Skype in the classroom

This past class period, one of the TechTeams discussed the use of Skype in the classroom. I found this interesting and useful in more than one way. I liked the ideas of other classmates who Skyped in professionals from their fields to talk about a particular topic. This would be an excellent idea, especially if you yourself do not fully understand the topic.

I have used Skype for classes and have found it very useful. In my global leadership class, we were assigned to understand what it means to be a global leader within our fields (mine was microbiology). Part of this assignment required us to Skype with people in our fields and 5 of them had to be living in a different country than our own. I was able to Skype with microbiologists from Italy, South Africa, Southeast Asia, England, and Russia. This was a great way to expand my ideas of microbiology, create relationships, and learn about other cultures. It was a good alternative to research, compared to reading online about something.

We also Skyped with leaders around the globe during class time, which was informative but had serious downfalls. As a class we had a harder time being present and giving the presenter our full attention. The person we Skyped with could not see all of us, some of the video would cut out or lag, and it was very difficult to develop a personal connection with a screen. The questions we asked were not as good and many people spaced out. The feeling was very different and I don't think I would like it for an in class activity. There is something to be said about the physical presence of a human being and I think it demands a lot more respect than a virtual person (unfortunately).

If I ever use this technology in class, I would consider Skyping in an individual for class time, but would keep it short and would only do it in a smaller class. I think this technology tool works best for one on one interactions, where attention is most definitely required of both parties and it feels more intimate.

In class flipping the classroom activity

I have heard the term flipping the classroom often here at UGA. During my undergraduate years in Minnesota, I did not know the term existed. Now its everywhere, I know it exists but I do not know what it means. Hopefully today, Team! will tell me what it is.

To be continued...

After the class presentation on flipping the classroom I have mixed feelings. It seems like a great idea for some fields but I haven't quite decided the opinion I have about it in my own field of microbiology. I can think of many times in science classes where a student asked a question and the lecture took a complete turn.  If someone is confused about a simple background concept, it may be necessary to explain it to continue the lecture. Sometimes these are the best learning moments for the students and professor. In my own experiences I have learned much from random tangents.

flippin'

On the other hand, I have never experienced a flipped classroom so I cannot be sure if I would find it just as beneficial. I think it would be great to listen to dry lectures in the comfort of my own home and then go to class for group work. I always learn so much from discussions and group work because my mind is thinking and participating in the topic being presented. I have more fun and get to know my classmates as well. I also think it is great to do homework in class because 1. you  know the students are doing the homework and 2. If they have questions they can get your help. I could see #2 being especially useful in a math or physics course where solving equations alone seems like an impossible task.

Having said all of this, I think a perfect combination of the two concepts would be best. Instead of having a lecture online, you can have a lecture in person and then a discussion/homework day the next. That way the lecture could take its natural course, and you could even record it for those who didn't show up or would rather learn on their own. Then the next class (ex. thursday of a Tu/Th class) you could do class activities. It is a good mix up and a way to keep students entertained without a feeling of monotony for every class.

All in all, I'd have to try it and currently I am uncertain and confused about how I feel about this technology of flipping the class room.

20x20

20x20, am I referring to a size of my window that I am sitting next to? No. I suppose this is a good lesson from my physics professor as un undergrad: always put units on numbers to avoid being in physics hell.

20x20 in this context refers to 20 slides x 20 seconds/slide. This is a presentation by Pecha Kucha that only lets you have 20 images and automatically forwards to the next image after 20 seconds.  A huge challenge indeed, one that includes a lot of practice, precision, and planning. To that, I will quote how I met your mother: challenge accepted.

I think that this form of presentation could be extremely useful in my future as a TA. The microbiology department requires you to teach and generally you are teaching a lab course. I can think of so many instances in my undergrad years where I wanted to hulk out at the TA who was giving a 30 minute lab intro presentation. I already read the material (or maybe I didn't but I would read it as I went along) and some of the info was presented in lecture. I think in this scenario, the 20x20 Pecha Kucha presentation would be highly effective. I could explain what we will be doing in lab that day without dragging on about useless details and confusing slides. My presentation would amount to 6.5 minutes, and I think many of my colleagues would agree, that this is a good amount of time to keep an undergrads attention. When I am assigned to a lab section to teach, I really want to try this form of technology to enhance the learning of my students. I think it could keep me and my students happy with the explanation of the material.