We will also being employing a concept called "Flipping." We will not being using it on an everyday basis so we refer to it as "Blended Learning." Essentially what this means is that we will be using short video clips or screen casts that we develop as well as borrow from other sources. These clips will be viewed by our students at home and will be short 5-10 minute clips and will usually contain one concept or one learning target. Sometimes, students will take notes, write a short response, or even take a short quiz online to qualify their learning as well as hold them accountable. One of the benefits of the video clips is that students can watch at their own pace, pause, and rewind at any time. Then, the next day in class, students will have opportunities to collaborate, do hands-on activities, and use the concepts introduced on the videos with their classmates. We will begin the year by modeling this experience in class together and then expand it as the year continues. Students that do not have Internet access, a device, or that may experience technical difficulties at home, will have opportunities to access the content at school.
The short version of blended learning is that student homework will consist of watching a short video at home, making some sort of response, and then participate in class after. The other form of homework will be that students will be required to prepare for assessments (tests, quizzes).
You may view the following short introduction video on Blended Learning.
