Self Paced or Using Class Time

I've thought a lot about flipping the classroom as it has been a practice that I have adopted since fall of 2011.  There have been many benefits and many challenges that I've encountered along the way.  I truly believe that when I adopted this practice, it made a positive impact on my teaching and shifted the focus of learning in my classroom.  

As a non 1-1 school, I have felt a little left out, left behind when I learn of others who have truly flipped their classroom as I feel a but stuck in a flipped 1.0 mode.  I have experimented with some different techniques I have learned from other flippers, but have yet to figure out how to allow for complete personalization and self-pacing.  So, this idea has been rolling around in my mind that there are two avenues that flipping can be focused: self-paced learning or best use of class time.

I have embraced the idea of using the videos to make the best use of class time.  It was what made me fall in love with flipping.  But yet once I began this journey with flipping, I had no idea how much my class time would shift.  We are no longer spending time with the basics, but I am redesigning and restructuring lessons to encourage students to create, analyze, and apply the topics we are covering in class.  And I feel like my role as a mentor and coach have really shifted to focus on collaboration!  I did not know how much I would be teaching and modeling skills of collaboration, because these things do not come naturally to students at the middle school level.  

I wish that I could wrap my head around a way to include more self-paced learning in my classroom, but I'm not there yet.  I'm still trying to understand the fluidity if there is not a computer available for all students.  I live in an inquiry-based science world and personalization is key in my room, but I'm not quite sure how to completely release the reins...

Virtual Science Fair

So, inspired by Google's Science Fair - I've decided to try a virtual science fair, for students in my 8th grade science class in a rural school in Iowa.

This year, I'd like to collaborate with others and open the doors past the walls of my school building.  I am inviting people in virtually to view the top 10 scoring 8th grade science projects to help us decide on a winner!  Those who would like to participate will be asked to view and evaluate 10 student science fair projects - seen in a short (2:30 minute max) video the students created to explain their project & complete a short evaluation form for each video.
Let's break it down:
Who: Anyone who is interested in student science fair projects, could be people working in the science field, people who are passionate about science, teachers, or even students at other schools
What: review 10 videos created by students explaining the project they explored and complete a short evaluation form for each video during a two-week period
Where: At your home!  The videos will be posted on an online site and I will email you the evaluation form
Why Would I Do This?  To help give students an outside perspective on their projects that they have created and encourage students who participate in science inquiry!
How Do I participate? If you would like to participate, please just send me an email (abridge@mid-prairie.k12.ia.us) telling me your name and location and if you are a teacher who wants your class to participate - what age group will be participating.
The videos will be posted online April 14 - 26th I would ask you view the projects during this two-week window and complete evaluation forms by April 26th.