1. Structure The Flipped Classroom pedagogical model takes the traditional structure of teaching and flips it around. Typically you would have an education lecturing to students in the classroom, and an interactive component to be completed at home. In the flipped classroom model the structure is reversed in that students watch video lectures at home while the interactive component is in the classroom – together with their educator and fellow students. 2. Guide by the Side A major factor in Flipped teaching is the role of the educator. In Flipped Classrooms the educator’s role is seen more as a “Guide by the Side” of the students; they are there to ask and answer questions, guiding the students to reach conclusions and grasp knowledge in their own direction. Some say this strategy is not much different from how Socrates used to teach; by asking his students questions until they either reached...
You may recognize Sherrie-Mae as the host of our first ever Twitter Chat from earlier this month. We know her as a tech-savvy educator who’s really maximizing social media when it comes to professional learning practices. Not only is she a well-known blogger and high profile Tweeter, she is a vice-principal with the Ottawa Carleton District School Board. We asked Sherrie-Mae to share a bit more about herself and why she believes in incorporating technology and social media in her daily life as an educator. 1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your background as an educator I have been a teacher for 17 years in several boards across Ontario. I am very proud to call the Ottawa Carleton District School Board my professional home. I recently became a Vice-Principal. 2. In your time as an educator, how have you seen technology become a more integral part of the...
With tax season in full swing we know many Canadians are trying to focus more so on their tax return as opposed to actually filing their taxes. Should you splurge on a long awaited purchase? Book a vacation? Or put money away? And if you do decide to save your tax return, what’s the best option? What are the differences between a Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA)? Here is a simplified comparison to help you decide which plan is smarter to invest in. RRSP 101 Gail Vaz Oxlade, Author of “Debt-Free Forever” and financial planning TV show host, explains RRSPs in the perfectly simplified way. Vaz Oxlade says to place a $20 in a box, and place an umbrella over the box. The box is a savings account; the umbrella is the RRSP plan registration. This visual description helps us understand how the...
St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated by dressing in green and drinking Irish beer. But not all the St. Patty’s Day celebrations have to start and finish in a pub. You honour the holiday traditions and create new ones right in your classroom by playing games, decorating and making crafts. Here are some St. Patrick’s Day activities for you to use: 1. Mischievous Leprechaun and his Pot of Gold Treasure Hunt For the days leading up to St. Patrick’s Day make as though a mischievous leprechaun has been let loose in your classroom. When the students are out to recess or during nap time turn chairs upside down, switch shoes around, leave funny messages on the blackboard etc. Tell your students the leprechaun is looking for his lost pot of gold. But if they find it first they get to keep it! Use a plastic Halloween witch’s cauldron and fill...
