Thanks for my instructor's kindly encouragement, I can finish my three journals fluently.
PIDP 3250 Instructional Strategies
---Course Journal Assignment 3
OBJECTIVE:
Nowadays，teachers 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:
Mike Acedo (Nov.27,2013) 10 Pros and Cons of A Flipped Classroom Retrieved on Oct 6th, 2014, from
