Lesson viewed: "Insults by Shakespeare"
This video lesson addressed one of the reasons why Shakespeare remains popular with audiences today: namely, his use of insults! The narrator used two examples from two well known plays (Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet) to illustrate how Shakespeare's choice of words, foreign as they may sometimes seem to us, could really "burn"! (I'm saying that in Kelso's voice from "That 70's Show"...) The process involved examining the word or phrase in a literary and/ or historical context. Multiple choice and open- ended questions followed the video: the multiple choice questions were recall questions related to the video, while the open- ended required the viewer to come up with his or her own ideas and relate the content to modern- day examples.
As a viewer, I felt this was an effective use of technology! It utilized both visual and auditory teaching methods, humor (useful for keeping students engaged!), and application of an important skill (using literary and historical context clues).
As with any new method, there are both possibilities and limitations when it comes to this sort of teaching technology. On the positive side, there are so many videos and activities on the Internet allowing teachers to create fun, interactive lesson plans. Without falling asleep to a boring textbook, students can come to class already familiar with the material. Thus, the teacher does not have to spend as much time introducing the topic as he or she ordinarily would. Essentially, students get extra (pre) lecture time! And therein lies the potential problem: this extra lecture time is one- way. Students do not get the opportunity to ask questions of the teacher, and may come to class under a misapprehension, or already frustrated with the material.
Used judiciously, I feel that the "flipped classroom" can be an effective teaching tool for the modern student.
Your post offered some great insights, especially with regard to how infusing video-lessons can reach different types of learners--especially those that are auditory or visually oriented, as well as keeping today’s 21st century learners interested. (Yes, teachers sometimes have to become “edu-tainers” when teaching their content!)
ReplyDeleteYou do bring up very important issue when flipping a classroom. What does a teacher do when students view video about a new topic or subject and they don’t understand when they return to school the next day? Using online quizzes (through TED Ed or other sites) or brief in-class quizzes to check for understanding would be a valuable strategy to gain an understanding of which students “got it” and which students did not. But, in the grand scheme of things, these video-lessons are supplemental. They do not, nor should not, replace the teacher and the content they teach. Clearly, there has to be a balance. An entire course should not be taught through TED ED video lessons. The teacher’s role in the course is still primary!
Hi Anne,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post and how seemingly enthusiastic you are on the subject (judging by the sheer quantity of exclamation points). It goes without saying that any allusion to That 70's Show is highly appreciated as well.
I could definitely see how incorporating the flipped classroom model into an English curriculum would be very invorgating for the students. Sometimes the material can be a bit lofty (to say the least when dealing with Shakespeare, at least to a layperson like myself) and hearing a narrator discuss the subject matter, versus simply reading it, could be an extremely valuable tool in helping students to understand the material and digest the language.
As far as the negative aspects of the flipped classroom are concerned, I thought you made a great point about the student potentially being turned off of the material before the lesson formally begins. This could be a major frustration for the student and teacher a like. Do you think there are an precautions an educator can take to avoid the student "stonewalling" a lesson before it has formally began? Perhaps relying on the more humorous and entertaining educational videos might alleviate some of this issue.
(I tried to publish this reply before but I don't think it went through- if this is a repeat, I'm sorry!)
DeleteThanks for your comments and insights! Yes, there are precautions a teacher can take to ensure students avoid "stonewalling", and this particular video I thought did a great job of it: using familiar examples, or relating the content to something well- known. I think it's a safe assumption that most students would have at least heard of "Hamlet" and "Romeo and Juliet", so the video content as a whole would not be totally foreign to them. If videos like these are being used as an introduction to a topic, I think that simplicity is key! I would not want students to feel that they are tackling a topic blindly. I agree with you that humor could alleviate the problem as well! We remember things that make us laugh, right? At the very least, it might make new material seem less daunting (maybe even appealing!).
Anne, I thought your post was great. I especially like the "That 70's Show" reference.
ReplyDeleteIn regard to your opinion on limitations, I agree that it is very important to consider that there is a lack of possible clarification available after viewing the lesson. The teacher is not available to help. I like how you thought of the ways that it may affect the student the next day also. Students coming to class already frustrated with the material would cause a problem for sure. I don't think this type of learning would be beneficial when the lesson is complicated. However, if the lesson is more basic, I feel it would be a lot more effective. Do you agree?
Absolutely! When the teacher is absent, simplicity is key, especially if a video like this is used to introduce a new topic. We don't want to turn students off to something before they even arrive in the classroom.
DeleteHi Anne!
ReplyDeleteI liked your opinion on the possible limitations on the flipped classrooms, as I had the same view. Students who don't understand the video assignment might have a hard time in class the next day. But thinking about it more made me realize that the questions at the end of the Ted Ed's are supposed to help the students try and figure out what they didn't understand about the video. Also, I'm pretty sure the teacher can view the responses of each student and if they see that the class is having trouble grasping one concept, they can review that in class more than the others.
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ReplyDeleteAnne-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assesment of the limitation of a "flipped classroom" in that it is 1 way.
I think this could be alleviated if each week, perhaps 15 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday nights, the teacher and students could be in a discussion group together and answering each other's questions. Admittedly some people would feel that this is "extra" school, but isn't homework already that?
Thanks again!
Hi Anne! Very interesting post, I would love to view this lesson. I agree with you with using this judicially and that it might frustrate students in the meantime. As some other mentioned on here, this may have a lot to do with the level of material and what the teacher decides to do with it the next day. I think it's great for any teacher to encourage their students to ask questions and perhaps that could help solve this issue - to have the student ask questions about the assignments for the next day in class. Enjoyed your blog!
ReplyDelete(sorry for the deleted comment - I wanted to repost and click "notify me" in case you or someone responds to my comment)
I believe that Anne's post was a great assessment of the video as a whole, particularly the analysis of humor and the application of literary elements as major to its knowledge transfer ability to the student. What is interesting about her evaluation of the flipped classroom video method overall is the "one way" of it, and the additional factor of cognitive capability with videos when the student body is viewed in a universal sense. The more I think about the use of videos without supervision, the more I become worried with the idea that the internalization of ideas may not be as concrete with an individual that is more visual than anything else.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne, great post and video choice. For the most part, I agree with your views on the limitations of a flipped classroom. Frustrations with complex material will inevitably occur, but I think knowing that the material will be discussed in class (by the teacher and classmates) can help relieve the "pressure" of understanding everything you've seen and heard. I guess its the kind of thing you play by ear and if it works for some classes, use it often; if others struggle with it, maybe use it to change things up every now and then.
ReplyDelete