9 You got to be ~Flipping~ kidding me!

The flipped classroom is an alternative to the normal way we experience educational instruction. You may associate school with lectures in class and then homework activities at home. A flipped classroom is the opposite, hence the word “flipped”. Students are given a video or podcast to watch and/or listen to at home, before they’ve even been introduced to the material in class by their teachers. Then, in class, they complete activities similar to what they would have done for homework. This way the teacher becomes more of a guide rather than a full on lecturer. There are definitely different pros and cons for this style of teaching, but I do believe that this could better prepare students for higher-level learning. In college, I have many classes where I view material at home first before attending class. It allows students to take control of their own learning.

This website has so many educational videos it actually stresses me out.

http://www.watchknowlearn.org/

Technology has changed professional teacher development. Before, teachers had to fuel their lifelong learning through in-service days at their schools. Now, teachers can enhance their professional development whenever is most convenient for them through the Internet. We can interact with diverse people we wouldn’t otherwise ever meet. I’ve noticed some of my classmates have explored Edutopia as well, and I’d have to agree with their opinions about this website. Out of all the other websites I checked out, this one was definitely the most user-friendly. You have easy access to blogs, twitter accounts, articles, videos, and more. You can see how many people the media has reached out to and how many people have shared it, commented on it, etc. I like how it posts relevant and popular media that I can easily share with others through social media.

http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-development

I have a love/hate relationship with PowerPoint. I really enjoy using it, but my inner perfectionist always comes out. I tend to spend a lot more time on my presentation than a normal person would. After this assignment, though, I have cleaned up my skills a bit and was able to complete tasks a little faster. I learned how to link slides together, use smart art, and insert sound and video. Although, I had a hard time teaching an entire standard in only 5 minutes. If I were using this PowerPoint for real instruction, I would probably spend at least 5 minutes on each slide, not the whole presentation.