"Your biggest hurdle isn't your opponent, it's yourself!" ~ Brandon Todd
Before any fellow flippers panic by reading the title, I am not moving on from Flipping - rather I am leaving the classroom and entering the realm of leadership at a local technical college here in Wisconsin. While I have greatly enjoyed my time in the classroom and have found Flipping to be very beneficial for my students and for me personally, I strongly believe it's time to share my talents with others in a leadership role.
My official role is a 'Faculty Development Consultant' within the Talent Development Department (sounds like I will be adding more acronyms to my arsenal)! My responsibilities include helping Full-Time and Part-Time Instructors maintain and enhance instruction, management, assessment, and use of technology. What an exciting opportunity for me to share what I am so passionate about.
I truly hope I am able to bring Flipping with me to the Technical College level and encourage instructors to change how they value their time with their students. I have become an avid activists for others to pursue Flipping their instruction - placing value not on the videos but rather the unique learning experiences one can provide students in a classroom setting. You see, videos are simply an instructional tool to free up the limited time you engage with students. By freeing up more time, we are able to create unique and more meaningful experiences that students can take with them into their field.
At a technical college, many students are working 30 - 40 hours per week. Asking them to complete homework to show competency of a lesson is sometimes difficult, if not impossible. Imagine though if they needed to watch a 15 minute video lesson on a specific topic for class. That video could be watched on the bus ride to work, during a lunch break, or any spare time a student has. Instructors can now use their lecturing time to create meaningful opportunities for student learning.
While I recognize that Flipping is not for every class and not every lesson, I encourage others to give it a chance and see how it can change the culture in your classroom environment. Experiment with Flipping to see how it can be a means to engage your students during the time that you see them.
I will continue to use this Blog as a means to provide information about Flipping. I've created new pages to explore Flipping in different contents and suggestions for how Flipping could be used. Those pages will continue to be "under construction" infinitely" as I continue to learn and grow. Likewise, I have also started a second blog, "Resources For Teachers" as a means to provide much coaching, mentoring, and advice on a wide range of topics.
Please help me spread the word to others about my blogs and help other teachers grow. Please feel free to leave comments, suggestions, tips, strategies, or ideas for others to look at, think about, and ponder as we grow together. Best of luck finishing the school year...keep your chin up, head held high, and make a difference in the lives of every child you encounter.
