Flipped Faculty Meetings

SUECON Presentation

November 7, 2015

Many of us have heard about the flipped classroom in which teachers introduce new material to students as homework in the form of videos and presentations so that they can practice, problem solve, and discuss in person. What if we apply the same concept to faculty meetings? In this session learn how to flip your faculty meeting to save time in presenting the business items to teachers so that your face-to-face time is used more efficiently.


How does a flipped faculty meeting work?
Think about the following when planning your flipped faculty meeting:

• Decide what information you need to present to your faculty that does not need face-to-face interaction.
• Decide how you would like to present that information to your faculty.
• Text
• Slide presentation
• Audio recording
• Video
• Decide what the best platform is for presenting the information.
• Be consistent with the platform and procedure you choose.
• Make sure the information is accessible to teachers. Train them on the system if needed, and make sure they have time to practice with help before sending them out on their own.
• Provide a way for teachers to give feedback, ask questions, and schedule face-to-face time if needed.
• Create a way to ensure your teachers are accessing the information.
• Quiz
• Survey

Why would I want to flip my faculty meeting?
The idea behind a flipped faculty meeting is to help you are your teachers:

• Save time and energy.
• Work more efficiently.
• Be prepared for face-to-face professional development.
• Refer back to previous training and information whenever needed.

When they first hear about the flipped faculty meeting concept, many teachers have said, "Doesn't this just create one more thing I have to do on my own time?" It is important to make sure that your flipped meeting is not in addition to the time already set aside for faculty meetings. At our school, we have two one-hour faculty meetings each month. One of the two meetings in now flipped, and one is still face-to-face. The week we have a flipped meeting, the teachers are expected to spend no more than an hour (and it is usually much less time) exploring the flipped information. This is the same hour that was already set aside for faculty meeting, not an additional hour. The teachers are spending the same amount of time - or less - as they would if the meeting had not been flipped, but they are able to choose where and when they spend that hour.

Sometimes the flipped faculty meeting is strictly business. Sometimes it is background information that helps prepare teachers for the face-to-face faculty meeting they have later in the month. Whatever the principal chooses to present, it needs to be presented in a clear, flexible manner to help everyone be more efficient and take responsibility for learning the information.


What tools can I use to flip my faculty meeting?

• Canvas
• Google Drive
• Google Classroom
• YouTube
• Any LMS
• Blogger
• etc.

Check out an example of how we have set up our flipped faculty meetings on Canvas:

https://canyons.instructure.com/courses/1017384

Coding with Spheros!

SUECON Presentation

November 6, 2015

4:50-5:50 pm

Spheros are fun, new gadgets that engage students in engineering and coding challenges. Learn the basics of using Spheros in your classroom or tech club.

What is Sphero?

Sphero is the "original app-enabled robotic ball". When paired with apps on your mobile device, you can drive Sphero with a remote control or program it to perform actions, move in patterns, and even change colors. Find more information about Sphero at sphero.com.

What apps do I need to control and program Sphero?

• Sphero
• Sphero Drive
• Sphero Macrolab
• Sphero SPRK
• orbBasic
• Tickle
• Draw & Drive

How do I teach using Sphero?

SPRK Education is Sphero's site that supplies teachers with free Core lessons to use with Sphero. The lessons are ready to go with very little teacher preparation. The lessons teach Core concepts, like measurement and geometry, along with coding, engineering, and problem solving. Find the SPRK lessons online at sphero.com/education. Be sure to click on the Core Lessons, Middle School Lessons, and STEM challenges links:

Why should I teach using Sphero?
It's true that Sphero is fun to play with, but when used alongside apps like Macrolab and Tickle, Sphero is much more. It's a fun way to teach basic coding. It is an engaging way to solve STEM problems. And most importantly it sparks curiosity and encourages inquiry-based and problem-based learning.