Week 7: Discussion for Decision Makers

I firmly believe that the blended and flipped model will result in more teachers updating their technology skill sets on an ongoing basis. The best case scenario would be for schools to have a Board designated mentor whose job is to train and be an on-call resource person for school staff to support technology integration and provide sound pedagogical advice. I have been attempting to nudge my own department to update their skills. They rationalize that they have the intention to upgrade in the future, but never take any action. The blended and flipped model would be provide the best combination of push and pull factors to make a change possible.

Option 1 (K -12): PD for instructors -- Pro: they need it. Many would be very appreciative of the PD opportunity and excited to incorporate this new kind of learning in their classes. Con -- Other teacher will be resistant and never use it, so the time and money spent training them would be wasted. Outfitting classrooms -- Pro: the new look and feel of the classroom space would be a motivating factor for students even before the actual flipped learning begins. Con: to really "flip" the classroom one would have to make it available after hours to students who don't have reliable Internet access at home. If you're going to keep the school open at night, you'd have to pay someone to supervise as well.

Option 1: Professional development for instructors: Pros: Ensuring a greater understanding of all teachers and guidelines on how to properly implement. Cons: the development might be too techno-centric (i.e. how to use the technology) and not pedagogical-centered (how to incorporate the technology). The proper implementation of blended and learning environments will take time and definitely require more than one development session/sharing of ideas. Outfitting the classroom: Pros: ensure that all classrooms are equipped to properly function in such a model. Provide the tools necessary for effective instruction. Cons: material is very costly and sometimes too rigid. It is very difficult to ensure in a single purchase all that is necessary to provide such an amazingly flexible environment.

Option 2: I'm noticing a shift in the presentation here. If a flipped classroom can result in saving space and teacher time by reducing class time by two thirds, then aren't we talking about shifting to an online class format or a blend between online courses and traditional. The same for facilitating the lives of students who can't come to school. My next thought is that this reduced need for space and class time sets us on a slippery slope towards cuts to education. So I'm going to take half of this packet of money and bury it in the back yard for the day soon approaching where the government stops sending me packets. And I'll divide the rest between outfitting classrooms for active learning (which should be a standard already in place) and PD for teachers to try to steer them away from being complicit in the wholesale stripping of public education.

Option 2: As both a teacher and a the network support person, I;m going to take a different approach. I would start this program by using the funds to buy a release block or two for one teacher who really believes in this model of pedagogy. This teacher would use the time to pioneer the possibilities of flipped classrooms, gather technology solutions and provide in-service training / mentoring to other teachers. This teacher, in essence, will champion this effort to bring flipped classrooms to the district. These are excellent thought-provoking questions!

Option 2: When allocating funds for technology, I think that it is imperative that teachers are trained how to use the technology. I have personally witnessed iPad carts in a number of schools not being used because the teacher's are not comfortable using them or don't know how to incorporate them into their lessons. It seems like such a waste. I would definitely spend time on providing pro-d to the educators in the school so they could increase their comfort level.

Option 2: For this discussion in specific, I would like to examine how an administrator could, or possibly should, allocate funds in order to successfully implement flipped classrooms into a district. There is much research pointing to the fact that successful implementation of technology in the classroom is dependent on a teachers understanding and comfort using the technology. That being said, I believe first and foremost that there should be a sufficient amount of training provided to teachers. Not only do I think that it would be important for teachers to learn about the benefits and the 'how to's', but also to be immersed in an environment where they too must interact, engage and reflect on their experience learning in a flipped classroom. Secondly, I believe that a good area to fund would be for teaching assistance. In particular, I think that it would be effective to have a team of teachers with sample units that teachers could try to implement in their classroom. Although we all know learning and teaching is better when it is personal and your own, when using a new technology in a new way it is helpful to have a bit of scaffolding and guidance. I think seeing successful implementation in class would also generate a community of educators who are more eager to implement this in their classroom. Finally, I believe that both technical support and outfitting the classroom would be a next best step. Although these are very important elements in the development of learning and using flipped classrooms, I do not think it is the first step. Teacher must first become comfortable with delivery and assess how it can support and improve on their teaching.

Great thoughts on these topics so far! There has been some wonderful sharing of personal experiences from those of you who find yourselves in exactly the types of roles that are integral to the promotion of these types of strategies. The connections made with Universal Design for Learning, and personalized learning have also been very insightful. Kdurny (sorry, don't know everyone's full name), thanks for your thoughtful outline of the role administration in championing and overseeing the appropriate commitment of resources, the importance of consultation with stakeholders, the necessity of a good communication plan, and the wisdom of first investing first in the human resources that will support the tools. Your idea of matching funding is a great way to stretch the investment! With respect to the commitment of resources to projects such as active learning spaces, your observations regarding the reality of expenses and prioritization have really provided food for thought. Retrofitting is, always, after all, more expensive then designing for flexibility from the outset. What have your observations/experiences been with newer learning spaces in your professional context? Are they integrating ideas such as active learning spaces, or do newer learning environments repeat conventions from the past? One example that I can share of a context that seized the opportunity to support active learning is the University of Windsor. I encourage you to take a look at their story (http://webapps.uwindsor.ca/conferences/oucc/files/1398943691_ellis_oucc.pdf ). Please share any other examples you might have!

Option 1: I am usually in a K-7 school environment and part of my job is dedicated to being the technology coach at my site. This means that I support teachers in their adoption and integration of technologies in the classroom space on an ongoing basis. I believe that roles like mine make a big difference in schools because coaches can provide the just-in-time collaborative support that teachers often need and do not have access to. However, these roles are not yet fully adopted in BC schools and are often presented as hybrid roles (like mine), where the coach spends a portion of their time teaching inside their own classroom, and only a smaller release portion to be outside of it. Support needs to be timely and efficient for professional learning to be consolidated and continued with teachers, especially when it comes to regular and ubiquitous technology implementation such as blended or flipped learning structures. Secondly, professional development is an ongoing issue with teachers being willing to adopt technologies at different rates and for different reasons; just as with students, their needs need to be differentiated for. While this can be made possible by the aforementioned coach role in a smaller school environment, larger schools may require more than 1 coach, and/or access to other resources (tech tools, pedagogical approaches, ideas for unit structures, lessons, etc.) that teachers can tap into when they need them. However, teachers need to buy in and be motivated to make these changes before that is money well spent. My advice would be to first invest in the human capital: get real, knowledgeable people supporting teachers first, then give them other resources that they can be guided through as a hands-on coaching activity.

Option 2: in order to implement this initiative, school staff would need time to explore the possibilities. Professional development around determining what a flipped classroom is, how it can be beneficial, what environments would be best served by flipping, etc. Next, getting feedback from school staff on how they could see their own classroom utilizing these strategies: fully flipped, partial, once and awhile? Generating a list of benefits and roadblocks ie, parental involvement, and how to address each side. From there, schools could submit proposals based on their needs for technology or alterations to space. Criteria would need to be determined to assess highest impact spending. A possibility for matching funding could be successful. If schools can generate some of their own funds, from parent council, fundraising, etc. then buy-in is typically increased. A communication plan for implementation would need to be developed to inform parents, students, staff and stakeholders. A pre/post survey to assess knowledge and implementation progress should be administered.