Part 2: Tool is technique; flip it right

'How do plan to teach Parts of Speech to students?'

'I've made a Powerpoint presentation.'

'That's not the how.'

There are several instances where we can't see forest for the trees when it comes to planning a lesson. We are so busy in micro detailing (how many slides, what images?) that the macro plan takes a hit. Tool and technique is so interchangeable that even free articles on Google list Free online learning tools as one of the important teaching techniques. Well, some would argue that leaving kids with bunch of learning tools is a deliberate and legitimate technique, Hole-in-the-wall-education project being a case in point. And this weighs in more in the context of having no curriculum. But for teachers who are making lesson plan to meet specific objective, can they simply rely on bunch of tools?

I'd like to know your thoughts on this.

However, tool does become a powerful delivery mechanism. Techniques improve owing to introduction of new tools. Introduction of Internet empowered more self learners to learn lessons online. Technology is leading people globally to use more and more of tech-based applications while teaching.

What do we know about flip classroom approach?

In 1993, Alison King published "From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side," in which she focuses on the importance of the use of class time for the construction of meaning rather than information transmission. While not directly illustrating the concept of "flipping" a classroom, King's work is often cited as an impetus for an inversion to allow for the educational space for active learning.  

Source: Wikipedia

Later at the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning in 2000 a presentation was delivered on ‘The Classroom Flip: Using Web Course Management Tools to Become a Guide by the Side’ (Baker 2000). It developed the ‘flip’ concept and emphasized the role of Learning Management Systems in delivering materials to students before class.

Source: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/flipped-learning-0

Teachers are encouraged to use the video content, which brings in the active use of smart devices in the lesson even before student enters the classroom.

While flipped classroom approach doesn’t have to necessarily rely on digital content as a teacher can hand out a simple print or task from a text book to be used as a pre-task, in my experience more often than not the student is expected to engage with a device, or read up content on screen before coming to class.

I agree it saves a lot of classroom time which is what Alison trying to show, but if one sees flipping classroom as an approach that starts with a device and ends with a human teacher; they have missed the whole point. When you call your program a flipped classroom and incorporate a template, well, there is a high possibility that you have successfully inverted the material consumption flow, without actually thinking about whether there was any ‘facilitation’ involved.