On the surface, generative AI technology -- with its potential to supercharge individualized learning -- lends itself well to the flipped learning model of teaching, say both Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams, co-authors of Flip Your Classroom, which helped launch the flipped learning movement. However, they also have concerns.

Bergmann says he has yet to see tools that really enable the technology’s individualized tutor potential. Meanwhile, Sams worries about potential bias in the technology and the lack of transparency around the algorithms governing some of the most popular generative AI tools. 

AI and Flipped Learning Potential  

When it comes to potential for AI to assist in flipped learning, it doesn’t take a tremendous amount of imagination to see how the technology might be able to help.

“In flipped learning, we talk about the group space-time and the individual space-time,” says Bergmann, who teaches chemistry at Houston Christian High School when he’s not helping other educators implement flipped and mastery learning in their classrooms. Advanced AI chatbots could help students progress through the material when the teacher is working with other students during the group space-time, and enhance the learning that occurs in the individual space-time. 

“I don't think this tool exists, but I'd love it to, [when] students watch a video, there's some kind of a prompt that says, ‘What are you confused about from this video?’” Bergmann says. He suggests that the student would then respond they don’t understand how to solve for X in this type of problem, or that they’re confused by who the protagonist is in the story. The chatbot could help with the student’s specific questions.

Similar tools could also help during the group space (class time), especially when paired with the mastery learning techniques, which Bergmann now employs in his classes. Bergmann would also like to see an AI tool that gave the teacher the power to guide students toward the correct responses.

“I’d love some tools where I could say, ‘Here's the type of question, and this is kind of the response I'd want,'" Bergmann says. Although he hasn't yet seen tools with these capabilities, he thinks those technological hurdles will soon be solved. 

AI Bias Concerns

More concerning than generative AI’s technical limitations is its potential for bias. This is worrisome in any classroom whether it is flipped or not, says Sams, an education professor at Saint Vincent College.

Unfortunately, you don’t have to look too hard to find this bias. Google recently paused its AI image generator after it depicted Nazi soldiers as Black, and Google’s CEO admitted Google engineers don’t always fully understand why AI models do what they do.

These issues make Sams, who is normally an early adopter of new technology in education, argue against using generative AI in schools for the time being.

“The bias is baked in and we don't know where it is, what it is, why it's there, how it got there, and what we can do about it,” he says. “And then we're using that in our educational tools — that scares me to death, and I don't think we should go down that road until all of these things are out and open for the public to see and we know what it's doing and how it's doing it.” 

The Future of AI and Flipped Learning 

Even though it’s still early, there has been some research looking at AI’s impact on flipped learning. A mini-review of initial studies on AI chatbots used in flipped classrooms was published in May 2023. The study concluded that combining AI chatbots with flipped learning “could result in benefits such as increased student interaction with learning content, improved class preparation, and data-driven teaching and learning. However, potential challenges included limited technical functionality, lacking authenticity, and insufficient student motivation.”

Even if AI becomes more fully integrated into flipped classrooms, instructors have nothing to worry about, Bergmann says. He compares this to a similar concern in the early days of flipped learning.

“I've said this for a long time about flipped -- it changes the role of the teacher. But the teacher is more valuable because in flipped and mastery learning classrooms we get to work at the higher cognitive levels because students get the introductory material ahead of time,” he says.

Bergmann adds that anybody can present material. “There's a YouTube video on everything I teach," he says. "So information dissemination is not the job of the teacher as much. It is helping them to wrestle with the harder concepts, and I think AI could be a partner in that as time goes on.” 

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The online video and social media behemoth YouTube is not only a repository for millions of free videos, but also the second-most visited website worldwide. 

For educators to make the most of YouTube, they first have to screen out content that’s inappropriate—or simply not educational. Then the task becomes finding and curating engaging and relevant educational videos. Fortunately, YouTube learning channels feature thousands of educational (and often fun or quirky) videos on every possible academic subject. 

The following safe-viewing tips and best YouTube channels will help teachers take advantage of the fantastic free educational videos YouTube provides.

How to Watch YouTube Videos Safely

YouTube restricted mode
In restricted mode, YouTube search filters out potentially inappropriate videos and automatically hides comments below videos. Click on your account icon to find the restricted mode toggle setting at the bottom of the menu.  

Safe Share TV
Create a “SafeView” video simply by entering the video URL of any YouTube or Vimeo video. Then watch videos free of ads and distractions. Includes editing function to trim videos to any length and the ability to share directly to Google Classroom. 

VideoLink
Enter a YouTube video URL in the search box, and VideoLink generates an ad-free, safe URL that can be shared easily via QR code, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other social media apps. Includes the ability to quickly edit the title, background color, length, and other features.

The Best YouTube Channels for Teaching

TeachEngineering
What’s better than a free standards-aligned digital library chock full of engineering and design-thinking topics? How about brief, engaging videos to demonstrate principles ranging from solar power to drifting continents to musical images? From the nonprofit TeachEngineering and the University of Colorado Boulder, these videos are lively, fun, and highly educational. Use videos as stand-alone mini lessons or combine them with TeachEngineering’ free lessons on its website.  

Learn Bright Videos
A wide variety of diverse educational videos, from four to twenty minutes in length. Topics include history, science, math, nature, art, astronomy, geology, and more. If you’re not sure how to choose from among the hundreds of videos, check out the playlists, where you’ll find content arranged according to topic. The playlist of narrated videos featuring American Sign Language are ideal for Deaf viewers.   

The Brain Scoop
Led by Emily Graslie, the “Chief Curiosity Correspondent” of Chicago’s Field Museum, The Brain Scoop’s videos feature stunning live footage of animals in the Amazon, the joy of cooking with bugs, as well as investigations of museum exhibits, from mummies to dinosaurs to fishes. Have you ever wondered how a museum prepares its animal exhibits? That’s covered too!

KLT (Kids Learning Tubeshop)
Kids love music, which has long been associated with activating learning centers in the brain. KLT’s educational videos combine knowledge with catchy tunes and singing. Will your students learn more? Maybe, maybe not. But they will definitely pay more attention! Subjects sung about include the adorable tiny sea slug, the geography of Michigan, astronomy, produce, and more.  

Art for Kids Hub
Goofy and delightful, the family-run Art for Kids Hub won’t share the secrets of Renaissance painters, Cubism, or Expressionism. What it will do is show kids, in line-by-line action, how to draw fun characters, whether familiar or strange and hilarious (cartoon avocado toast, anyone?). Rest assured that the drawing instruction provided is top notch as well as entertaining.  

Khan Academy Kids
The renowned education nonprofit Khan Academy populates its Khan Academy Kids YouTube channel with hundreds of videos aimed at kids aged 2-8 that explore subjects such as literacy, math, art, phonics, and dinosaurs.  To narrow down the topics, browse playlists including Halloween Learning Fun, Baby Animal Storytime, Colors, or Reading Comprehension, to name a few. 

Vihart
Super fun and eccentric videos about music and math, with appeal to kids of all ages. Using animated sketches and slightly sardonic narration, Vihart turns math topics such as the many flavors of infinity, visual multiplication, or a Möbius strip into weirdly engaging videos.

CrashCourse
Crash Course offers more than 32 free courses on subjects including literature, philosophy, organic chemistry, world history, biology, theater, and ecology. Each topic comprises dozens of videos, delivered with a breezy tone that nonetheless dig deep into the specifics, whether it’s “How We Make Memories” or “Venice and the Ottoman Empire.”

SciShow
With more than six million subscribers, it’s clear that SciShow’s science videos go beyond basics into the realm of the unexpected. Browse videos with curiosity-provoking titles such as “5 Beautifully Complex Ways to Fly,” “Do You Need a Copper Pot?” or “Without Volcanoes, Earth Might be Dead.” Playlists feature topics including COVID-19 updates, historic women in science, the Apollo moon missions, and many other compelling subjects.

Numberphile
With nearly four million subscribers, Numberphile is one of the top YouTube math teaching channels. Down-to-earth video journalist Brady Haran can turn any student into a math lover, with hundreds of entertaining and educational videos exploring the scientific way to cut a cake or perplexing paperclips. Great fun. 

Veritasium
Cool STEM videos that will have you wondering what the fatal flaw of math is and what the longest-running evolution experiment tells us. Be sure to check your reasoning skills with the Test Yourself! Playlist, featuring physics and biology experiments. 

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Many schools don’t have robust in-person laboratory facilities, instead relying primarily on dry textbooks to teach difficult STEM topics. But even schools with quality labs can benefit from these innovative and flexible online simulations. 

The following top virtual lab sites and apps are all free, highly engaging, and informative—and most don’t require registration. Since most browsers no longer support Java or Flash, sites built exclusively with those outdated technologies have been excluded. 

• National Science Digital Library: ChemCollective Virtual Labs  
  Take a deep dive into chemistry with these virtual labs from the National Science Foundation. All the basics are covered, from equilibrium to stoichiometry to solubility. Each topic includes multiple customizable experiments designed to replicate the in-person chemistry lab experience as much as possible. Brief videos serve as a guide for both teachers and students before getting started.  
• PBS: Nova Labs
  Terrific platform for teens and older learners to explore and examine cutting-edge issues such as ecology, evolution, renewable energy, cybersecurity, RNA, and more. Accompanying each standards-aligned lab is a guide for educators. Users can create a free account to track their progress.
• FlyLab JS
  A super simple and focused site, the Fly Lab is just plain fun—and perfect for beginning and advanced genetic students. Select your flies’ attributes—eye color, wing size and shape, antennae—and predict the offspring that will result from mating. Then cross the flies to test your knowledge. Export analysis and lab notes easily too.
• University of Colorado Boulder: Interactive Simulations for Science and Math  
  One of the richest single repositories of online science interactives and virtual labs. Investigate more than 150 physics, chemistry, math, biology, and Earth science topics. Available in dozens of languages, the interactives are searchable by grade level, subject, and accessibility. Accessibility options include alternative input, audio descriptions, and pan-and-zoom functionality. The University of Colorado Boulder team even found a way to incorporate Java sims so that you can easily run one in your browser window. 
• Reactor Lab
  Interactive simulations of chemical reactors and other systems for higher ed students. Try the blockchain and cryptocoin (Teddy Token) sim for an unusual challenge. 
• Line Rider
  Awesome physics simulation/game/lab experiment. Draw the line to maximize the toboggan rider’s trip time. When you master that, add one or two more riders. Export your best efforts as a movie for bragging rights! Also available as an Android or iOs app.
• Explore Learning Free Gizmos  
  Gizmos are impressive, multifaceted, and hugely appealing interactive tools for investigating math and science topics. Create a free teacher account to access a rotating bank of free Gizmos. Among the current batch of 36 free Gizmos are those investigating Hubble’s Law, the circulatory system, and periodic table trends. Each Gizmo comprises several manipulatives targeting different aspects of the topic, assessment questions, and student and teacher guides. Certified COPPA, FERPA, and CSPC compliant. Certified fun. 
• Chrome Music Lab
  An amazing free resource that inspires kids to create music and examine the connections between music and math, science, and art. It’s simple and fun to play around with rhythm, harmonics, chords, songwriting, and much more. 
• Zooniverse
  Can students and teachers with no specialized training participate in real-world research? Yes — and the Zooniverse platform is designed to facilitate just that. Current projects run the gamut from the arts to biology to social science; in all, 79 active projects span 11 disciplines. The education guide provides examples and resources for teachers interested in using this powerful research tool in their classrooms. Classrooms can even create their own projects by uploading data to the Zooniverse. iOS Android  apps are also available. 
• HHMI Biointeractive
  Seven free virtual labs, designed for high school and college students, cover lizard and stickleback evolution, bacterial identification, clinical lab testing, neurophysiology, transgenic flies, and cardiology. The detailed labs include built-in quizzes, notebooks, and references. No account is required, but users who sign in with their Google account can save their progress across multiple devices. Great for advanced learners.
• Learn.Genetics Virtual Labs  
  From the University of Utah Genetic Science Learning Center, these five interactive labs cover techniques that are essential to any molecular biology lab. With DNA and PCR becoming common vocabulary, it’s a great introduction to highly topical technology. 
• The Concord Consortium Free Interactive STEM Activities
  Fine, extensive collection of interactive STEM resources, searchable by grade level, activity type, and STEM topic. Each activity offers a preview and the ability to assign and/or share with students. By creating a free account, teachers can easily track student work and create assignments. 
• PraxiLaBS
  With a free basic account, users can access six simulations in English and Arabic. The simulated labs are remarkable, offering sophisticated graphics, PDF and animated guides, assessments, and enrichments activities. Topics comprise Agarose Gel Electrophoresis, Annexin V Binding/Propidium Iodide Uptake Assay, Tests for Sodium Radical and Aldehydic/Ketonic Groups, Focal Length of a Convex Lens Using General Law, and Measurement of Ohmic Resistances Using Ammeter and Voltmeter. Although a limited selection, these free labs are well worth checking out. 
• LabXChange Harvard
  More than 300 free lab simulations that can be easily shared or embedded. Searchable by subject, level, source, and 13 different languages. A rich resource for virtual labs, including some very topical entries, such as Covid-19 infection spread, climate change predictor, and model of hydraulic fracking. 
• New Mexico State University Virtual Labs
  Eight virtual labs cover basic food science lab techniques and are similar to real-world labs high schoolers or college freshmen would perform. They may not seem glamorous— but our food safety depends on these unheralded-yet-essential tests.
• Bioman biology
  Created and maintained by a biology teacher, Bioman Biology offers an outstanding selection of free biology interactives, games, quizzes, and virtual labs. All are standards-based and easy to use for students (no registration required). Teachers can track student progress by simply registering for their own account. Biology topics covered range from physiology to evolution to scientific methods. 
• Ecoocean – Future Ocean's Online Game About Sustainable Fisheries  
  EcoOcean is a unique online fishing simulator that aims to bring awareness to the global overfishing crisis while engaging users in a challenging sustainable fishing experiment. Easy to play and slightly addictive. Be sure to save your high score!
• Cell Homestasis Virtual Lab
  What happens to a living cell when it’s placed in solutions of varying sugar concentrations? Use the virtual beakers, graduated cylinder, scale, dialysis tubes, and lab-grade sugar to find out. A simple experiment illustrating a key physiological principle. 
• East Tennessee State University
  Great collection of higher-level free online biology labs covering ecology, evolution, and cell biology. Each experiment is available in both java and HTML5 - choose the HTML5 as java is no longer supported by most browsers. Users will enjoy changing parameters and observing the effects on honeybee foraging, male guppies’ tail spots, or plant biodiversity. Perhaps most important in today’s world: modeling and understanding the “tragedy of the commons” phenomenon. 
• Java Lab
  Based on JavaScript, these clever simulations are both intricate and easy to use right away. Some of the more fascinating topics investigated include Eratosthenes’ calculation of Earth’s circumference, Brownian motion, and the slingshot effect. Challenging ideas presented with fun, interactive visuals. 
• Natural History Museum of Utah: Research Quest
  Curriculum-aligned explorations of topics related to the museum’s exhibitions, such as artifact case studies, changes in the Uinta Mountain forests, and—best of all—dinosaur quarry! 

To share your feedback and ideas on this article, consider joining our Tech & Learning online community here.

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Flipped classroom pioneer Jon Bergmann’s new book, The Mastery Learning Handbook: A Competency-Based Approach to Student Achievement, serves as a guide for teachers looking to embrace the mastery learning pedagogy. 

While flipped learning is not essential to mastery learning, Bergmann says the two pedagogies work well together and he utilizes both as a science teacher at Houston Christian High School. He also advises other schools in implementing both approaches as a sought-after educational consultant. 

The Mastery Learning Handbook was released in October 2022 and provides a blueprint for educators on how to plan for and implement mastery learning in their classrooms. 

Mastery Learning Doesn’t Stigmatize Slow Learners

“We teach kids that if you learn fast, you're smart, and if you learn slow you’re dumb,” Bergmann says. “I think that's a false statement. But that is basically the way education is set up. Mastery helps alleviate that problem because we're going to honor kids who learn slow. Slower doesn't mean you can't learn, it's just you learn slower. So why do we expect all kids to have everything mastered on Tuesday when the test is?” 

However, he says educators should remember that learning at a different pace isn’t the same as learning at your own pace. “If students learn at their own pace, some won't have a pace,” he says. “So you have to give them some kind of a calendar so that they can move through at a reasonable pace.” 

Mastery Learning Allows Multiple Chances for Success 

Much like a new driver who takes their driver's test and fails is given the opportunity to retake the test, mastery learning students often are given multiple opportunities to prove they have learned course material. 

In his classes, Bergmann manages this with the help of technology by creating large test banks. Each student gets a randomly generated unique test each time. 

However, multiple attempts do not mean unlimited attempts. For example, some of his mastery learning colleagues create three different printed tests on the same material or give students two or three opportunities to pursue a project or paper. 

“Most students don’t want to take a fifth and sixth test,” he says. “Three seems to be kind of the max for most kids. There's an exception or two who might need a fourth [try].” 

Usually, no more than three attempts are necessary for the student to demonstrate mastery. “If they're struggling on number two, we're going over this in some detail, so that they're successful on their third attempt,” Bergmann says. 

Mastery Learning is Not All Or Nothing 

Educators interested in incorporating mastery learning into their classes can start small with perhaps a mastery unit or two, or a mastery component to a unit. This is a good way for educators to dip their toes in the pedagogy without being overwhelmed, Bergmann says. 

Certain portions of classes in some topics may not lend themselves to the different-paced learning at the heart of mastery. “If you’re studying Macbeth, then one of the things you want to do is have Socratic dialogue or some kind of dialogue that's whole group, so you don't want the kids on different pages. You do need them all having read chapter eight, or whatever, so that they can have a deep discussion about the protagonist, the antagonist,” he says. “But if you're teaching a skill, there's nothing better than mastery, and all of us as teachers are teaching skills in what we do, some to more extents than others.” 

Mastery Learning is Hard to Implement From The Lectern 

A full-on flipped classroom is not a precursor to incorporating mastery, however, incorporating mastery effectively often means embracing some elements of flipped teaching philosophy. 

When Bergmann works with schools as a consultant, one of the first things he does is advise educators to eschew exclusively lecture-based classes. “I need to get the teachers away from the front of the room,” he says. “Because mastery learning can't happen if you're lecturing every day.” 

Doing this requires an educator who is well-versed in the topic they are teaching and is willing to embrace the challenges and joys of switching gears while working with different students. “I see my job as a wanderer,” Bergmann says. “I wander around the room and help kids. And some kids are on this topic, and some are at this topic, and I've got to sort of flip my brain 100 times in a class period because each kid is at a slightly different level.” 

• Top Flipped Classroom Tech Tools
• How to Launch a Flipped Classroom
• New Research: Flipped Classrooms Improve Student Academics and Satisfaction

The best-flipped learning or flipped classroom educators utilize a variety of learning sites, apps, and hardware that help them make the most of the time they have with their students in the classroom. 

We asked successful flipped learning educators to share their favorite tools as well as tips for using these. They provided recommendations ranging from apps that allow teachers to embed quiz questions within a video lesson and track student progress to external microphones and monitors that can help improve the quality of teacher-made videos. 

However, as important and fun as using these tech tools for flipped learning can be, flipped classrooms are not about the technology, say enthusiasts. Instead, It’s all about how you as an educator prioritize your time with students. Flipped learning prioritizes one-on-one and small-group individualized help over lecture-type activities. It’s important to keep that in mind as you explore these tools. 

When done correctly, flipped learning can be highly effective. One review of flipped learning studies in a college setting found that flipped learning students learned more than those in traditional lecture settings, but teachers who employed a partial flipped model got the best results. 

These flipped learning sites, apps, and hardware recommendations will help you enhance your flipped learning technique and/or decide if flipped learning is right for your classroom. 

 Video Tools  

EdPuzzle 

A popular tool in flipped classrooms, with EdPuzzle educators can crop videos, add voiceovers, and embed questions within the video. “Edpuzzle is a tried-but-true favorite for flippers because it requires students to be active viewers,” says Andrew Swan, a middle school social studies teacher in Massachusetts. “They can even let the video play in the background while they browse different tabs. The teacher's ability to add questions, voiceovers, and notes can be highly valuable.” 

Playposit 

This program also allows educators to embed questions and notes within videos, making each more interactive. Dan Jones, an 8th-grade social studies teacher at Richland School of Academic Arts in Mansfield, Ohio, recommends either Playposit or EdPuzzle. “Both of these platforms allow teachers to post their videos, embed questions, and get data back immediately,” he says. “When students watch the videos and take notes at home, teachers are able to see how well the students understood the lesson, how long it took students to watch the lesson, and even how engaged the students were with the lessons.”

mmhmm.app

“mmhmm.app is a pretty cool video-production program that I discovered last year when it was in the beta phase,” Swan says. “Now many of the premium tools require a subscription, but you get one free hour per day. I enjoyed the abilities of shrinking and enlarging my head on the screen, and adjusting the transparency. Now it works quite well with a greenscreen to let your head ‘float’ within the window.” 

Screencast-O-Matic

“Screencast-O-Matic is my go-to website for video recording,” says Carolina Buitrago, an EFL expert currently teaching and conducting research at Universidad de La Sabana in Colombia. “Its studio is easy to manage, and even if I use the basic version I still have a lot of features. I love that it is accessible for me money-wise and that I can upload my recorded videos directly to YouTube.” 

Screencastify

“Screencastify is my go-to screen recorder,” Jones says. “I can screen-capture and include either just the audio in the open tab, voiceover what is occurring on the open tab, or I can just record my webcam. The recording populates in my Google drive, thus making it easily shared.” 

Final Cut Pro 

For more advanced video development, Jones recommends investing in Final Cut Pro, but warns educators should expect a significant learning curve. “I also have a 4K Video Camera that I use as well as a lapel mic and sound cables that get plugged directly into the camera,” Jones says. “When making these sorts of videos, I use a forward-facing light board that allows me to face the camera the entire time I am giving notes. I write on the glass and then flip the image so that the writing appears correctly for the audience. Like I said, though, this is a more advanced way of creating instructional videos. Most folks will do just fine with Screencastify or Screencast-O-Matic.” 

Content Sharing and Slides  

Google Slides

Matthew Moore, a high school and community college math teacher in Illinois, recommends flipped educators build a framework on which all of the other activities, apps, projects, assessments, and other materials live, so students have a one-stop shopping spot for all the technology in the course. Moore uses Google Slides as that framework for all his classes. “The basic Idea is a visually engaging graphically organized single resource,” he says. 

Canvas 

A well-known learning management system, Canvas offers a free version for educators and students on which teachers can create entire courses filled with text, embedded videos, assessments, and other content. “I have used this with my students and it is a great way of building content that can be accessed asynchronously,” Jones says. 

Genially 

“Genially is a content-making tool that has thousands of templates from presentations to games and even escape rooms,” Buitrago says. “It is easy to use and the results are amazing. Students love all the content I make with it.”

Perusall

“Perusall was developed by Eric Mazur at Harvard University,” Jones says. “This free program -- there is a paid version as well -- allows students to engage both synchronously as well as asynchronously with a piece of reading. Students are able to comment right on the document and ask questions.” 

Desmos

“Desmos is something I use a lot in math,” says Peter Santoro, a recently retired high school math teacher in Long Island. “Graphing calculator allows students to graph multiple functions and see them all in different colors on a large graph. There are also many activities that teachers have posted and shared on Desmos for just about every math topic. It is easy for teachers to use and very easy for students to learn.” 

Hardware  

Samson GoMic

Swan recommends this portable mic that sells for $50. “Audio quality is really important, especially as many students listen on earbuds or headphones, so ambient noise in your videos can be really distracting,” Swan says. “The GoMic just clips on top of a laptop screen and connects via USB.” 

Headphones

“The most important learning tool in my classroom for students outside their chromebook is a set of headphones -- cheap or expensive makes no difference,” Moore says. “The headphones allow students to be in a busy or loud classroom of activity, but pop in the headphones and focus on either an instructional video, play white noise or music, and do math practice, or meet with me or a peer digitally. Headphones are critical to in-person and remote learning.” 

An External Webcam

For teachers, Moore recommends an inexpensive external webcam. “Even a $50 external webcam allows the teacher to flexibly focus on a face, a group, a presenter, or a demonstration easily. Additionally, the external webcam will likely have a better microphone than the laptop and being heard is No. 1 on the important list, while being seen is a distant second or third place.” 

Green Screen 

“For a more non-essential piece of kit, a back of chair or pull-down green screen can allow a teacher to minimize distractions for remote learners and in meetings,” Moore says. “It also allows you to record your face while screencasting or creating instructions, and again minimizes distraction. Necessary? No. Nice to have? Yes.” 

• How to Launch a Flipped Classroom
• Flipping Virtual Classrooms for More Impact
• Research: Video Learning May be More Effective Than In-person Lectures

Whether you call it flipped learning or a flipped classroom, the teaching method in which instructors "flip" their classes has become more popular in recent years. In this approach, students listen to or watch lectures outside of class and then engage in direct activities during class with help from the instructor. 

Flipped classrooms have likely received more interest because technology has improved. It’s easier to shoot and edit videos and then distribute these videos to students. Apps such as EdPuzzle give teachers the option to crop videos, add voice overs and notes, and to embed quiz questions. 

Additionally, for better or worse, everyone has gotten used to being on camera thanks to Zoom and other video meeting platforms. “People who would never have been on camera in an old flipped classroom -- ‘Well, I don't want to show my face’ -- we've all gotten over that,” says Matthew Moore, a high school math teacher and board member of Flipped Learning Network. 

What Is A Flipped Classroom? 

“Flipped learning always asked this one simple question: what’s the best use of your face-to-face class time,” says Jon Bergmann, a high school science teacher and a pioneer of flipped learning who has written more than 13 books on the topic. 

In flipped classrooms, material that would be traditionally introduced during in-class lectures is assigned to students outside of class time often in the form of videos or reading. Class time is reserved for students to actively engage in higher-level concepts and problem solving with the teacher available to help them. 

While simply “flipping a class” is relatively easy, flipped enthusiasts say that to truly offer “flipped learning” educators need to create an individualized flexible learning environment built around active learning and student-centered education. In this environment students are given feedback relevant in the moment. 

I Want to Create a Flipped Classroom. How Do I Start? 

It sounds obvious but making sure you’re actually interested in teaching a true flipped classroom, incorporating flipped learning, is an important first step. 

Moore is frequently contacted by colleagues asking about flipped who are actually interested in adding some video or some asynchronous tools to their class but not in fundamentally shifting the way they utilize synchronous class time. “The first thing I'm going to ask is what's your educational goal. Is your goal to make more time in whatever the group environment is for interaction by moving some learning components to the individual space?” he says. 

If a teacher is truly interested in creating a flipped classroom, he advises looking at your classroom material and deciding what lessons you need to be synchronous. “Vocabulary components, basic learning and Blooms, I don't need to be live-present with most kids in that component of learning,” he says. “I can introduce to you what sine, cosine, and tangent is in a video or in a reading or in whatever it happens to be. What you need me for is, ‘Great, now that I know that this equals this over this, now let's put it to work.’” 

I Don’t Like Making Videos. Does that Mean A Flipped Classroom is Not For Me?  

While many flipped classroom educators do make their own videos, it’s not a requirement. 

“There's this mindset around flipped learning: that one, it has to be video; and two, that it has to be you,” says Angela Barnett, a third grade teacher in California who runs flipped classrooms successfully without making her own videos. Instead she uses existing videos from BrainPop and National Geographic Kids. 

Some flipped class enthusiasts are dedicated to making their own videos and believe that helps foster a deeper connection between the instructor and students. Barnett acknowledges that can be true in some cases but hasn’t found using video resources made by others has hampered her. “My kiddos, they see me everyday, 8:30 to 1:40,” she says. “I'm like, ‘Do they really need to hear my voice?’” 

The videos she can find online feature animations and vibrant colors that help make them more kid-friendly and engaging than what she’d be able to make on her own. 

Bergmann agrees that running a flipped classroom does not automatically mean you have to make videos. “A lot of people think flipped is all about watching videos but my students were reading textbooks or other texts as the pre-learning activity,” Bergmann says. 

Do I Need To Help My Students Adjust To a Flipped Classroom?  

Students in a flipped classroom may need to learn how to watch videos in an education setting and do other necessary work outside of class. “My first video is how to watch a video,” says Andrew Swan, a middle school social studies teacher in Massachusetts. “You know it's different than when you’re just binge watching a Netflix show or something you can tune out for five minutes and come back and see some drama. You can't do that with a Mr. Swan video.” 

While students grow up watching YouTube and other videos they need to be reminded to actively engage with class videos as well as other material and readings assigned outside of class. 

Videos should be kept short in general, and shorter still for younger students. “The age of your child is the maximum number of minutes that you can have a video, and never, ever, ever, ever over 15 minutes,” Bergmann says. “Most of my videos for my classes are seven to 12 minutes. I've seen some teachers who argue that that's too long.” 

What if Students’ Don’t Watch The Video or Do The Flipped Classroom Homework? 

If students don’t do the outside of class work in a flipped classroom, repeating the material in class is a mistake as that will signal to the students that they don’t have to do that work. Instead, educators should have the students watch the video or do the required readings in the back of the class while the prepared students work with the instructors. 

Bergmann doesn’t have this problem much anymore but in the past he would have those students watch the videos during class time. “What happened was that the kids who are watching it in the class weren't getting help on the hard stuff, and then they had to take the hard stuff home,” he says. “They said, ‘Wait a second. Number one, Mr. Bergmann took off some points for me having it late, and then I had to do these extra problems that all my friends finished in class and I had to do this hard stuff at home. And mom didn't know any chemistry where Mr Bergmann knows chemistry ... hmm.’ Most of them have that epiphany and learn it's actually easier to do the work ahead of time.” 

Is There Evidence That Supports Flipped Learning?  

Good evidence exists for flipped learning’s efficacy with college students. A recent meta-analysis that looked at more than 317 studies of flipped learning found significant advantages for flipped versus traditional lectures in terms of academics, interpersonal outcomes, and student satisfaction. 

However, there was some variation in efficacy. The researchers observed the most improvement in classes that focused on professional academic skills, such as coding or language classes. On the opposite end of the spectrum, engineering classes were not hurt by flipped learning but only saw marginal gains from the pedagogy. The reason for this is not evident, although it might be because engineering classes already offer more hands-on, active learning opportunities. 

Researchers also found that hybrid-flipped classrooms, in which certain lessons were flipped and others were presented more traditionally, performed best of all. Again the reasons for this were not clear, but Carrie A. Bredow, an associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan and co-author of this flipped learning research, has two theories. 

“There might be some units within, say a math course, where you really just need to have that direct instruction, because doing that in class is gonna be more effective than putting it on a video,” she told Tech & Learning. In addition, partially flipping a class might be easier for instructors, which could increase the course quality. “You're able to do maybe a better job at flipping certain sections than trying to flip everything at once,” Bredow said.

Can Flipped Classrooms Work for Students at Any Level?  

Flipped classrooms have been incorporated throughout K-12 and in higher ed at both the graduate and undergraduate level. 

In 2015, Harvard Medical School launched a new curriculum designed to enhance critical thinking and encourage students to take ownership of their education and flipped classrooms were implemented across the institution. The change was implemented after Harvard conducted a study comparing medical students who learned via case-based collaborative learning compared to traditional problem-based learning curriculum. While the overall scores between the two groups were similar, the case-based learning students who had previously struggled academically did better than their problem-based counterparts. 

“This style is much more engaging for the students and the faculty. They feel like they are ‘real doctors’ finally,” says Richard M. Schwartzstein, MD, and Ellen and Melvin Gordon Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Medical Education at Harvard Medical School. “An engaged student is usually someone who is learning.” 

Though most like the new style, there are some students who find it challenging, Schwartzstein says. “Some complain about the amount of prep work they have to do and that we don’t give them the exact right answer because we deal more with nuances and how one thinks about the problem.” 

What Are Some Flipped Classroom Resources? 

Bergmann offers a wealth of advice on flipped classrooms and flipped learning on his personal website as well as through the Flipped Learning Global Initiative. At the Flipped Learning Global Initiative, there are certificate courses available for educators working in both K-12 and higher ed. 

The Flipped Learning Network also offers free resources, ranging from videos to podcasts. Opportunities also exist to connect with other educators interested in flipped classrooms and flipped learning through a dedicated Slack channel and Facebook group. 

• Flipping Virtual Classrooms for More Impact
• Research: Video Learning May be More Effective Than In-person Lectures
• High-Dosage Tutoring: Can Technology Help Curb Learning Loss?

A flipped classroom employs an education strategy called flipped learning that prioritizes educator and student interaction and hands-on practice during class time. The flipped classroom approach is used by educators in K-12 and higher ed, and has drawn increasing interest since the pandemic as many teachers have become more tech-savvy and willing to experiment with nontraditional forms of teaching and learning.  

What is a Flipped Classroom? 

A flipped classroom “flips” the traditional classroom by having students watch video lectures or conduct readings prior to class time. Then students engage in what might traditionally be thought of as homework during class time when the educator can actively help them. 

For instance, in a flipped classroom writing class, an instructor might share a video lecture on how to introduce a thesis in an introductory paragraph. During class, students will practice writing introductory paragraphs. This strategy allows flipped classroom educators to give each student more individualized time as they learn to apply a given lesson more deeply. It also gives students time to practice skills related to the lesson. 

An added bonus of the flipped classroom approach is that having a bank of video lectures or other resources for a class can be useful for students to revisit as necessary. 

What Subjects and Levels Use A Flipped Classroom?  

A flipped classroom approach can be employed across subject matter from music to science and everything in between. The strategy is used with K-12 students, college students, and with those getting advanced degrees. 

In 2015, Harvard Medical School launched a new curriculum that utilized flipped classroom pedagogy. The change was inspired by internal research that compared case-based collaborative learning to traditional problem-based learning curriculum. The two groups performed similarly overall, but the case-based learning students who had previously struggled academically did better than their problem-based counterparts. 

What Does Research Say About Flipped Learning?  

For a study published in the Review of Educational Research in 2021, researchers examined 317 high-quality studies with a combined sample size of 51,437 college students in which flipped classrooms were compared to traditional lecture classes taught by the same instructors. These researchers found advantages for flipped classrooms vs. those that employed traditional lecture in terms of academics, interpersonal outcomes, and student satisfaction. The greatest improvement was in students’ professional academic skills (the ability to actually speak a language in a language class, code in a coding class, etc.). Students in hybrid flipped classrooms in which some lessons were flipped and others were taught in a more traditional manner tended to outperform both traditional classrooms and fully flipped classrooms. 

How Can I Learn More About Flipped learning?  

Flipped Learning Global Initiative 

Co-founded by Jon Bergmann, a high school science teacher and a pioneer of flipped classrooms who has written more than 13 books on the topic, this site offers a wide range of resources for those interested in learning more about flipped classrooms. The site also offers online flipped learning certificate courses for educators working in both K-12 and higher ed. 

Flipped Learning Network

This network of flipped educators offers free resources on flipped classrooms including videos and podcasts. It also gives educators the chance to connect and share flipped classroom strategies on a dedicated Slack channel and Facebook group. 

Tech & Learning’s Flipped Resources  

Tech & Learning has covered flipped classrooms extensively. Here are some stories on the topic:  

• Top Flipped Classroom Tech Tools
• How to Launch a Flipped Classroom
• New Research: Flipped Classrooms Improve Student Academics and Satisfaction
• Flipping Virtual Classrooms for More Impact

When Carrie A. Bredow and her colleagues began reviewing flipped classroom research in higher education they found a wide range of studies but few definitive conclusions. 

One problem was that many previous researchers looking at flipped classrooms or flipped learning were siloed within different specialties and thus unaware of other research. “A lot of the introduction sections are like, ‘Not that much is known about the flipped classroom . . . .’” says Bredow, an associate professor of psychology at Hope College in Michigan. “But if you actually look, there's a ton of stuff on the flipped classroom. So there's obviously some disconnect there.” 

Another issue is that many studies didn’t effectively control for variables. “Some of the existing meta analyses that are out there compare class A and class B in terms of their outcomes. But class A might not have even been taught by the same instructor as class B,” Bredow says. This makes the data generated less reliable. For example, a flipped classroom instructor may have an innovative style of teaching that students respond to regardless of whether the class was flipped or not. Or maybe the instructor giving the lecture is more skilled than the instructor teaching the flipped class. 

Finally, there was little conclusive research on the impact of the flipped classroom on interpersonal outcomes and student satisfaction. “Student satisfaction, particularly within higher education, does matter,” Bredow says. “We want students to be more satisfied with the course because it tends to promote better academic outcomes. And we also need students to be satisfied with the course because we know that it can be important for professors as well as administrators [considering], ‘Do we want to encourage flipped learning courses within this department?’” 

In a meta analysis recently published in the Review of Educational Research, Bredow and her co-authors examined 317 high-quality studies with a combined sample size of  51,437 college students in which flipped classes were compared to traditional lecture classes taught by the same instructors. They found significant advantages for flipped versus traditional lecture in terms of academics, interpersonal outcomes, and student satisfaction. 

But there were also some surprises in where and when flipped classrooms worked.

The Impact of Flipped Classrooms on Academics  

The researchers compared three types of academic outcomes: foundational knowledge, higher order thinking, and professional academic skills (the ability to actually speak a language if it’s a language class, or code if it’s a coding class, etc.). They found marked improvements in each, however, the greatest gains were in the professional academic skills. “This makes sense,” Bredow says. “If you think about what the flipped classroom is doing, it's giving you space within the classroom to practice these skills.” 

Surprisingly, partial flipped classrooms -- in which some but not all material followed the flipped model -- outperformed both traditional lecture classes and fully flipped classrooms. 

Bredow believes this might be explained by two factors. First, partially flipped classrooms allow instructors to pick and choose the units that are best suited to a flipped classroom. “There might be some units within, say a math course, where you really just need to have that direct instruction, because doing that in class is gonna be more effective than putting it on a video,” she says. 

Second, partially flipping a class is easier for instructors, which could increase the course quality. “You're able to do maybe a better job at flipping certain sections than trying to flip everything at once,” Bredow says. 

The Impact of a Flipped Classroom on Interpersonal and Satisfaction-Related Outcomes  

For interpersonal outcomes, flipped learning outperformed traditional lecture as well. Flipped learners also saw an advantage in terms of satisfaction. “Some of the earlier meta analysis or just other narratives syntheses on flipped learning, a lot of them had suggested that perhaps flipped learning might even have a negative effect on satisfaction,” Bredow says. “What we found was that that wasn't the case. It's a small effect, but nevertheless it was significant.” 

Variations in Flipped Classroom Success  

The success of flipped classrooms varied by discipline. Language classes saw the most gains, followed by technology and then health sciences. This was expected as flipped learning seems particularly well-suited to courses that emphasize applied skills and benefit from the focus flipped classrooms place on active learning.

Engineering courses didn’t share the same success, for reasons that are not clear. “It's not that engineering classrooms by flipping it were getting worse outcomes, but they were getting at best very small increases,” Bredow says. “Is it something about engineering, in particular? Is it that lecture-based engineering classes already have a lot of active learning in them?” More research is needed to answer these questions. 

The effects of flipped learning were also different depending on where the educational strategy was implemented. The benefits were stronger in Middle East and Asian countries than in North America, while countries in Europe generally fell in the middle. Again, the reasons for this are not clear. 

“I suspect that a big part of the reason that we see that it's going to be more effective on average in Asian and Middle Eastern countries is that the flipped classroom is gonna be more of a deviation from the norm in those countries,” Bredow says. “What we see within  North American institutions of higher education, is that even a lot of lecture-based classes are going to implement some components of active learning.” 

Flipped Classroom Research: Educator Takeaways   

Bredow says professors reviewing her recent research should remember that flipped classrooms have a lot of potential, but just flipping a classroom is not going to automatically produce better outcomes. 

She advises looking at your particular class and the students you’ll be working with to assess whether flipping the classroom is the right move. “If I'm in the languages, we've got some pretty compelling evidence that implementing a flip is going to probably show some true academic and interpersonal boost,” she says. “If I'm in engineering, I might want to do more research to figure out why we're not getting the effects within engineering that we'd expect to see given its applied focus.” 

Bredow also says her research should encourage instructors who want to just flip portions of their course, which is how she is approaching flipped learning with the courses she teaches. “Rather than just going in and being like, ‘Alright, we're gonna entirely flip developmental psychology,’ I'm looking at are there certain lectures, certain topics, that would really lend themselves well to that,” she says.
 

• How to Launch a Flipped Classroom
• Flipping Virtual Classrooms for More Impact
• Research: Video Learning May be More Effective Than In-person Lectures

Flipped learning has been an effective practice since the early 2000s and today we can apply these practices in a new way with synchronous and asynchronous learning environments online. 

During this recent Tech & Learning virtual roundtable hosted by Dr. Kecia Ray, a panel of experts shared their successes implementing this model to make the most of online and offline learning time and consistently deliver meaningful instruction.

Watch the on-demand version here 

Key Takeaways

Flipped in the time of remote learning. “If you’re teaching hybrid or remote, you’re probably struggling,” said Jon Bergmann, teacher and active Learning Advocate at Houston Christian High School, and one of the founders of Flipped Learning, which inverts the traditional class model by presenting concepts before a lesson starts.  

When the pandemic hit, Bergman and his flipped learning team realized that the most important thing is connections with students and the physical time spent with them. “So what's the best use of your face-to-face class time?” Bergman said. “I'm going to argue it's not you standing up and then introducing new content, it's giving students the new content first and allowing them to apply, analyze, and evaluate it.”

The mantra of flipped learning is that you can reach every student in every class every day, said Bergman. So if you have less synchronous time, you need to provide more time with your students one-on-one to work on the hard stuff, and flipped mastery learning, in particular, accommodates that. 

“Flipped learning teachers have been preparing for the pandemic for the past 10 years,” Bergman said. “It's really a great way to amplify your reach to teach.” 

Working smarter. “If you told me eight months ago that I’d be part of a presentation on strategies for remote and virtual learning, I would’ve laughed and laughed because I’d never been interested in virtual teaching,” said Joy McCourt, a secondary teacher at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Collegiate Institute in Toronto. 

Like many educators, McCourt was overwhelmed at the start of the pandemic with remote learning products and platforms. “We had like 25 different websites and logins to manage, and it just became dizzying,” she said. Streamlining to just the tools that are useful and can be used for multiple purposes is key to maximizing the impact. It’s also good to check around online before reinventing the wheel because there are lots of excellent remote teaching resources already out there and being shared. Game-based learning, such as Class Craft, can also help build teamwork and community.

During remote and flipped learning, providing one consistent place for students to check for work is also key, McCourt said. Feeling isolated also continues to be a problem for students, so consider building care and community into your class so students can check in regularly and stay connected. For example, McCourt created a simple “How are you doing?” survey form with a rating scale. 

Poor video conferencing also continues to be an issue for everyone. McCourt recommended trying to optimize the setup and equipment for remote and flipped teaching, including a separate microphone, document camera, proper lighting, and a capable computer.

10 tips for flips. “Flipped learning is more than just using videos or other media to deliver content--it’s a mindset, a framework, a way of thinking,” said Hassan Wilson, Assistant Head of Upper School at Friends Seminary in New York City.

Hassan shared 10 tips for flipped, remote, hybrid, or even in-person learning.

1. Video conferences should be reserved for interactions, while videos should be for to convey information. 
2. Use videos for a variety of purposes.
3. Give more instructions on assignments than you would in a brick-and-mortar classroom. Consider supplementing written instructions with a short video.  
4. Provide a video overview and to-do list for the work within a week or unit. 
5. When using video to teach content, include supporting tasks: How to take notes with a template sheet (and model for students how to do this). 
6. When using video to teach content, include supporting tasks: Checks for understanding (such as using embedded questions in videos). 
7. When using video to teach content, include supporting tasks: Student clarifying questions (such as through discussion threads). 
8. When using video to teach content, include supporting tasks: Video feedback (such as by using survey questions). 
9. Even with videos, incorporate hands-on learning (for example, student-created videos can demonstrate evidence of task completion and learning). 
10. The right hardware is crucial to flipped and remote learning. 

Lunch 'n Learn with Tech & Learning

We hope you can join us for these regular District Leadership Lunch ‘n Learn Roundtable series, hosted by Dr. Kecia Ray. In these events, districts from across the U.S. share their strategic plans, the challenges they are facing, and the creative solutions they are using to support students and teachers. Register for our upcoming events here. 

More from T&L: Lunch 'n Learn roundtable recaps

• Finding & Funding the Best Tools for Any Learning Environment
• Transitioning from Remote Learning to Blended Learning
• T&L Webinars

Virtual Nerd

Flip a classroom with these free video math tutorials

Pros: Tutorials are high-quality and easy to follow; they cover a wide range of math topics.

Cons: Learning can be repetitive as all videos follow the same format; there's no active engagement for students.

Bottom Line: High-quality but monotonous math tutorials can be a good classroom supplement.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Screencast-O-Matic

Create and share high-quality screencasts without breaking the bank

Pros: The intuitive design makes for a fun user experience, and the paid versions are cost effective and include a full suite of editing tools.

Cons: It takes time to build a content library; a gallery of standards-based, high-quality screencasts would be helpful for time-starved teachers.

Bottom Line: A well-designed screen and video recorder that lets teachers and students focus on creating engaging content from the get-go.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

Showbie

Flexible desktop, mobile assignment tool works best with pro features

Pros: With tons of integrations with other iPad apps, a great one-stop place for giving and receiving feedback in the 1-to-1 classroom.

Cons: Teachers won't get as much bang for their buck without the paid version.

Bottom Line: A flexible way to collect student assignments and offer written and verbal feedback, especially with the premium features.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

ACT Academy

Personalize and differentiate with expansive multimedia resource library

Pros: With nearly a half-million free resources of all types, teachers will easily be able to find plenty of ways to differentiate instruction.

Cons: Kids of all ages will likely be exposed to advertisements, and school or district filters might block some content.

Bottom Line: Whether it's skill-building, test prep, interactive lessons, or games you're after, this extensive site has it all in an easy-to-use platform.

Read more 

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

EDpuzzle

Crop, customize, and remix online videos for your classroom 

Pros: Intuitive video editor includes the ability to add voice-overs, comments, and quizzes to existing online videos.
Cons: Platform is web-based, requiring students and teachers to have reliable internet access.
Bottom Line: If you're using online video in your classroom, you'll want to look into EDpuzzle as a way to layer in more learning opportunities while students watch.

Read more here.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly. 

By Common Sense Education

It's the time of year again for my favorite annual sites and apps.  Once again, this year's list sees a lot of tools for STEM that focus on programming and coding.  As with any of my previous annual top lists, all tools listed in previous posts will not be eligible for this year's list. 

1. YO Teach! - With Today's Meet shutting down this year, Palms created a very user- friendly tool for creating a "backchannel" that can be used in any number of ways in education. 
2. Book Creator - A fantastic mobile (iOS/Chrome) app for creating stunning eBooks/presentations that can be used for digital storytelling, project-based learning and more. 
3. Think Fluency - A wonderful iOS/Google Play app for assessing a student's reading fluency.  This is done without the user of paper, provides instant real-time feedback, and saves teachers valuable time. 
4. Dystopia 2153 - An innovative new site that teaches programming/coding through the use of game-based learning and graphic novels. 
5. Night Zookeeper - An excellent new free writing tool filled with interactive lessons as well as an educational portal to help teachers track and monitor student progress. 
6. Hippo Video - One of my favorite sites around for creating digital videos that can be used to "flip" a classroom or create explainer videos. 
7. TypeTastic - The best site around for K-12 students (with educational portal) learning how to type/keyboard. 
8. Socrates - A cutting-edge new site where educators can seamlessly differentiate instruction through game-based learning. 
9. Project Pals - A great all-in-one collaborative learning platform that is ideal for project- based learning. 
10. I Know It - One of my favorite new free sites around for math grades K-5.  Best of all, educators can assign lessons and track student progress. 
11. Oodlu - An excellent new site/app for creating games that lets parents or educators track student progress. 
12. Klassroom - A free mobile (Android/iOS) that reminds me of a cross between Remind and ClassDojo, where educators can share photos, videos or documents in a secure environment. 
13. Badaboom - A new game-based learning tool (similar to Kahoot) where educators can make quizzes/games to assess student's learning. 
14. Edji - An innovative new site for annotating texts for collaborative learning. 
15. Elementari - A fun site for digital storytelling and project-based learning where students can create digital stories, portfolios or choose-your-own adventures.  There is an educational portal in the works for easier student tracking/management. 
16. Codemoji - A cool new site where K-8 students can learn how to program/code through the use of emojis. 
17. Pixorize - A interesting site for U.S. history that reminds me of ThingLink where students learn facts through the use of pictures. 
18. Reading Racer - A wonderful new iOS app that uses speech recognition to assess a student's reading ability and comprehension. 
19. CodeCombat - A fantastic way for educators to teach programming/coding through an innovative game. 
20. UMU - An excellent mobile app (iOS/Android) that can be used in a any number of different ways.  Educators are using it for assessing students, creating quizzes/games, professional development and blended learning. 
21. Waypoint EDU - An innovative new iOS app that uses augmented reality to let educators create scavenger hunts or geocaching. 
22. Grasshopper - A cool mobile app (iOS/Android) that teaches students how to code in Javascript through fun puzzles/games. 
23. Typing Agent - A great web-based typing/keyboarding tool for grades K-12 with features such as multiplayer games, certificates, type-to-code and more. 
24. Khan Academy Kids - A new iOS/Google Play app for finding educational resources for math, reading, writing, and more. 
25. ClassPad - A free digital scratch paper that students can use to solve math problems. 

cross posted at cyber-kap.blogspot.com

David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.

A "Flipped Classroom" is a classroom that uses class time to do activities/lessons (guided by the teacher) and "homework" time (at home) for guided instruction (usually through video). Basically, it turns a classroom upside down (or on its head) where the learning of a topic is done at home and then they applied practice or "work" is done at school. With Mobile Learning and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) becoming more mainstream, "Flipped Classroom" models are happening more and more, leading me to create my list of favorite tools for "flipping a classroom..

For an excellent infographic on what a "Flipped Classroom" is click here.

*This list is in alphabetical order.

1. Answer Pad - The ultimate assessment tool for teachers to use with their mobile devices or browser to gauge student learning.
2. BoomWriter - An excellent innovative site that allows students engage their creativity by completing chapters of a book/story and then having other students vote on which one should be included in the finished product.  Once a book/story is completed a trade paperback copy can be ordered turning students into published writers.
3. Buncee - A fantastic digital canvas for creating presentations or digital stories that can be embedded into a site/blog.  Also, this is a great way to "flip a classroom" and with an educational portal that allows educators to track and monitor students.
4. Comment Bubble - An innovative site where users can comment on a video to create an interactive discussion as well as interactive graphs.
5. EDpuzzle - Probably, the world's most popular site for flipping a classroom or lesson by adding questions to a video and then assessing student's answers to differentiate instruction.
6. Educreations - A terrific iPad app that is very similar to Ask3 as it turns the iPad into a recordable whiteboard.  However, a teacher can not only create a bunch of guided lessons, they can also post them on the web for their students to view at home for "flipped learning".
7. FlipSnack Edu - A nice site with an educational portal that allows students to upload their stories and projects to a safe site then have educators assess them to differentiate instruction.
8. GoClass - A wonderful iPad/web tool that allows educators to create lessons and then assess students learning in real-time.  Also, students can view the lessons at home on their mobile devices and learn at their own pace.
9. Khan Academy - Flipped Learning and Khan Academy go hand-in-hand where learning takes place outside the classroom.  Also, they have an excellent free mobile app for kids, Khan Academy Kids.
10. LessonPaths - A fantastic site for educators to create guided learning playlists that students can use at home for self learning.  One of the best sites around for creating a "Flipped Classroom".
11. Math File Folder Games - A great site/company for educational iOS Math games that can be used to create 21st Century "Math Centers."  This is a great way to use educational apps to reinforce flipped learning.
12. MySimpleShow - A very popular site for educators to create a "flipped" class or lesson and mobile learning where they create beautiful looking explainer videos.
13. Nearpod - A terrific all-in-one solution for mobile devices in education.  Teachers can use it to create engaging lessons that students can do from home.
14. Otus - An excellent one-to-one learning management solution as well as mobile learning environment where educators can "flip" student's learning.
15. Verso - A wonderful site where educators can "flip" their classroom by creating online lessons that students can work on and respond to at home.

cross posted at cyber-kap.blogspot.com

David Kapuler is an educational consultant with more than 10 years of experience working in the K-12 environment. For more information about his work, contact him at dkapuler@gmail.com and read his blog at cyber-kap.blogspot.com.

[Helpful Tool Lets Kids Research Safely on Web]

Explain Everything Whiteboard

Refreshed version of the original presentation tool still excites

Pros: Students can import content from multiple sources to use in their presentations.

Cons: Fewer features than the subscription-based Explain Everything app.

Bottom Line: While this app lacks the options of the full-featured Explain Everything app, teachers and students can still make powerful presentations.

Read more.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

Studytracks™, the app that converts everyday school subjects into relatable music content, today launched into the U.S. education market. Already widely used in the United Kingdom and France- and after an extensive beta test with selected California schools, Studytracks is now available for students and educators across the United States. The app is available through Google Play and the App Store with the schools platform available for a free trial through their website.

Studytracks was created by George Hammond-Hagan, an award-winning songwriter and music producer, who wanted to help his son learn physics. Using the "Earworm Effect," Studytracks takes curriculum and puts it to music to drive engagement, retention and achievement in and out of the classroom.

[Class Tech Tips: Circle Round Folktale Podcast for Kids]

"One of the biggest things that we saw with Studytracks is the results," said Shawn Duff, teacher at Monrovia High School. "The kids would listen to the songs, the Studytracks, do the self quizzes, and it allowed them to retain a lot more information and it was kind of crazy because they would come in knowing words and concepts before we even got to it, before we even cracked the textbook or started a lecture about it."

To learn more about Studytracks and the free 30-day trial, visit https://www.Studytracks.education/us/school/register/.

Vialogues

Targeted discussions can help make video content more interactive

Pros: The platform provides an easy and safe way to create discussions around online videos.

Cons: Tools to organize or curate comments could help teachers manage the threads, which can sometimes become pretty long.

Bottom Line: This time-based video discussion tool increases interaction for traditional, flipped, or blended classrooms, but might offer more in the way of built-in instruction and assessment features.

[Annotate, Bookmark, Cite & Highlight With One Tool]

Read more.

App of the Day picks are selected from the top edtech tools reviewed by Common Sense Education, which helps educators find the best ed-tech tools, learn best practices for teaching with tech, and equip students with the skills they need to use technology safely and responsibly.

By Common Sense Education

I was honored to give the below interview for Flipped Learning Network. In the video I share my journey from early adoption to development of a more comprehensive inquiry pedagogy.

[Mass Group Google Doc Editing During Class]

cross posted at www.cyclesoflearning.com

Ramsey Musallam teaches science and robotics at Sonoma Academy in Santa Rosa, California, with the aim of fostering inquiry-based learning environments fueled by student curiosity. He presents widely on sparking student curiosity and teaching with technology. Musallam is a Google Certified Teacher, a YouTube Star Teacher, and a Leading Edge Certified Teacher. Watch his TED talk here and read his blog at www.cyclesoflearning.com.

A big shout out to all of you I had a chance to meet at FETC 2018 in Orlando. Also, a big thank you to the over 400 that attended my workshops and sessions. While I was at FETC I ran into Jon Bergmann who is best known for his work on the Flipped Classroom. We had our usual talk on ideas that support both PBL and Flipped Learning. In fact, you can listen to several webcasts we have been part of in the past in the links below. It reminded me that I wanted to write a post dedicated to the idea of how PBL and Flipped Learning really can be a powerful mix. I hope you enjoy the read and discover how the two can compliment and amplify each other! As always, thanks so much for reading and sharing! I wish you the very best of weeks as you continue your journey of educational transformation! – Mike

Project Based Learning and Flipped Classroom… A Great Combination (https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/)

Have you ever considered flipping your classroom and engaging students in Project Based Learning at the same time? As I study these learning processes I see possibilities that allow the two to not only coexist, but also complement each other. How might this work? They do share similar emphasis on higher order thinking skills. Another not so obvious way the two can complement each other is based on productivity and time. Let’s take a closer look.

As you might know Project Based Learning (PBL) is a dynamic process that allows students to learn and understand content at Bloom’s highest level while taking an active part in their learning. The process uses the BIE Gold Standards as a foundation. PBL provides for deep inquiry, which leads to rich and powerful understanding. Through authentic experiences, and a driving question that engages students with content standards, PBL has the ability to be a delivery method for the student centered classroom. In PBL, formative learning activities occur throughout the project. This allows for productivity between content delivery, facilitation, and student production. Of course this all takes time! How might we increse the productivity for both teacher and learner in PBL? A flipped infusion just might be the answer.

As you might already know the Flipped Classroom was first coined with the idea that class lectures are recorded and watched at home while the teacher assists students with homework in school. Technology makes this very basic scenario a real possibility. Through the years the Flipped Classroom concept has become more sophisticated with an increased benefit to the student. While lectures still may be ported for home use, teachers have found powerful ways to utilize in class time beyond just homework help. The Flipped Classroom has become more of a Flipped Learning experience. This can be discovered more in the Four Pillars of Flipped Learning. While instructional videos may be viewed at home they can also shorten the “expain time” in class. Either way teachers have the opportunity to employ higher order learning activities at school. It is these activies that I often refer to as “real learning”.

As we look at the process of PBL and Flipped Learning we can begin to see how the two together can promote Bloom’s higher order learning. Together they provide a streamlining of valuable time, which in turn allows for increased productivity. As we continue to examine this concept several other added benefits are accomplished.

As teachers combine the PBL and Flipped experience, they see learning spiral. This allows teachers the opportunity to bring the both the home and in class learning experience up a notch. Students can be provided open-ended questions, engaging interactive activities, and front loaded thought-provoking videos at home that can spur deeper classroom discussions and activities for the next class period. This blended experience erases the classroom walls allowing for an authentic and constant learning experience.

Instructional videos, while still used at home, can also be incorporated as part of the PBL scaffold during class time. After-all, research has demonstrated that an instructional video can be more time productive than a live lecture. Yes, there is often a need for explaination, after inquiry! Plus, there is also the added benefit of the student able to pause, rewind, and replay the instruction. Try that in a lecture. Please note that the teacher is still available for face to face time in order to provide any reinforcement needed in the learning process.

In this day of what appears to be numerous educational initiatives, it is exciting to see how the two are able to work in harmony with each other. In fact, as we further reflect we just might see how other initiatives such as 21 century competencies (4 C’s), technology integration, digital curriculum and literacy, 1 to 1 computing, PBL, and Flipped Learning really do blend as one. They all allow for authentic learning putting the student in the driver seat!

In closing, we just may wish to ask, how many educational initiatives there really are? Perhaps there are not as many as we originally thought. It may be time for you to see how PBL and Flipped Learning really can work in productive harmony. After implementing these two practices, you may wish to work on student centered learning next. Or perhaps you will find that you just did it!

PBL and STEM Webinars/Podcasts

PBS Learning Media: Flipped Classrooms For Real Learning: Definitions, Resources and Tools – Educators keep hearing about the benefits of flipping their classrooms, but what does that really mean? PBS Learning Media invites you to join Jon Bergmann, a pioneer in the Flipped Class Movement and co-author of Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day – along with Mike Gorman, a 21st century educational technology and learning expert.

BAM Radio Interview with Michael Gorman – Listen to Jon Bergmann author of Flip Your Classroom interview Michael Gorman who has served education for 37 years and has partnered with ISTE and various educational, governmental, and business organizations and foundations. He initiated a 1:1 laptop program along with PBL in Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is also a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, Follet, and November Learning. Mike is on the National Faculty for BIE (BUCK Institute) and an Adviser for Tech & Learning Magazine.

ISTE Presentation of PBL 8 Essentials With Michael Gorman – Join Mike at ISTE in Atlanta as he shares the 8 essential elements found in PBL. This is a must video for those wanting to get started with PBL

Organizations and Individuals

BIE – Learn more about PBL at the BUCK Institute. It is an amazing organization conducting some of teh best research and teacher education programs in the world!

Flipped Learning Network – Spend some time lerning about the Four Pillars of Flipped learning while engaging in this websites many resources.

Cycles of Learning – This is a must visit blog for anyone that has an interest in Flipped, PBL and Inquiry.

Edutopia – Learn all about Project Based Learning from the amazing people at Edutopia. You will discover lessons, videos, and thought provoking articles that will peak your PBL interest!

cross-posted at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com

Michael Gorman oversees one-to-one laptop programs and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, My Big Campus, and November Learning and is on the National Faculty for The Buck Institute for Education. His awards include district Teacher of the Year, Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and Microsoft’s 365 Global Education Hero. Read more at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com.

I have often reflected on the idea of formative assessment. In my reflection I have come up with several main ideas. First, this is a practice that has always been a part of good teaching. Second, it may be better stated as formative learning since I view assessment as a part of the overall learning experience. Last, I have come up with some wonderful formative learning tools, in nine different categories, for use in the classroom I wish to share with you in this series. Please keep in mind they are only tools and are best utilized through the important art of teaching. Please take a moment to subscribe by email or RSS and also give me a follow on Twitter at mjgormans. I promise you will find some great information coming your way this school year…So Sign Up Now and please pass this on with a retweet! – Mike Gorman (https://21centuryedtech.wordpress.com/)

Quick Note – You are invited to join me along with others at PBS Learning Media For a Free Webinar entitled, How to Leverage Digital Media in 1:1 Classrooms, at 8 PM Wednesday August 19 at 8 PM EDT. There will be some great ideas to reflect on along with my Top 10 must have resources for the 1 to 1 classroom. Here is the link to register. Hope to see you there!

Part 1: Over 35 Formative Assessment Tools To Enhance Formative Learning Opportunities

What really is formative assessment? It might be expressed that it is the continuous checking for student understanding of the mandated content standards and skills before the summative assessment. This is definitely a great beginning but may also be somewhat limited. After all, a quiz, or numerous quizzes with some bell checkers could satisfy this definition. I am not sure if this really addresses the way student learning is facilitated in the classroom.

This causes me to reflect on the idea of digging deeper into the idea of what formative assessment really is. Perhaps we have the main idea stated with words that don’t quite fit. With this in mind, I would like to refer to “Formative Assessment” as “Formative Learning”. By thinking of it in this manner both student assessment and learning can be addressed. It also provides an insight into what the idea of formative assessment really is.

Yes… let’s look at the whole definition… one that cannot be read just half way through. Formative Assessment or Learning is the continuous checking for student understanding of the mandated content standards and skills before the summative assessment… … in order to guide and provide needed facilitation and appropriate learning opportunities that meet the group and individual needs. Wow… suddenly it seems to go beyond a few quizzes, bell ringers, and exit tickets. It really begins to encompass what good teaching has always been. Best of all, it allows us to integrate technology so that we can add to the already powerful human element.

Before providing some wonderful example of how technology can assist in formative assessment I would like to take some of the technology shine away for a moment. As stated before, the human element has always been so important as we look at Formative Learning opportunities. Informal dialogue and meetings with individual and groups of students has always been powerful. Looking at the smiles and eyes of a student can tell an educator so much. Just as important might be a pause of frustration. Looking over a shoulder at a student working, or reading, can provide wonderful insight and a clue into learning. Listening to students collaborate, present, and share provides a wonderful opportunity in preparing for instruction. Watching the hands go up, or slowly come down during a class discussion has always informed good teachers.

Perhaps in this day of standardized accountability we only see the quizzes, bell ringers, and exit tickets and can sometimes forget that formative assessment is something teachers have always done. Actually, these are items that can be quantified and provided as data. It is important that teachers take a step back and ask the questions what does formative assessment look like, sound like, and feel like. A technology item such as an interactive white board is not enough. Such technology is only a tool that allows teachers to turn on that human element which I often call the true art of teaching. It is at this point that Formative Learning can become the culture of a classroom.

Remember that technology does not provide the facilitation, people do. Technology can serve as an amplifier. Remember that the amplification can go both ways. It really is about how we as educators employ the tools for our students’ use. Always ask these two questions. How can this tool allow me to make student learning and growth better and, how can this tool make new learning and growth possible? Please enjoy and use the list that has been provided. Always keep in mind that real learning is a formative human experience, enjoy the journey! Below you will find my first category. In the coming posts you will discover the other eight categories as we uncover over 35 amazing formative learning tools.

Category 1: Video Tools for Formative Learning

• Flipped Classroom Capabilities
• Student Control
• Lecture +
• Forums
• In class
• Formative Tools Built In
• LMS Enabled

Employing video tools in the classroom can be powerful for student learning. It is important to provide video that not only answers questions, but also provokes new thinking and inquiry posing new questions. The video a student watches can be the needed front loading for the next activity. Keep in mind that a video of a student’s teacher providing the activity can allow for some great blended connections. A video can also allow the student to control, rewind, and watch again… promoting self-regulated learning. Some of the tools provided below also allow for formative activities to be embedded in the video. The tools I am providing allow for integrating formative assessment into the learning. In a future post I may provide places to find amazing and engaging videos… but for now I will leave that for you!

Educannon – Creating a classroom movie is always fun. This tool allows the placement of videos in a formative loop allowing the teacher to check for student understanding as videos are watched.

Zaption – Link videos to this wonderful tool designed to place formative learning with in a video activity. Collect information on student progress as they access from home or school.

Edpuzzle – Explore this formative video tool that allows the teacher to track and view student understanding. Use a video from just about any source on just about any device. Allows for important student metacognition during the course of the activity.

Blubbr.tv – Now teachers and students can create their own video based trivia games. Allowing the trivia to be based on content standards can bring a whole new form to learning.

cross-posted at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com

Michael Gorman oversees one-to-one laptop programs and digital professional development for Southwest Allen County Schools near Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is a consultant for Discovery Education, ISTE, My Big Campus, and November Learning and is on the National Faculty for The Buck Institute for Education. His awards include district Teacher of the Year, Indiana STEM Educator of the Year and Microsoft’s 365 Global Education Hero. Read more at 21centuryedtech.wordpress.com.