Talk to any educator and it seems they identify the same problems in schools today.
- Not enough time.
- Too much red tape.
- Data overload.
- Micro management.
- Exam pressure.
In my time as a teacher there have been numerous battles fought at a national, county and school level with few outcomes in the favour of learners. We have all sorts of measurements and comparisons and checks. We have the students’ best interests at heart and we definitely want them to do well and be prepared for life. Yet schools, and the conversations surrounding them, feel weighed down by too many factors that inhibit learning.
If I’m honest I don’t think this is going to change anytime soon, particularly with the impending exam reforms. Consequently, as a teacher, I cannot control the time I have physically with the students, only the learning experience I expect.
Enter flexible learning.
Now, I am not trying to state that this is a new concept and I am certainly not about to state anything revolutionary. The point is, there are barriers to the choices I can make as a teacher, but I can now access tools to overcome those barriers.
I want students to have access to content delivery from me to ensure they feel they are being guided in the right way. Whether the ‘flipped’ classroom concept is something you subscribe to, the screencasts that are created for it serve many purposes. If you have a bank of ‘direct instruction’ videos that are made of keynote presentations, videos and your explanation, you have the basis of a flexible learning environment – and here’s why…
The videos can:
- Prepare students for the next lesson
- Serve as the stimulus for a cover lesson and activity in your absence
- Act as a point of reference for a student who needs help in a lesson
- Underpin a revision programme for an individual or group of students
- Allow you a ‘safety net’ to cope with the demands of a 21st century school
This last point is an important one. Modular exams, illness, field trips and sports fixtures have left my A level classes decimated by absence. This is a fact in our schools today. It has happened every year for as far back as I can remember and it seems little can be done about it.
With this approach, I don’t have to see the students face to face in order to educate them. Of course, it isn’t the ideal scenario but I no longer feel like I am letting them down. An actual lesson is just one opportunity to educate the students, not the only opportunity.
There are a number of tools that facilitate this environment and this has certainly been made easier in recent years:
- Edmodo – acts as a VLE without the need to login through the school server. A central store of resources as well as assignment collection and student interaction.
- Twitter – the perfect platform for resource sharing, student chat and discovery
- iPad – the instant-on device that enables the students to access the resources. Essential for the way my teaching has developed, together with screencast production.
It might not be right for everyone, but if a student needs help in the classroom, appropriate time is now available. The ability to have individual contact with every student in every lesson can’t be underestimated. Similarly, if a student requires help at home, they have a secure means of communication. This isn’t practical all the time but setting up timeslots for students to ask questions in the evening can have a real benefit. As long as the students know they night not receive immediate feedback outside of these slots, it works very well.
Flexible learning or ‘24/7‘ learning has been discussed for many years. I don’t think modern schools can afford to ignore the concept as time in the classroom is so precious and often disrupted. Developing an environment, where classroom time is just one point of contact, frees the students and educators to enjoy a breadth of learning. It also reduces the pressure on time when so many lessons are affected by absence.
I am sure the ability to adapt the learning environment has been made possible by new technologies as the time taken to produce the resources is reduced. I for one am glad I decided to move away from the way I was taught to educate and look forward to flexibility underpinning my teaching in the future.
I welcome any thoughts on flexible learning and the impact it can have.
Dylan Blain (@DylanBlain)
February 16, 2013 at 9:10 am
Totally agree! The technology available serves to enhance student learning especially by extending opportunities outside of lessons. I believe it offers a huge amount to all subjects however overcoming barriers can be difficult. The technical proficiency of some doesn’t allow them sufficient confidence to trial new things and as we know it does take a lot of time & effort to develop the skills to be able to utilise technology effectively. As always-Thanks for continuing to share your thoughts and ideas.
Daniel Edwards
February 16, 2013 at 9:32 am
Thank you for taking the time to comment Dylan. I have always liked the opinion that a school is ‘no longer a box’. Technology can help learning in and outside the classroom.
Scott Shaw
February 16, 2013 at 10:57 am
Daniel, your post is insightful. I appreciate the balance your words represent. To be relevant, as educators, we must continually tinker with our practice. One way teachers could begin the digital journey could be to assign the students a project in which they gather effective and appropriate video snapshots for their storehouse of learning. @EMS_Principal
Daniel Edwards
February 16, 2013 at 11:06 am
I appreciate you taking the time to comment Scott
Mike Gunn (@mike_gunn)
February 16, 2013 at 11:31 am
Hi dan, great post, very much enjoyed the perspective. I’ve written much the same about flipped learning here (http://failingtolearnbetter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/flipping-classroom.html). Whether you call it flipped learning or not, and I realise there is controversy about the concept, I think you’re right that new tools allow us to reach students in new ways, many of which they find more accessible. Interestingly, the combination of flipped learning and mobile learning is almost seamless: The two facilitate each other perfectly. Look forward to hearing more on your journey. here are a few of the tolls I use (some of which I’m sure I nicked off you in the first place!):
http://failingtolearnbetter.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/flipping-learning-some-useful-tools.html
Daniel Edwards
February 16, 2013 at 11:34 am
Thanks for taking the time to comment Mike. The technology is definitely making things easier. Not sure how I managed to miss your posts so I’ll take a look now.
khorshedb
February 16, 2013 at 3:30 pm
As a teacher educator my one piece of advice to my traines is that flexibility and innovation will keep them employable. I expose them to a range of technology tools that can facilitate learning. I provide them opportunities to experience different ways of learning, including flipped learning. It is hoped that they will be able to sustain their creativity after the training. So, perhaps, it is teacher educators who should not only model ways of adapting learning – and it always amazes me how some of my colleagues hang on to tried and trusted pedagogical methods – but also encourage trainees to experiment. The system is a barrier no doubt. However, I firmly believe that the passionate teacher, the one who gets a great buzz out of seeing their learners thrive and change, should, as you suggest, carry on being innovative and technology is the way forward for this to happen. Currently, I am also piloting blended and online learning for initial teacher education.
Thanks for your post.
Daniel Edwards
February 17, 2013 at 11:06 am
Thank you for taking the time to comment. I agree that a passion for teaching and intrinsic motivation is central to development.
khorshedb
February 16, 2013 at 3:31 pm
Reblogged this on Khorshed Bhote and commented:
Very thought provoking, must read for all teachers in all sectors.
Sandy MacDonald
February 17, 2013 at 1:40 pm
As clear a justification for embracing current technologies as I have seen anywhere. To an extent we are seeing an extension of the university tutorial system into secondary education. I too have found the iPad has transformed my work in (and beyond) my music classes.
Pupils love the content creation and video presentations possibilities from a single device and they can of course work on it anywhere, anytime.
I’ve just got into this in the last term so am still refining my ideas and techniques. I have posted some samples on teachgarageband.com
Daniel Edwards
February 17, 2013 at 4:01 pm
Thank you for commenting Sandy.
Shaune Beatty
February 17, 2013 at 2:38 pm
I really enjoyed the article for its merit. The focus remains on student learning, but it highlights how teachers adapt to make aspects easier for themselves. In some ways, I prefer the term “evolve” to adapt, but just the same. Thanks.
Daniel Edwards
February 17, 2013 at 4:01 pm
Evolve does sound better actually. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
DavidLaDay
February 17, 2013 at 4:57 pm
I agree completely! Often times, we spend our timd complaining about the challenges wd face rather than seeking opportunities to handle those challenges. Instructional time, accountability through high stakes testing, and the like, are not going away! There are tool available to help us meet (or at least address) some of these challenges. We simply need to seek them out and be willing to shat I like to “play with it” tk make it work inour classrooms.
Daniel Edwards
February 17, 2013 at 5:00 pm
Thanks for commenting David.
Graham Mallen
February 20, 2013 at 10:39 am
Daniel, I have only just seen this article and the great comments made. We now teach digitally native students and must make sure our teaching environment reflects this. I certainly do not want my students to become passive consumers of education and find that technology can really develop their learning and enhance the way they see the world. At the same time you need to find the balance of technology and good old fashioned pen to paper work (old school I know but it works). The concept of reference points is a great one, something I find YouTube helps with when teaching A-Level Sports Studies or Psychology (http://youtu.be/_opEeCllL1w – one I use for Psychology, very thought provoking). A fascinating video with the wow factor can be a great reference point which students can refer back to again and again.
Daniel Edwards
February 20, 2013 at 11:30 am
Thanks for taking the time to comment Graham. Hopefully all of the tools we have at our disposal will blend together.
khorshedb
February 25, 2013 at 7:25 am
I’ve developed blended learning in teacher ed and current research proved effectiveness and efficiency. Getting people in power to engage with innovative ideas is not easy. Here in the UK we struggle with the same issues. Love flipped classroom concept and about to try it with current trainees.
Anneli Vossman Stromberg
February 25, 2013 at 9:37 am
Thank-you for a very inspiring post about flexible learning. As a principal of a School with students 6-15 years old (in Sweden) I search for everything interesting written about the essential ideas with flipped classrooms and flexible learning, that might help me get a little bit further in understanding how to make this work well for elementary and middle school classes. Your text really got me a bit further. Thanks. I’m going to share it with others.
Anneli Vossman Stromberg , Mimer Academy Sweden
Daniel Edwards
February 25, 2013 at 10:23 am
Interesting to hear. Thank you for commenting.