Reinventing the classroom? Old news, but NEW to many! Why? Because many teachers are constrained by systemic and political bureaucracies not flexible enough to let go of classroom control issues. A more progressive view of the future is needed in all areas of education. Let teachers do what they do best. Exemplify those who are successful, and empower the rest of the teaching community to learn new techniques or encourage them to seek professional development and mentoring. For more information, Google #flippedclassroom, #flippedhighschool ,follow this link, or take a look at Clintondale High School Principal Gregory Green’s Flipped High School.
When I integrated my classroom with EDMODO, I provided three resource connections for my students to help solve their own problems. I used an open-forum approach. The three resources were; first, discuss questions among themselves using the virtual classroom both during class and after school to problem solve, secondly–use the Internet as a resource for information gathering, and third–pose questions and discussion issues with recommended solutions to me, so I could help broaden the discussion base. I was not surprised by how much more engaged my students were, in addition to the increased level of sophistication at which they began to think. They were no longer responding to me, but rather charting their own courses through the curriculum, asking questions where they needed clarification, and above all else, learning their way through the course material.
I would encourage anyone interested in this or similar approaches to join the now forming Peer Instruction Network.