Flipclass Resolutions in the New Year: Week 15 reflections

cyberscooty

I plan to make some changes, which could only occur at the beginning of the school year. However, in the sprit of the New Year, I have identified flipclass New Years Resolutions which will take place immediately. 

My Flipclass New Years Resolutions 

1) Flipclass chat and more general engagement on twitter and G+

Immediately following FlipCon 13, I lived on twitter by participating in the weekly flipclass chat and following #flipclass. Once the school year started, engagement with my PLN dropped tremendously. I've learned so much from my online peers and I'm resolved to continue this learning in 2014. 

2) Engage one on one, force the issue, especially those who are most resistant. 

The switch to flipclass has been mostly positive and I haven't experienced the great resistance I initially expected. However, I have not reached each student. A small minority have not internalized the mindset and skills required for success in the course. I pledge to take a more active role to engage the students who have not made the necessary adjustments. 

3) Alternative assessments like PBL and projects and incorporate SBG 

In this first full year of flipping, my focus is creating content and test banks to support asynchronous learning. It's a great first step but I expect the real benefits when students have greater autonomy in how they learn and are assessed. My long term goal is to develop a standards based rather than assessment based course. In the meanwhile, I can make the transition by offering some alternative options for learning and assessment. 

4) Analysis of flipclass efficacy 

It's self evident that teachers ought to evaluate their work and make adjustments. While I have received continuous student feedback about the course, videos and units, I haven't administered an exhaustive survey about flipclass, in general. 

5) Volunteer and apply for more presentations 

I learned tremendously from my PLN about flipclass. I consider myself newly baptized in this way. Excuse the analogy but I feel obliged to convert other teachers. To that end, I will volunteer to lead presentations to share these learnings. 

I hope these resolutions will not have the same fate as the customary  resolutions of loosing weight, spending less time at work or visiting the doctor more often. But rather, I hope these resolutions will transform my class into a model flipclass and motivate students to demand other teachers to consider changing their practices.