Casting Out Nines in fast-motion:
the most challenging planning issue so far has been simply figuring out what to do in class and how to do it.
At my school, the most challenging thing so far is convincing other professors that a flipped classroom is actually more work for the teacher than simply teaching the class the normal way–and NOT an excuse to be in our pajamas all day. (Don’t ask me. Sometimes I really wonder about college profs.)
However, personally that is certainly an issue I see coming up in the classroom –what to do in class, not the pajama comment.
After doing several things I have considered the necessity for already, Talbert comes up with what he thinks is going to work. (And I like the idea, too.)
Students still need to try to complete their class work in class. But I’ve set aside either an entire day or a half-day every couple of weeks (or so) that is totally open free time, and if a group needs to complete a classwork assignment, the students turn it in on that day. They can either work on the classwork outside of class and hand it in on that “makeup dayâ€, or they can show up and finish it up in class then. I’m sure this idea filtered up into my brain from some of my colleagues who employ standards-based grading. This approach has worked well for students. They work hard in class and most students finish their work in class. But if they don’t, they get a few days to let it cool off and to think about it, then they can finish it in class later. The stress level has definitely dropped among the students and it hasn’t blown up my grading workload.
A commenter gave some reading based on Team-Based Learning (an earlier translation of flipped classroom?):
Two page handout. Discusses shift in paradigm from knowing to using, from expert to guide, from passive to active learner.
Team-based learning from UTexas videos. Wish it was written, but it’s video. For some folks that’s a bonus!