Tuesday, October 28, 2014

I like my BLOG




This blog is really precious for me. Before I landed in Canada, I have never thought that I could study again; what's more, it is really beyond my imagination that I could study online. This is really a big challenge for me.

Working during the daytime, and finishing work till midnight has become my routine and it seems that I have been accustomed such arrangement.

You will never know your potential, unless you try it !!  --For myself.

My Third Journal


Thanks for my instructor's kindly encouragement, I can finish my three journals fluently. 

PIDP 3250 Instructional Strategies ---Course Journal Assignment 3

OBJECTIVE:
Nowadaysteachers are trying to find various methods to meet the different needs of students. With the development of modern technologies and the changing role of teachers, innovative approaches are researched and tested by many educators. “Flipping the classroom reverses a traditional model of in-class lecture followed by homework. The roles and responsibilities of instructor and student are proactive and often require a new or enhanced skill set.” Flipped classroom can encourage students to learn intuitively and therefore improve their score, according to the survey. Of course, there may be some disadvantages of flipped classroom, and I will discuss in the following part.

REFLECTIVE:
I learned this new term “Flipped Classroom” through PIDP course 3240 and 3250. I have been teaching as a teacher for many years, so I am quite familiar with the traditional classroom. However, I have never thought of such method before, and I felt amazed when I learned the process of Flipped Classroom the first time. After thinking it carefully and studying the situation of education in China, I find there are several reasons why it was impossible for me to apply such method to my class when I was in China. First, the number of students in my class in China is bigger than that of class in North America. Generally, I had 40-60 students in my class. Therefore, it was difficult to ensure that all of them can watch the videos and necessary materials before the class. Especially, some freshmen felt relaxed suddenly and lost motivation to study after attending the so-calles “the most fierce competition in the world”--- entrance examination in China. Second, my subject is English, which was a general subject for all the students in my university. To be frank, most Chinese students were not interested in English study and they were forced to study English by their parents for further jobs. Under such circumstance, it is impossible for them to learn before the class voluntarily. I have read many examples of Flipped Class, whose subjects are more specific, such as cooking, nursing, etc. If the students are interested in the subject they are studying, it is likely for them to do fully preparation before the class. Otherwise, teachers have to repeat those materials and they may have no time to do discussion or other activities. Third, some students cannot afford those computers necessary for the flipped class. I have to confess that some of students were from remote areas or poor countryside. Buying a laptop is not realistic, while school cannot provide enough media lab for them to use.

INTERPRETIVE:
After reflecting all my experience in China and discussing in the forum, I have deep understanding of Flipped Classroom. There are several advantages of flipped class. First, students learn to how to manage their time and control themselves. Undoubtedly, students have to commit much more time to studying with Flipped Class. They must have the ability to control themselves and arrange their schedules logically. Besides, they can learn the teaching materials according to their own pace. Students can pause or repeat the lectures or videos anytime once they have some questions. Second, it is more efficient for both teachers and students. Because students have already learned those podcasts and lectures before the class, much time has been saved. Teachers and students can discuss the problems they encountered pertinently together. Therefore, the efficiency of class is greatly enhanced and the confusions of students can be solved promptly. Third, the interaction between students and teachers is increased. With the increasing interaction with teachers by those modern social media, such as blog, podcast, face book, etc, students may get feedback more quickly, which is consequently easy for both the parents and the students to realize their weaknesses and strengths. Of course, each coin has two sides. Also, the flipped classroom may face some challenges despite its advantages. First, not all the students have the necessary equipment (computer or digital devices) and computer technology for study at home. For those kids living in remote area, it is impossible for them to get access to those modern devices, and I wonder whether this kind of teaching approach will enlarge the gap between the students in developing country and in developed country. Second, teachers’ workload is increased greatly. Teachers have to spend much time compiling and editing videos, lectures, or podcasts. In addition, teacher has to do sufficient preparation for the possible problems students will propose during the class. Of course, the feedback will be offered on time. Third, students will have to spend too much time online to prepare their materials for the flipped classroom, which may have a negative effect on their eyesight or body. What’s more, the colorful content online may distract some students from learning materials. Therefore, it is hard to predict whether students can learn more than regular class if they cannot control themselves well.

DECISIONAL:
After participating in discussion of the forum in PIDP 3250 course, I have a comparatively objective perspective on Flipped Classroom. In my future work, I’d like to use various methods for different kinds students. For those adult learners, I would fully use the approach of Flipped classroom, for most of them are self-directed learners who have clear goal and firm determination. In such circumstance, I believe that Flipped classroom can facilitate my teaching process. For those teenagers, I may partially use flipped class. Maybe I just ask them to see a part of video as a preview of class, and then discuss it in our class. Gradually, when those teenagers are accustomed to such approach and have showed great motivation in such teaching mode, it is time for me to apply Flipped classroom thoroughly. Anyway, Flipped Classroom is a trend in future education.

Reference:
Michele Estes, Rich Ingram, Christie Liu  (July 29,2014)  A review of Flipped Classroom Research, Practice, and Technologies  Retrieved on Oct,6, 2014, from https://www.hetl.org/feature-articles/a-review-of-flipped-classroom-research-practice-and-technologies/
Chelsea Jenkins  (Aug 29,2012)   The adventages and disadvantages of the Flipped Classroom   Retrieved on Oct 6th, 2014, from http://info.lecturetools.com/blog/bid/59158/The-Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-the-Flipped-Classroom
Mike Acedo  (Nov.27,2013)   10 Pros and Cons of A Flipped Classroom     Retrieved on Oct 6th, 2014, from