Implementing the Lesson, Part III
The "Flipped Classroom" Model
On the final day of outlining, I implemented the “flipped classroom” model, where the students serve as the teachers and are truly the ones in charge of the learning. Students were given the following section - "The Technology of Ships and Navigation" - to read and outline about the new technological developments that made exploration possible.
They were allowed to work by themselves or with a partner. Some students were really engaged and worked hard on their outlines, while some invariably were not able to produce an appropriate outline. Below are some of the examples of outlines that I received that will be discussed in greater detail.
Although these outlines may not seem to be that great and a bit wordy, I was actually really impressed with it because I am familiar with the specific students who completed them. One of the students, Damien, normally does not complete even the simplest Do Now assignments and has frequently sat through lessons with his head down for large chunks of time. Therefore, I was really excited that he was working on this outline and that he actually had a good response. In the future, I would advise him to continue to use the summarizing skill and learn how to create an outline using his own words, instead of simply copying from the excerpt. We didn’t do this assignment again, but I wonder if he would have continued to improve if he was given more chances to practice this skill.
Two students, a freshman and a senior, worked together to produce this outline. The freshman is very bright and can be extremely involved when he chooses to participate in class. Earlier in the semester, I met with the student and his parents and told them that he needed to participate more to make sure that he would get the most from the class. When the senior joined the class, I noticed that the freshman stuck to him and often used him for academic advice and help. Although the students did not give their outline a guiding question, they did provide an appropriate title and properly used the outline format. These students worked together to read the text, underline important information and then compose it into outline form. I like that in general, each of their main ideas consisted of a new piece of technology, followed by details about each invention and advancement. These students frequently asked me for help and I was happy to give them advice because they were actively engaged in the assignment. I was glad that the students, especially the freshman, seemed to be getting the hang of the assignment because that could indicate that I had taught it properly and scaffolded it enough for them to understand the task. Moreover, it showed me that the freshman was interested in putting in the effort in order to get a good grade in the class.
In my opinion, this was the best outline that I received and one where I had very little input. Students worked together to create this outline and broke up each main idea to discuss a new invention. The students properly labeled every idea and example. They also indented in the right away and set up their outline to be aesthetically pleasing. One of the students who produced this outline is usually very disruptive and bothersome when I am teaching the class. Throughout the year, I have come to learn that she really enjoys working on her own and prefers when she is given the autonomy to learn and work the way that she wants. During this activity, she remained non-disruptive and was completely engaged while she was working on her own. This shows me that giving some students more autonomy can actually transform their behavior in class. Increased autonomy transformed a troublesome student to one of the most involved and knowledgeable students in the class.