Flipped Classroom: Chemistry Example
The concept of Lewis dot diagrams can be a challenge to teach as successful understanding depends not only on making meaning from new material but also applying working knowledge of the periodic table. This topic is a perfect candidate to flip.
I know that when I teach this during class time, I end up repeating myself, stopping, starting, and through direct instruction successfully teaching to about half the class. There are many barriers to success - and in chemistry I have noticed that the most significant barrier is prior knowledge. I could spend a million years determining where the understanding is lost and unfortunately I cannot follow the students home, sit down with them during the homework assignment and then identify the areas of concern. So I decided that the direct instruction will be a screen cast created using Screen-cast-omatic .
The lesson plan goes like this:
1. Watch this screen cast at home before you come to class and answer the notes as they appear:
2. As the students enter the classroom the next class, they will find the following options:
a. I didn't have time to watch it so sit down at the laptops at the back and get it done.
b. I have specific questions about the water example; meet at the front for a short tutorial.
c. Pick up an assignment, choose one of the possible three and get started.
d. When you are finished, call me over for a conversation about the work.
This is a formative activity. Record anecdotal evidence and whether or not the student understood.
a. I didn't have time to watch it so sit down at the laptops at the back and get it done.
b. I have specific questions about the water example; meet at the front for a short tutorial.
c. Pick up an assignment, choose one of the possible three and get started.
d. When you are finished, call me over for a conversation about the work.
This is a formative activity. Record anecdotal evidence and whether or not the student understood.
