Flipped classroom by a chemistry teacher from NYC
Meet Paul, a chemistry teacher from NYC who has been teaching for 11 years. Currently, he teaches at a specialized public high school in NYC. Paul is passionate about educational technology, and throughout his years of teaching, he has successfully introduced a bunch of edtech solution in his classroom, including flipping the learning process.
Technology has been a significant part of Paul’s teaching experience for the last six years. When asked how does edtech influence his classroom, he responds, “I find that it’s an easy and efficient way to get a pulse of the classroom and also allow for differentiation. One of the biggest ways I’ve implemented technology is by flipping AP Chemistry with the ShowMe app. It has completely changed my pedagogical approach and dynamic with the students”.
Among apps, he uses in his classroom Pauls points out Plickers, which he uses to ask a quick 2 or 3 multiple choice questions, and Kahoot! as a unit review. ShowMe has been a part of his teaching process for about three years.
Paul says that by using ShowMe he has now fully implemented flipped classroom. He creates videos on particular topics and shares them with students, so they can prepare themselves before class and come to school fully aware of what is going to be discussed. His students can easily watch the videos from their phones, “Some have even admitted to watching it on the subway in the morning on the way to school!” he adds. Paul confesses that his focus in the class has changed now from direct instruction to group work on whiteboards practicing AP problem that he can circulate around and monitor and provide immediate feedback.
Paul’s favorite ShowMe’s feature is being able to track students progress with Analytics. Students watch the video, and later on, Paul is able to see if they are rewatching certain parts or which parts they might be glossing over. Other things he appreciates are the feature of importing files from Google Drive and Dropbox, as well as the user-friendly design of ShowMe, “I like most it’s overall simplicity and the ease with which to upload a pdf or ppt and start my video,” he adds.
When asked if he has any tips for educators who just start with flipped classroom, Paul answers “A good flipped classroom is less about the video and more about what you’re doing in class the next day with the kids.” Regarding the process of creating lessons, Paul also advises “Don’t get too frustrated if you make a mistake or mess up during your recording! Keep your videos relatively short and to the point. Don’t spend endless hours making the perfect video”.
Would you like to start flipping your classroom and create awesome videos, just like Paul does? Check out tips on how to use an interactive whiteboard and mirror it on a big screen. Let us know if you need any assistance in creating your ShowMes via support@showme.com, we will be happy to help you!
