Despite initial “success”, after presenting at CUE in Palm Springs last month, something struck me. I was in the middle of my standard discussion about Blooms Taxonomy, and how the true “flip” does not involve homework with lecture, but intentionally matches the “community” (classroom) with learning activities appropriate for the community (higher end Blooms). Conversely, matching the “individual” (outside of class time) with learning activities appropriate for that space (lower end Blooms). See image below:



While giving that presentation, I realized that my students were back in San Francisco, with a substitute, watching videos IN THEIR COMMUNITY SPACE (classroom) of me solving problems as I would IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL SPACE! Because my students were all together, I was missing an opportunity to use video as an inquiry tool, and instead, using it as I normally would on the back end of an inquiry cycle, as a tool delivery medium. So, the last few times I have missed class since CUE (happens often given the arrival of my second child!), I have been experimenting with using video in a way that values the community, promotes inquiry, and models how I normally would carry out class if I was there. Rather than solve problems, I have been presenting open ended scenarios for students, and given a set of prompting questions, instructing the sub to have students discuss possible solutions to the scenario. Often, I have coupled the situation with follow up videos that provide further explanation, but NOT UNTIL the initial inquiry scenario is presented. Below are a few examples:

Pre Video Question: Does Bromothymol change color in an acidic or basic environment? Justify by writing a chemical reaction to describe the process.

Pre Video Question: Can you explain this observation using what you know about ideal gas behavior?

Because the “Explore” and “Apply” phases of the “Explore-Flip-Apply” learning cycle rely heavily on collaboration and model development, quick group presentations and sharing of information is essential. Below is a list of different ways I have been using Reflection App, in conjunction with our classroom LCD projector, to better facilitate inquiry and collaboration:

1. Mobile Document Camera: Using the camera, move about classroom displaying student work, laboratory procedures, demonstrations, etc.
2. Spontaneous Group Presentations: Using the camera, quickly interview different groups during various phases of the inquiry cycle. For example, feature a group’s problem solving strategy, or ideas re: a specific model they are currently developing.
3. Annotation of Student Work: Using the camera, take a picture of various student solutions during a problem solving session and using apps like PhotoPen, annotate and comment on problems.
4. Quick Slide Shows to Summarize Activities: Snap pictures of student work, and upon conclusion, quickly scroll through your camera roll to serve as a daily summary. Alternatively, revisit the pictures at the beginning of the following day as a transition into the next phase of the learning cycle.
5. Screencast iPhone/iPad Applications: Although more connected to the “Flip” phase of the “Explore-Flip-Apply” cycle, by mirroring your display onto your Max OSX display, you can use programs such as Quicktime’s screen recorder and Screencastomatic to capture applicable information from your device.

Vimeo Chapter Marker Tutorial (via WebVideoSchool)

Recently I stumbled upon a research Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Strategies provided by the U.S. Department of Education that validates this reflection mechanism. Below is a screenshot taken from the report:

Below is a screenshot of the google form used for reflection:



Day 2: Apply

Goal: To apply knowledge of Graham’s Law.

Task 1: Work individually and collaboratively to practice released AP Chemistry problems related to Graham’s Law of Effusion-Diffusion.

See examples of problems below:



Task 2: Use new assimilated knowledge of Graham’s Law to verify the equation with respect to diffusion, rather than simply effusion (See Day 1).

Materials: Clear plastic straw, two cue-tips, ammonia, toilet boil clear (source of hydrogen chloride), ruler.

Procedure: We again guided inquiry approach, however, because students have already explored this concept and have viewed and instructional screencast, the goal is to verify, rather than develop, Graham’s Law.

1. Simultaneously place ammonia and toilet bowl cleaner soaked cue-tips in both ends of a clear plastic straw.
2. Work together on practice problems while waiting.
3. Measure distance from top of cue-tip to cloudy ring in straw (location where ammonia and hydrogen chloride gas meet).
4. Calculate rate (distance/time) for each gas.
5. Determine value of rNH3/rHCl and share data.
6. Evaluate class mean and calculate percent error.

See images of process below:


Night 2: Prepare for Quiz

Day 3: Quiz and new cycle begins

• Question is only spoken
• Solution is spoken and written
• Multiple colors are used
• Each member must be heard or seen (handwriting)

1. Good science instruction should inspire students to construct their own knowledge.
2. I teach at an urban catholic high school, and although improving, our schedule is still very limited (primary reasons include: additional school holidays and lack of athletic facilities that require students to miss class often).

• Peer Instruction (PI),
• Just-in-time teaching (JiTT)
• Guided Inquiry

Day 2: Apply

* Activities on the “application” day vary from more directed lab application tasks, to individual/group problem solving sessions, to challenge problems and class competitions. Students have problem sets we refer to as “Learning Packets” that house the majority of practice problems used during the “application” day often. Click here for an example of a Learning Packet designed around “Free Response #4” on the AP Chemistry examination. Below is an example of an application day that involved a more specific variation of the lab activity from the previous day described above. Guided Inquiry is used again, but informed by the screencast lecture.

Step 1: Opener (~ 10 minutes)

Process
Follows the same Peer Instruction model described above. This time, the question is more specific (usually AP multiple choice question). After individual attempts and group discussion, groups buzz in answer and we collectively go over responses by displaying google spreadsheet. I highlight groups who obtained the correct answer and keep track of this as a motivational tool for the opener. We critique wrong answers and discuss logic behind test construction of that item (good and bad distractors, etc.). See spreadsheet below:



Step 2: Lab Application (~ 65 minutes)

Process
Students are given a blank sheet of paper to show their work in route to answering the following question: What mass of sodium chloride do you have in your tray? Prior to the lab, I measured the same mass of sodium chloride for all groups (50 grams). Students are instructed NOT to use a balance, but instead, the concepts they learned in the night’s lecture to obtain the mass of sodium chloride provided. Although students’ lab procedures ended up being fairly similar to the prior exploration, the specific task of determining the actual mass of sodium chloride, forced merger of skills constructed in the exploration phase and applications learned in the instructional video. Students were only given the following materials (temp probe/computer w/ LoggerPro, two beakers, glass stirring rod, to plate and 50 grams of sodium chloride):



Night 2: Prepare for Quiz

Process
Students prepare for a quiz the next day by finishing problems in their Learning Packets. Quizzes usually have a total of four questions and ask students to apply and synthesize concepts from the application day. Quizzes are standards based, and I allow students to reassess as they strive towards mastery of the standards (many different versions of the quizzes are made to facilitate the re-assessment process). Students must wait at least one day after meeting with me for additional instruction before reassessment. Click here for an excellent post that describes the logic behind separating the re-teaching and reassessment process. Although I provide opportunities for students to reassess, for me, I have a hard time merging the “Explore-Flip-Apply” with an asynchronous mastery learning system. Because emphasis is placed on student construction of knowledge during the “explore” phase prior to video instruction, I find it easier to keep all students on the same cycle, rather than monitoring which videos each student has progressed through, and making certain that they were exposed to the laboratory BEFORE each video. To keep this cycle in-tact, I publish each video sequentially, as the associated exploration phase ends. To keep advanced students motivated, I scaffold the “application“ day to provide additional resources and challenge problems.

Day 3: Quiz and new cycle begins