Book review: 101ways to flip your online class

101 ways to flip your online class by Barbi Honeycutt, PhD and Sarah Glova was the last book I read. I thought of writing a post on it since it connects smoothly with the topics I talk so much about now: flipped learning and online learning.

The book is rather simple. The author presents 101 short and concise ideas of how to "flip" an online classroom. In this particular book, the flip is understood as a space where student engagement and involvement is at the essence.

The 101 ideas are simple but effective. I had personally tried most of them in my own courses. Creating welcome videos, appealing to the person, introducing IMing and creating a course syllabus scavenger hunt for students to find crucial information about the course are just a few of the 101 ideas mentioned in the book.

However, the activities are not completely explained. The author mentions them but doesn't give much detail as to how they could be set up and implemented (a flaw in my opinion, I would have liked more detail in some of the activities). If you want more of a cookbook full of recipes, this is not quite the book for you.

Anyway, the book makes you reflect on how to construct interactive spaces within the online classroom and gives you ideas as to how to connect to your online students satisfactorily. Besides, it is a tremendously fast read.

If you are an online instructor who feels blocked about what to do in your course and want to get some quick tips on how to engage students further, this book is a great point of departure. However, if you are more of a flipped learning expert, or a "curious" online instructor, this book might be too basic for you. Anyhow, it is worth reading. I assure you, you will find at least 5 new ideas to take to your online classroom as soon as possible.

My favorite 8 tools for flipping

I have been thinking more and more about flipped learning these days. Also, I have identified my favorite tools for flipping. Here they are!

1. My smartphone: My old Samsung S5 is one of the best tools I have for working, learning and teaching. I don't know what I would do without it since in it I check my Twitter account, I have my Linkedin profile, I watch YouTube videos and more! Also, I have apps like my QR code reader, my dictionary.com, planner, Google docs, and of course Blogger! My smarphone is the "school in my pocket" as someone said today in a training session I attended. My smartphone allows me to learn on the go. I flip with my smartphone because I plan lessons in it and I ask my students to use it as a learning tool as well.

2. Screencast-o-matic: This is my favorite screencasting tool. I bet there are many other tools that allow for much more elaborated screencasts, but I frequently ask myself the question that Aaron Sams usually asks: " Do I want the video to be perfect or by Monday?". As I'm regularly in a hurry and trying to juggle a myriad of other tasks as well as screencasting, this tool helps me to easily create my input videos based on previously prepared Power Points, my feedback sessions using an annotated word document and my videos using just the webcam option. Screencastomatic is easy to use and it allows me to create 15 minute videos and upload them to my YouTube channel right away. It's very user-friendly and it's free. For those reasons, screencastomatic.com is my favorite tool for creating my flipped class instructional materials.

3. Movenote: Just as Screencastomatic, movenote.com is an easy-to-use presentation making tool. I know sometimes students get tired of seeing the same tool and they want us to use some variety. Thus, having Movenote as a second option for input video creation is  really good. Movenote has its limitations, though. It allows me to share slides, which is good but not the screen. Anyway, there are tools to do that. So, if you are thinking of a tool to create very nice presentantions, Movenote is your site.

4. Zaption: What would be a video with no interactivity in it? Before Zaption, I used to write questions on my slides and hoped for students to hit the pause button when I said so abd a swer the questions on my slide. However, I rarely went back to check the answers to those questions: who has time in an online class that just has 1 synchornous hour a week? So, I just hope my students did what I asked them to and trusted. Now, I have a way to make all that and still be able to check who watched the video, how many times and to read the answers to the questions I ask for every video. Zaption adds great interactivity to your videos and even though there might be other fabulous tools, Zaption is easy to use and doesn't require you to create a class to put your videos in. It generates a direct link you can just share with students. Flipping learning with Zaption makes your input videos interactive and the data the platform offers helps you set the ground for instruction the following day.

5. Google Docs: I know GDocs is not a new tool, and you might already be using it in an amazing way, but as this post is about my favorite tools for flipping, I have to include it. Gdocs allows me to create active learning opportunities for students. I set up a chart, or a template so while in class, students can just go in and collaborate. I offer input outside of class so when they go to the classroom (or the virtual space), time can be well spent thinking, negotiating, solving problems, doing simulations, etc. GDocs rules!

6. PowerPoint: Not the most innovative tool of all times, but I wouldn't be able.to flip without my PowerPoint slides. They allow me to share informatio  with my students in a visually appealing and academic way. As my students are graduate ones, I don't think more attractive/animated tools are appropriate for them. Thus, I've decided to stick to PPTs minimalistic style for my presentations.

7. Kahoot: How do I hold my students accountable for watching the videos? By using Zaption and Kahoot quizzes. Immediate response systems like Kahoot really add a cool tone to class. Students love the competition. Also, I will explore Kahoot's new team work feature in future classes to promote collaboration and inclusion (Those who didn't watch the video might benefit from working in teams).

8. Google Hangouts: I have decided to offer different input materials for students in the MA program where I currently teach. One of those input materials are interviews with experts in the fields of CALL, Self-regulated learning, Academic Writing, MOOCs, Instructional design, Blended learning, etc. I decided to record the interviews using Google Hangouts on Air so they are uploaded to YouTube directly and students can access them through my channel. This idea was shared by Ken Bauer, who uses this strategy in his MOOC on Flipped Learning.

These are just some of the most common tools I've used to flip my lessons. What about you? Which ones have you used? Do you agree with me about the ones I mention? 

CRB

My first Pecha Kucha presentation

This post recycles an old Pecha Kucha presentation I did as part of the Residential Sessions for our MA program in 2014-II. I'm sharing here the practice round I did for the actual presentation. I recorded this version using Screencast-o-matic.

I found it when I was searching for something else, as it always happens, but I thought it would make a nice post for my blog since I've been quiet for a while.

Click on the link to hear my Pecha Kucha presentation.

Freaking out as a sign of bravery!

I was invited to give a webinar on Flipping CLIL by Letizia Cinganotto from TECHNO-CLIL. It was a great opportunity to talk a little bit more about flipped learning, to get to meet many interesting people, and to get to use a new platform, WizIQ. However, like 10 minutes into the session I started to notice people's comments about my audio... to my eyes it was something like this:

Sound is terrible.

Sound doesn't work

I'm missing the session

Bad sound

:(

Bad

Terrible

Sound problems

Bad sound

No sound

Will the recording be better? 

:(

Terrible

I'm hearing ECHO

There are people talking in the background! 

Terrible sound

No Sound

Bad!!!

HELP!!!!!!!

I wanted to yell, too... H-E-L-P!!!!! 

I know I wasn't supposed to be looking at the chat all the time, but I just couldn't help it! I never want to be one of those teachers who ignores students' cries and just goes on with the content. I don't want to be one of those people for whom the only important thing is what they are saying! I wanted to make sure people were listening to me, so I PANICKED!!! I FREAKED OUT! But my freaking out was a sign of bravery! 

I freaked out because I tried something new. 

I freaked out because I wanted to give my best to the people listening to me. 

I freaked out because I didn't want to disappoint Letizia!

I freaked out because I care!

So, who cares! I'm willing to keep freaking out all the time! I want to always freak out if it means to learn something and to have an amazing learning experience. 

Thanks a lot to the participants of the webinar for their patience and for their willingness to stay connected! 

Oh, and don't be afraid to freak out when flipping! If you panic, it's because you are learning and making a diffrence to your students!

Just for those interested in following up with the session, here's the link to the recording!

Thanks Techno-CLIL EVO session. 

Our story of flipping in the Flipped Learning Network

I follow the Flipped Learning Network on Twitter (@flippedlearning), and a couple of weeks ago they posted an invitation to share flipping stories from around the globe. The tweet read something like "Do you want to write a blog post about flipping? Contact Brian Bennett" So, I contacted him and briefly outlined our story at Universidad de La Sabana. The international nature of our story was immediately appealing to Brian, and he told me to go ahead and write it! I know we have to work on a more formal article soon. However, this opportunity to reach our immediate community couldn't be missed! I had to go ahead and seize it.

Here's the blog post if you want to read it!

EVO changed my professional life

Have you ever blindly followed a recommendation someone made? Last year, Christine Bauer-Ramazani (who I like to call my tech angel) recommended EVO. EVO stands for Electronic Village Online, a professional development opportunity launched by the CALL interest section of TESOL International. I was surprised to hear of a group of altruistic ELT professionals who would just share knowledge for the sake of doing so. I had to enroll! Even though there were like 15 sessions, they offered a particularly interesting one in Flipped Learning. I decided to take that one because of my growing interest in the subject. This far, enrolling in that course has been one of the best decisions I've made in my career.
I enrolled and realized there were 237+ participants from all around the globe. The moderators were unknown to me at the time, but then I realized they were all very experienced professionals in the field of Educational Technology and English Language Teaching.  I enjoyed every minute of the session, participated in the weekly webcast, posted my comments in the weekly forum discussions, did my assignments thoroughly. In general terms, I enjoyed the course very much. During week 5 of the course, they had a guest speaker, Robyn Brinks Lockwood, the author of Flip it! Strategies for the ESL classroom. She was amazing and as soon as the session finished, I went to amazon.com and bought the book! It's a must-read for anybody interested in Flipped Learning.
One of the best parts of it was that I was going to the TESOL conference in Toronto last year, so I knew I would be able to meet the people in the course face to face. I was really excited! After the course I was definitely convinced that flipped learning was going to be my point of focus from then on.
Then, I went to Toronto and met them all! Helaine Marshall, John Graney, Robyn Brinks Lockwood and what's more important I realized there are a lot of people for whom flipped learning was as important as it is for me. They made me feel as part of something big!
After the conference, I kept in touch with them all and joined the CALL listserv. I have been receiving information about events, readings, webcasts, etc. From them since the moment I joined.
I also met Kevin Coleman, another flipped learning session moderator in our own TESOL Colombia. I invited him to come and do a presentation on FL, he came down to Bogotá and gave a killer presentation interesting more and more people in the subject.
Then, in October, Kevin invited me to become a moderator for the Flipped Learning EVO session this year. ME! I couldn't believe him! But there I was, one more stepping stone towards my "burning desire" (as Napoleon Hill would call it)...oh, and that's a secret for now 
I then took the Moderator Training with Nina Liakos, Vance Stevens, Elizabeth (I don't remember her last name) and a lot of very experienced EVO moderators. I learned so much. And now, I'm co-moderating the session with an awesome team (Jeff, Kevin, Khalid and John: The rolling stones of flipping) a combination of experience, energy, patience and perseverance. What an awesome team!!! We have over 300 participants and so far the experience has been fantastic !
EVO has shown me a couple of great things:
1. There are "intense" professionals out there who are willing to go the extra mile to make education happen.
2. There is room for my ideas! Somewhere around the globe there are people who care about nd connect with my thinking and that's awesome!
3. We all have something to share! And we are all called to contribute to the improvement of ELT, EFL, and education in general the world over.
4. It's okay to be opinionated! You just need to find a platform to share your opinions with people who care.
5. There are no limitations to learning!
EVO has changed my professional life because it has become the platform I can use to share and learn!
What are you waiting for? Join us at http://evosessions.pbworks.com
Let EVO change you!
Oh and I will be forever grateful to Christine-Bauer Ramazani for introducing me to technology back in 2009! 

Google+ and Twitter: two powerful PD tools

Some time ago, in 2010, I read a thesis paper about the use of Twitter for teachers' professional development and it got me interested in learning about this social networking tool. In that moment, I opened my Twitter account and started using it clumsily. I started to follow some people and Twitting about silly things. However, nowadays, Twitter and G+ have become my greatest Professional Development allies and in this post I'm going to share how they got to be so with you....

1. By following the "stars":

I'm not talking about Hollywood stars, I'm talking about the academic "celebrities" that make us want to be better professionals every day. Be it @chemicalsams @JeffGoins or @skrashen, now it is easy for any teacher to follow the authorities in different fields and to see the academic world through their eyes. By following experts in my fields (ELT, flipped learning, Educational Technology, Writing, etc.) I have been able to learn about their ideas and positions about current topics, to read their blogs, to find texts they recommend, to know about different world events (by @OzMark17) or simply to know where they are. Some of these experts are fabulous curators, as well, helping the regular teacher look in the right direction when interested in reading about the latest trends in education, teaching and learning. 

2. By learning about tools every day:

As a member of the global Educational Technology community, it is my responsibility to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and their uses in education. It is shameful not to know what's hot now in terms of technology. But, how can a teacher learn about the latest tools to teach English when she is not teaching it? I mean, as a teacher trainer and without having students constantly ask about tools it is really hard to know what "kids are using these days". However, following sites like @Edutopia and Mindshift (@MindShiftKQED) on Twitter and Google apps for Education on G+ have really helped me stay tuned with the latest trends and the most useful learning tools available. They even inspired me to work on this blog!

3. By hyperlinking and hypelearning:

Even though it might turn a bit hectic, hyperlinking is one of the best qualities of online reading (in my opinion). It is important to learn to take advantage of the myriad of readings available out there. For that reason, following your interests will spark your curiosity and take you in a non-return way to constant learning (or as I like to call it: hyperlearning).

In my opinion, Twitter and G+ are two great professional development tools. They have ignited my curiosity and taken me through paths I wouldn’t have found otherwise.  Have you found other ways these two social networks potentialize your teaching?