Welcome to my flipped, blended and gamified classroom!
Apple devices have helped me craft a vision for optimal applications of technology to education, in an environment where students can be:
Empowered Learners
Digital Citizens
Knowledge Constructors
Innovative Designers
Computational Thinkers
Creative Communicators
Global Collaborators.
Genius time provides students time to create, innovate, explore, learn and share.
Students get time to investigate a passion project, explore the possibilities and create opportunities to solve problems.
In my classroom, you are not likely to see me standing at the front of the room lecturing. Instead, you'll find me walking around, talking to each student about their self-guided work while students ask me questions or find answers on their own using their smartphones, tablets or laptops
I have made the classroom a space of differentiated instruction and project-based learning, by flipping the traditional classroom
I usually provide the content through a video that the students watch at home, so I move the instruction to the individual space. Then our face-to-face time in the classroom can be used for discussion, papers and projects. The stuff that's typically done for homework, we do here in class.
An animation where students explain the flipped classroom approach:
Students explain the workflow in a video
The students are more engaged and I get a sense of which concepts they are grasping and which they are not long before they turn in their projects and papers.
In my class students use their own devices and choose their own web tools and apps, to create their digital stories that they share in a portfolio, demonstrate their learning by presenting their stories to a real audience and receive feedback from me and from their peers. They develop team spirit and leadership by collaborating and interacting as part of a community of learners
Being an advocate for thinking differently about learning styles, I've developed a personalized approach to learning, by adjusting the pace of instruction, leveraging students’ interests and using interactive teaching methods and games, to provide greater learning flexibility and peer-to-peer collaboration
I love inspiring students and supporting them in building their creative projects. I organize project-based learning activities that involve students in planning and learning, so they can contribute to their own learning through productive discussions and collaboration, while creating content
In this student-centered environment students inquire and explore, work on projects, develop and demonstrate subject mastery in ways they enjoy.
In such a student-centered learning environment, I have managed to:
- Assist students in selecting the appropriate tool for moving forward or deciding on next steps.
- Allow students to practice verbally explaining their learning without prompts
- Create opportunities that encourage students to work together and build on each other’s work and ideas.
- Challenge decisions and encourage students to challenge each other’s conclusions.
- Build relationships with students around learning, not just personal interests.
TIZIANA SAPONARO, APPLE DISTINGUISHED EDUCATOR
Verona, Italy, 18 February 2018