Last time, you were introduced to a new opportunity for Ontario Educators to collaborate over
flipped learning models they would like to try and/or are using in their practices--the Flipped PLN Finder.
Today's post is one example of how I might leverage technology, pedagogy and change knowledge (leadership by providing and facilitating a professional learning opportunity), as Michael
Fullan (Stratosphere) points out, to creating a mathematical experience (i.e., in this case, a mathematics lesson) to deepen student engagement and understanding. The most interesting aspect of this post, I believe, is the provision of an opportunity to engage in the learning process just as your students would--first-exposure learning by video, collection of assessment for learning information as per assigned video, follow-up in-class problem-based activity, and consolidation of thinking.
But ... Just how can we aim to accomplish this through this forum? The remainder of this post provides the necessary details and notes to help facilitate such an opportunity for professional learning.
EDpuzzle is a video-hosting site that allows account holders (teachers) to upload their own videos and/or other videos off of the web (e.g., YouTube videos, Kahn Academy, ...).
Given that there are several sites that are becoming available for doing this, EDpuzzle is going several steps further to brandishing a service that students and teachers will find indispensable when it comes to flipped classrooms.
For example, not only can you create your own archive of videos for on-demand use by your students, but you can edit them in ways that make others’ videos your own—adding assessment questions and/or comments, recording audio over the existing audio, adding in audio notes, and cropping. The service is easy to use and can be managed simply from a computer. Below, you'll find an embedded, introductory demo video for EDpuzzle.
For students, viewing can be done on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Recently, EDpuzzle released an app for iOS8 iPhones and iPads. A teacher version is currently in development.
Below are a few screenshots (and notes) of the features available on the teacher’s dashboard.
A teacher’s landing page shows the classes they’ve created along with the assignments (videos) they’ve given to a specific class. From this page, you also have the ability to create/add new assignments, check student progress, and generate links to share/embed your EDpuzzle videos on webpages (e.g., teacher webpage). The ‘Class code’ shown (above) is an example of a code that you would share with students. Once they’ve created their own EDpuzzle account, they can join the class by providing the class code when prompted.
When checking student progress, you are able to determine which of your students have watched and when. If using assessment questions, you’ll also be able to determine their relative success with those questions. Students are able to view their performance with video lessons when logged into their account. Also note that a teacher has the option to score open assessment items.
Fig 3.
For each student, you can analyze their viewing habits along with their responses. In the top left panel, an overview of video completion, questions completed and relative success with questions is
provided. What you might also find informative and beneficial is a ‘Video Views’ panel (top right).
This panel provides details regarding which assessment items might have been missed along with the amount of time that a student has watched specific segments. Lastly, as shown in the bottom panel, a teacher is able to view student responses to questions and can choose to comment (speech bubble) or score each item (‘check’ vs ‘x’).
As you can see, there is much valuable information that can be obtained about students’ viewing habits and understanding of the content—all of this before returning to class the next day and/or engaging in a follow-up lesson the same day of viewing the video!
How do I get started?
1. Firstly, create your own, free, teacher account. You can log-in with Edmodo, Google, or by email/password.
2. Create your first class. Upon creation of a class, you’ll get a class code. This class code is shared with students so that they can find your EDpuzzle class once they’ve signed up (free).
3. Upload (and edit, if you choose) content—videos.
4. Assign videos to classes for viewing.
5. Track student progress and use the information you gather to help inform teaching and student learning!
What if I'm not prepared to go 'all in' with my students (I'd like to start by evaluating the potential of the service and pedagogy that goes along with teaching mathematics)?
To help ease into combining this technology and pedagogy, I have a couple of suggestions:
Option: On Your Own
Follow the instructions in the pdf (email me for the class code ... I'll respond within the day), get some feedback on your responses from me (log back in later to check your progress), try the lesson problem (provided below), and wrap up (or grow!) your experience by commenting to the blog. Your post could contain any or all of the following:
1-your thoughts about EDpuzzle (this experience, how you might use it in your own class, ...)
2-anticipation of student thinking about the lesson problem
3-some ideas about follow-up, in-class activities--"How would you make the most out of face-face time with students (post-viewing)?"
As the community contributes their thoughts to the blog, we will all receive consolidation of our own thinking re: any or all of the criteria (above; #1 to 3).
Using an inquiry stance, provide the following problem to pairs of students.
Option: With Your Students
You can use the same instructions (or modification, thereof) with your students to provide them with an EDpuzzle experience. To help facilitate implementation, use any or all of the following:
1-soft copy of the instructions and lesson problem
2-download of an unedited mp4 of the video lesson I used (Here's the perfect opportunity for you to try out EDpuzzle editing my video!)
3-a Smart Notebook file that contains the slides in the screencast (use/modify them to suit your own purposes, have them available for follow-up in class)
4-a notes template that your students can use to record their thoughts while watching your video
5-a set of questions that you can use to create your own on-line poll to gauge the impact of this experience upon student engagement.
Following the experience you create for your students, it would be appreciated if you could provide our on-line community with some feedback to this blog re: any or all of the following:
-Teacher and student feedback re: EDpuzzle
-Anecdotes regarding student thinking during/following the in-class lesson problem
-Some of the key ideas/highlights that you and your students were making during the consolidation of their thinking
-Notes re: your follow-up to the collaborative stage--e.g., Did you assign an independent task? If so, what was the problem that you chose? How did students do with it?
In closing, I'd like to thank you for your participation in one of these activities. If, upon completion of the process, you find it useful, maybe you might try incorporating video assignment, through EDpuzzle, in your own classroom. Enjoy! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Next time, on Flipping the Focus, we'll take a look at some feedback from the upcoming Small School Summit--Deep Learning Now! as well as delving into what it means to be part of a flipped PLN. Until then ...
Sincerely Yours,
Chris Stewart, OCT
Program Resource Teacher-Mathematics
Upper Canada DSB
Brockville, ON