class, usually it never happens. Moreover, I think flipped learning is one of the methods to be used in the classroom, therefore students may watch only 1-2 videos during the week. So they have enough time to find 10 minutes and a place where to watch it.
Some of the dedicated teachers even spent their own money to buy computers or “begged” sponsors to buy them (Butrymowicz, 2012). I am just wondering, is it the teachers’ responsibility? Definitely, educators can do and some of them do lots of things to make their teaching effective but how reasonable is to spend own salary to buy technology for the classroom? Is it only teachers’ headache? Since media or technology literacy is considered to be one of the important skills in the 21 century, may be government can take or share this responsibility?
At the same time, in spite of all difficulties, Speak Up (2013) survey results support positive changes in the solution of the access to video at home issues as the percentage of teachers and administrators who were concerned about that declined by 11% and 18%, respectively from 2012 to 2013 (Yarbro, Arfstrom, McKnight, & McKnight, 2014). Moreover, Child Trends (2010) survey suggests that, “57% of children aged 3 through 17 had used the internet at home” compared to 22% in 1997 and “almost 85% of students had access to a computer at home” compared to 15% in 1984 (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, & Arfstrom, 2013). It sounds promising. Thus, currently in the classroom not every student will need an alternative way to work with the video and the solutions suggested above may perfectly work.
In spite of growing popularity of Flipped Learning, teachers, especially those who work with “economically disadvantaged learners” (Wiesen, 2014) are concerned about the limited access of their students to video at home. Practitioners offered a lot of solutions to the problem such as students can use public library, teachers can burn DVDs or put information on memory sticks, students can work at the school’s computer labs/libraries, teachers can make video lessons available via Smartphones, students can use their parents’ iPods or iPads (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, & Arfstrom, 2013) or teachers can use “sideway” method - watch video in the classroom (Ko, 2014). Interestingly, Mary Beth Hertz (2012) found 1000 and one reason why these ideas won’t work. For instance, she argues that public library has a 30-minute limit per user and few computers available; teachers will get tired of wasting their time to burn DVDs, and, finally, the school library cannot provide room for every student. I believe each of these solutions may work for one and might not work for another. So that every teacher should try and see what suits best for him and his students. I would like my students watch video as a homework. Most of them have computers at home with the Internet access. Students who live in the dormitory have a computer lab there or at the library or any other University lab. My videos also can be watched on Smartphones as most of my students have them. In exceptional cases students are allowed to watch a video in the class, usually it never happens. Moreover, I think flipped learning is one of the methods to be used in the classroom, therefore students may watch only 1-2 videos during the week. So they have enough time to find 10 minutes and a place where to watch it.
Some of the dedicated teachers even spent their own money to buy computers or “begged” sponsors to buy them (Butrymowicz, 2012). I am just wondering, is it the teachers’ responsibility? Definitely, educators can do and some of them do lots of things to make their teaching effective but how reasonable is to spend own salary to buy technology for the classroom? Is it only teachers’ headache? Since media or technology literacy is considered to be one of the important skills in the 21 century, may be government can take or share this responsibility?
At the same time, in spite of all difficulties, Speak Up (2013) survey results support positive changes in the solution of the access to video at home issues as the percentage of teachers and administrators who were concerned about that declined by 11% and 18%, respectively from 2012 to 2013 (Yarbro, Arfstrom, McKnight, & McKnight, 2014). Moreover, Child Trends (2010) survey suggests that, “57% of children aged 3 through 17 had used the internet at home” compared to 22% in 1997 and “almost 85% of students had access to a computer at home” compared to 15% in 1984 (Hamdan, McKnight, McKnight, & Arfstrom, 2013). It sounds promising. Thus, currently in the classroom not every student will need an alternative way to work with the video and the solutions suggested above may perfectly work.
|
References
Butrymowicz, S. (2012). Promise of the ‘flipped classroom’ eludes poorer school districts. [Personal home page]. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://hechingerreport.org/content/promise-of-the-flipped-classroom-eludes-poorer-school-districts_8748/ Hamdan, N., McKnight, P., McKnight, K., & Arfstrom, K. (2013). A review of flipped learning. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/VA01923112/Centricity/Domain/41/LitReview_FlippedLearning.pdf Hertz, M. B. (2012). The flipped classroom: Pro and con [Blog]. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-pro-and-con-mary-beth-hertz |
Ko, E. (2014). A flipped classroom: Or should it be sideways [Web page] Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.edudemic.com/flipped-classroom-or-sideways
Wiesen, N. (2014). Flipping the classroom for students with learning disabilities [Blog]. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.scilearn.com/blog/flipping-the-classroom-for-students-with-learning-disabilties
Yarbro, J., McKnight, P., Arfstrom, K. M., Director, P. D. E., & Network, F. L. (2014). Extension of review of flipped learning. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://flippedlearning.org/cms/lib07/VA01923112/Centricity/Domain/41/Extension%20of%20FLipped%20Learning%20LIt%20Review%20June%202014.pdf