Research belongs to researchers regardless of their work context

During the 51st ASOCOPI conference in Bogota, Colombia on October 13-15, professor Rocío Monguí from Abraham Lincoln School did an inspiring plenary where she presented the amazing work she and her research group TicALS are doing in order to strenghten the use of technology at her school. It was very inspiring to see how a school teacher is so engaged with research, and how she has managed to impact her community so strongly. They even have a scientific journal, Revista TicALS, where teachers are publishing their research reports and pedagogical reflections.

Teachers at Abraham Lincoln School are working on Flipped Classrooms in Math classes, Digital Citizenship, Using Clickers, Using multiple Web 2.0 tools (Classcraft, Classdojo, Mindmap, Bubbl.us, Goconqr, Chamilo LMS, Kahoot, Padlet, Wikispaces, MyEnglishLab, Video maker, Camtasia, etc --the list is long), they are also documenting the work and presenting it in academic events along the country.

I have no affiliation to Abraham Lincoln school or Professor Monguí, I just think as a Colombian teacher technologist engaged in the use of information and communication technologies in the classroom, I have to recognize the work of colleagues who are pursuing the same goal. Professor Monguí inspires me because she is working at a school, making a huge difference in a group of teachers and students and helping them grow and inserting the school in the discussion around technology that is happening mostly among Universities in the world. It is admirable how she would do all this from her school classroom and position.

In Colombia, research normally happens in Universities or it is somehow controlled by Universities (through MA and undergraduate thesis projects), but to see such a robust research group created and functioning merely within and for the school is rare. That is why I have decided to write this post, because I think it si a great and brave idea. Situating research in the school setting would really make a difference in our country's education.

We need more people like professor Monguí!

UNICA: Where the magic happens!

I have just embarked on a new academic and work adventure at a Colombian teachers' college called UNICA and these first couple of weeks have been a wild ride and have kicked me out of my comfort zone. I had already started at the beginning of July, but I was just planning, thinking and organizing myself. These last 2 and a half weeks, I started teaching and what that has done to me is amazing.

I can summarize the experience I've had these days with the image below... I had seen it many times, but it had never proven so true to me as now. Right now, I feel I'm in the zone where magic is supposed to happen.

Image link: http://outofcomfortzone.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/outofcomfortzone.jpg

Allow me to explain myself, I had been working as an online/blended learning MA professor for over 3 years and I had limited face 2 face contact with my students; only four times a semester. As a result, I had  forgotten what it was to walk in the classroom every day! I had forgotten the rush of lesson planning for a day's class every day. I had forgotten the need for attendance sheets, and warm-up activities thought on the spot. I had forgotten the urgency that having a class every day implies, and the need for an active mindset. I thought I was active and I thought I did new things every day, but I didn't. Even though I enjoy my online teaching a lot too, what I'm doing now really excites me!

Another aspect that has challenged me these days and has made me reflect is my love for active learning and the need to make my classes different every day. As a flipped learning enthusiast, I can't conceive classes where students are not active at all times, and where I'm not the "guide on the side". That's pretty easy to do when you have only 4 classes a semester.  However, now that I have class every day, it is not that simple! I have struggled to plan my classes and make them active, student centered, energetic, and on top of that, to create the videos that have to go with my lessons. I have had to start to think differently, and to use different resources (other than videos) to give instruction to my students. I have had to reinvent myself in order to flip. I have been talking the talk for some years now, and now it is time to walk the walk.

I'm not complaining, don't get me wrong.  I'm just saying that now I can really say I'm flipping! And now I appreciate the work of my fellow flippers in the world much more. Aaron Sams, Jon Bergmann,  Crystal Kirch, Ken Bauer, Kate Baker, Brian Bennett, Laine Marshall, Robyn Brinks Lockwood and all the other flippers I have heard of or read about are really amazing! It takes a lot of planning and hard work to pull this off on a daily basis. Crystal Kirch's book, Flipping with Kirch, has been a great tool to stay focused and motivated through these harsh days. Reading her book has inspired me to write this post and the ones to come as a way to examine my own flipped learning/teaching practices and why not, come up with my own book!

Another challenge I have experienced these days is the lack of technology I'm facing. I mean, I have spent the last 9 years or so of my life learning how to teach with technology, but I hadn't devoted that much time to thinking about how to teach without it. Surprise! There are plenty of contexts where technology is not pervasive and where it is actually a luxury of a few, now I belong to one of those contexts. I've had to use my technology mindset to think outside the box and come up with solutions to my classes without the use of devices but still with lots of collaboration, cooperative work and active learning. I can now relate closely to my MA students, and tell them that all the things I said in class actually work, even though you don't have the resources! More posts to come about that aspect.

I have been tremendously challenged these weeks. I feel somewhat overwhelmed, but the feeling that all of what I'm experiencing will just energize my mind and make me come up with interesting ways to handle the difficulties I'm now going through is a motivation booster! I'm out of my comfort zone and I love it! Because as portrayed in the image I chose to illustrate this post, the magic happens outside of your comfort zone. I know I'm struggling now, but I know it is because I had already managed to live through the day with the certainty of what to do. Now that I don't know what's going to happen, or how I will make it happen, I feel uneasy. But energized!

I'm an active teacher/professor. Period.

It'a weird how lately I have felt my teaching style attacked. Indirectly, of course, and not by students, of course.

I'm planning my new course "Pedagogy and Second Language Acquisition" and reading through the course content, I came across an article called "a letter to my freshmen students". Even though, the article's intention is good: make freshmen awarene of the difference between high-school and college, fine, it also makes the case for the I-won't-change-my-ways-just-because-students-are-bored type of professor. He actually mentions he is not paid to make sure students learn, or well, that he'd actually be paid even if thry don't learn. I see his point, but I digress. And he goes on saying that because these uninterested students refuse to work whereas they are entertained, flipped learning is a buzzword favoring activity over the boring lecture. Yeah. True. His problem with flipped learning is that he thinks listening skills developed by lecture listening are disregarded.

Well, I have heard it a couple of times now. It is not only in that article. "I'm not here to entertain students", a friend said. "They have to learn to listen to lectures", said another. "Oh, no, I'm not going to have them jump up and dows, this is not kindergarten", said another teacher friend. And my favorite, "they can't have fun, this is an academic program"...All of these comments have been responses to my enthusiastic sharing of x or y flipped learning reading. So, why does it have tp be like that?

I'm not in the classroom to entertain students, that's true. But also, I'm not there to bore them to death and to give them the indirect message that teaching/learning are painful, horrible endeavors. Teaching and learning are the most life-changing activities for me, and for that reason, and perhaps because of my own learning style, I'm all about active learning. Students are not expecting clowns, but either tyrants.

I have also read it everywhere, we can't teach 21st century students with old, boring ways. We just have to accept that. We can't tie them up to the chair and habe them "really listen", nope. Not in my class. They will have plenty of classes with boring teachers who will help.them with their "listening skills". In my class, they'll have to think, to act, to move, to breathe, to create, to apply, to select, to work, to solve, to ressolve...they'll have to learn by doing.

They'll listen to me, sure, in small group work, in writing conferences, in videos, in podcasts... but even though the author of the article for freshmen mocks it, I have to and will be the "guide on the side", not the "sage on the stage". Not because it is a trend, or because I want to be on the hype of flipped learning, but because I believe learning is active, and because me, as a learner, will just jump of a bridge if I had to go through 8 hours of daily lectures ever again.

Learning is active! Period.

Training foreign fellows to teach English in my country

Last week I had a great opportunity to participate in a training session for foreign fellows (FF) in our country. It felt nice to be a part of such a big project and of something that promises to "change students' lives the country over". I have some thoughts about the general idea behind this initiative (that I will share here), but I also learned a lot about the people behind the project in the past few days.

The National Ministry od Education has put the "Foreign Fellowship Program" in place in order to support the teaching and learning of English in the country. It consists of bringing foreigners (not necessarily native speakers) to co-teach with Colombian teachers in targeted urban and rural schools located in different regions of the country. They travel to the different cities and towns and make a life there for four months (which they can extend to a year if they want to).

In general, I think there is a great place for foreigners in our classrooms. After cillege graduation, I participated in a foreign fellowship program myself. I was a FF for 1 year at a University in the States and the whole.experience really changed me. I can imagine how the lives of the FF visiting Colombia will change after this experience.

Last week, I "taught" them about vocabulary teaching, a book use and warm-up activities. While in the classroom, they were really interested in learning about teaching, but also about Colombian kids, our culture, and tips to make a good relationship with their co-teacher.

I tried to share my expertise with them during these days, and one of the things I'm the most proud of sharing was respect. I know that the whole idea of bringing foreigners to practice English is very motivating and interesting for students. However, I can only imagine how intimidated might teachers in the schools feel when they see the tall  blue-eyed, blonde and young fellow that will support them for four months. I can just imagine their hearts breaking at the sight of their students running towards the FF and their great activities and games. So, I thought it was convenient to advice them to walk carefully and respectfully in front of teachers.

They were really concerned about their co-teacher not liking them or not getting along with them. So, I adviced setting off on the right foot by showing them respect and appreciation for the job they've done for the past 25 or more years. I really liked the fellows' receptivity towards this suggestion. It is good to see they value what teachers have tried to do with their students in very poor conditions. 

I can only wish the best of luck to all the fellows. I know most of their lives will change, but I seriously hope the lives of their stusents and co-teachers also change positively. I wish they see the reality of our country and they experience first hand the recently signed peace. I also hope the co-teachers take advantage of these kids and teach them lots! Because even though the fellows can "teach" English to the co-teachers and hopefully to the students, the co-teachers can definitely teach the fellows about life, about struggling and about thriving.

During this past week I had lots of fun, I taught one or two strategies to the fellows, but I also reflected a lot about my role in this project. About how as an English teacher and a teacher trainer I can help my country, and about how good my decision was. I'm experiencing new things,

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.