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How to Design an In-Class Flip

How to design an in-class flip? So much of in-class technology use involves helping students how to learn the technology itself. Here's a step by step for creating an in-class flip.

Step 1: Create a screencast. Make it short, easy, and simple. Choose a concept or skill that is easy to explain. Speak slowly, and use images. This sample screencast about the “making a ten to add” math strategy was created using Screencast-o-Matic.

Step 2: Introduce the technology. Whether it’s an iPad or a ChromeBook, your students need to learn how to use the technology. Have a full lesson about how to use the device, from the basics (turning it on and off) to its care (taking it out and putting it away) to hygiene (washing your hands before using it).

Step 3: Create good digital citizens. Even the youngest technology users need to learn about good digital citizenship. Here’s a lesson plan that teaches password protection for first grade. Common Sense Media is another excellent source for lesson plans about digital citizenship.

Step 4: Introduce how to use the screencasts. Show students how to log on and open a screencast.

Step 5: Introduce the routine. Just like any other classroom routine, the routine around technology needs to be introduced, then modeled, then practiced (and modeled and practiced and modeled and practiced). First decide how you want to routine to look: do students take turns with the screencasts? Is it a station? Do student sign up on the board?

Step 6: Launch the in-class flip. Be patient, any new routine needs tweaks and takes practice. Learn from watching how the students use the screencasts and adjust accordingly. It’s for this reason that I recommend making only a few screencasts to start, and only about the most important concepts/skills. If something doesn’t work, then it’s easier to redo just a few screencasts than it is to redo many.

You can download these step-by-step instructions for designing an in-class flip here.

howtodesignanin-classflip.pdf
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This video describes how to create your own screencasts using Educreations and Google Slides.

Tips and Tricks

Charge and test devices before each class.
Eliminate passwords on devices, or ensure that the students have passwords easily accessible.
Teach, model, and practice (and practice!) how to use and care for the devices and how to watch the videos.
Create a “Tech Support” class job so that students can ask each other for help using the videos rather than needing to rely solely on the teacher.
Develop flipped lessons for larger concepts only, rather than for every lesson (in order to save time and maximize benefit).
Test and revise the flipped lessons before introducing them to the class.
Create flipped lessons for at least one unit ahead for those students who are ready to progress.

You can download these tips and tricks for an in-class flip here.

tipsandtricksforanin-classflip.pdf
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Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything has a list of resources for using screencasts in the classroom.

Edutopia has useful resources for managing technology in younger grades.

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