Flipped, Blended, Disrupted Nonsense!

Where do these simple banners for teaching in this digital learning age come from? Certainly, they haven’t been floated first by Teachers. I asked my PLN to give me a definition for “Flipped Classroom”, and what came back was “Experiencing learning whenever and wherever you are and then taking it back to the classroom for discussion.” Furthermore I heard this: “humanizing classroom interaction through offsite content interaction as a prerequisite.” What’s so flipped about that? Seems to me that could be the definition for a good field trip. Truly, I’m playing devil’s advocate, here, but you’d think troops gathering under a Flipping banner could specifically convey the “Flipping” meaning to others as something more than that of a field trip. I think Experiential Learning is a more appropriate flag to wave. Experiential goes back to shoebox science days. I will venture to say that experiential teaching is what teachers do. When I shared that with my PLN, a teacher, quickly, replied, “I use Discovery Learning—where kids become experts.” Now that’s understandable. Save the flipping for pancakes.

I know that it’s easy to get excited about placing yourself into an education box, but think about that for a minute. Can teaching, today, really be contained in one box, and under one heading? It never has, and never will. Sorry Madeline Hunter, but it’s true. Names of programs change, along with their “anticipatory set”, but here we are watching another pendulum swing. People who haven’t taught, and those with political motives, corporate marketing strategies, or fad-bandwagon riders have created some of those interestingly silly education headings.

Staying a little skeptical is a good thing. It’s another reason why having an education Personal Learning Network, with educators as members, is essential. Who else is going shake you when you need it, tell you to wake up, and actually look at what you’re doing, saying, or supporting. Following education fads blindly, without common sense sounding boards is equivalent to sharing a URL/Link to a Website without first visiting it to preview. It’s like sharing a video with students without reviewing, or commenting on a blog post without reading it. You wouldn’t have your students or children do any of those things.

To date, I haven’t heard anything completely different, or unique shared under those supposedly exceptional education banners. Words like “Disrupting” just scares me, and I hate to even hear it used anymore. If you’re a teacher and haven’t begun to change to meet the needs of students at the middle of the 21^st Century, you’re a rare bird heading for extinction fast. And, please don’t get me started on “Blended”. All good lessons are a mix of many elements. They are the ones we love to teach, and the ones kids enjoy, and best of all, where learning is an experience to remember. Again, that’s teaching—under any headline—good teaching brings the world into classrooms, and offers many ways to interact with that world. It’s so much easier, today, with Internet, social media, and video than it once was. Every teacher can do it, not just the interactive tech stars.

One educator in my PLN told me “Flipping, ideally, would give teachers more time to explore content deeper and more personalized for students with fewer lectures.” Maybe some of the chalk dust from my chalkboard days has lodged between my ears, but I’ve always called that Good Teaching.

When I was a very young educator complaining about things we should be doing, a superintendent asked me, “What are you going to do about it?” I’ve always remember that, and effort to leave something as a take away when I make statements or comments. So, let me leave you with an experiential lesson. Think more of the concept, rather than just the subject area, because replicating in other areas will be possible. Good teaching doesn’t come packaged. Enjoy and modify; just don’t call it Flipped, Blended, Disruptive Nonsense!

Experiential Lesson Idea:

Goal: To provide the method and resources for students to experience brilliant, real life challenges, where students are scientists, and at the same time provide the newest interactive teaching opportunities for educators. Learning will meet reading/writing and math common core standards, including the use of technology for backing up research. In all, the students are scientists.

Specifics: This discovery/experiential lesson will use interactive hardware (white board solutions and other appropriate interactive devices) software/Internet places, books, eReaders, and 3D technologies to as closely duplicate the real life discovery and identification of animal skulls and bones, using the scientific method (steps and procedures), blended learning, technology and Web 2.0 skills.

Note: The depth and level of all resources can be adjusted, but using AR/3D for this and similar lessons should be the destination. Therefore I will refer to AR/3D throughout.

• Students will discover animal skeletal, partial remains, and skulls. A great deal can be discovered from animal skulls. Check this URL: http://www.d91.k12.id.us/skyline/science/zoology/skulls.htm

• There’s plenty of information on appearance and measurement to help with creation of cards and resources within and beyond.

• Students will identify animals from skeletal remains and skulls using science, math, language arts, reading, research, collaboration, and 21st century communication skills.

• Students will prepare, measure, compare, as well as question experts to help identify the animal and articulate the bones.

• Students will keep science notebook journals, use the science method, read, listen, build vocabulary, draw, use digital imaging, view research, use secure e-mail as well as social media platforms to extend resource options.

• Students will be assessed throughout the exploration, and finally with an assessment that asks them to solve for mystery bones/skulls and identify an animal using similar already practiced procedures.

Lesson Possibilities:

• Quick reference AR cards or 3D software—as well as print and online resources

• Software: This could be local computer, interactive white board, and use of 3D/AR

• Online resources: Combination of local, Web places and resources.

• eReader: There are an abundance of eReaders, as well as traditional book opportunities, here. Animal related, science, research, fiction and non-fiction.

• Bone/Skull Replicas can be expensive. That’s where AR can come to the rescue through 3D cards/software and video. It makes sense to do AR/3D, where bones, skulls and skeletal remains can be realistically presented—full-sized and interactive on an interactive board. Note: Offering a few replicas to hold, measure and articulate can be supplemental for enhancing discovery for the student scientists, but AR/3D can work nicely, and provide lessons like this more universally.

• Podcast/Audio resources: There should be an abundance of clues, and helpful resources in all media styles. Student should also have the ability to create their own to add to the discovery files—taking advantage of all technology and media.

• Video resources: Experts talking to the class would be one possibility, but student produced video should be part of the scientific discovery journals, lab pages, and portfolios.

• Blog or lab posts: There needs to be a place for daily blog-style lab posts, so students can share discoveries with other class members, and quite possibly with other classes—local or globally.

• Students can create characters, where they play the roles of Experts answering e-mail, as well as audio, video, and social media to give added excitement and realism to the discoveries. These characters can also be a mix of real experts, along with the fictional ones—designed to help lead the way.

Character development and involvement:

• Character Example 1: Two museum scientists studying animals in Alaska—scenario could be that they read student e-mails with images of the bones and measurement and suggest possible solutions for students to check. Furthermore, they could send a box of bones they have collected—and they request the students help them solve what the animal is.
• Character Example 2: Through e-mails, students discover a scientist in Northern England working on a discovery of Roman tiles, but he also has expertise in animals and anatomy, as well as an Internet site with animal skulls, bones, and their measurements. He helps the students with suggestions, but also shares something about the history he is uncovering.

• Character Example 3: Students receive e-mails from students in a high school zoology class working through similar animal discovery investigations. The classes and teachers collaborate with blogs/drop box clues/collective suggestions—including references.