WHAT DID YOU DO?
About 9 years ago I came up with the idea of Ivi-Education. I was teaching in a special school in Schwarzenbek and took care of pupils in 3rd grade (German Klassenstufe 3 ~ age 9) to the 9th grade (~ age 15). All pupils had special needs in learning and/or social/ emotional development. It was impossible under these conditions to teach only one topic for the whole class. I, therefore, started to create boxes with learning materials about various topics for the subjects German and maths. The boxes contained work sheets and a number of sources for free work. Every box with a topic included achievement reviews for the students to test themselves, once they felt comfortable with the topic. Within 2 years, I gathered a collection of approx. 50 boxes, which I store in my attic. What did my classes look like? Every student got an individual weekly schedule and could work on the materials in the box on his/ her own or with the help of a partner. Once the achievement review was taken successfully, they could continue working on the next box. In general, it worked out really well. However, the fact that the students continuously needed my input to start their work with a topic turned out to be challenging. The worksheet did not serve well as an input, it was thus up to me to get them started. I thought about recording learning videos for each topic, but did not find the technical resources to realize it back then. Only after changing to the Julius-Leber school, about 5 years ago and the technological progress, I took up the idea of learning videos again. Together with a colleague of mine I created learning videos with computer software and learned how to create websites for publishing the videos. Step by step this led to further ideas for teaching. Finally, these ideas accumulated to the current concept of Ivi-Education. Ivi- Education means individual, visualised and inclusive education. The overall focus will be on the learning videos, which visualise topics for students on various levels. The videos are accessible for teachers, students and parents via the internet. They run on any computer, smartphone or tablet. Arne Sorgenfrei and Kai Wörner are producing learning videos for Ivi-Education too. In addition, I could win Sebastian Stoll and his concept “180 degree flip” for a cooperation, and his learning videos for maths are now embedded on Ivi-education.de. My boxes used to include work sheets from different sources, whereas we are now creating work sheets with the same layout, accompanying the learning videos. You can have a look at the composition of the work sheets here. QR-codes on the working sheets link directly to the equivalent learning videos and to learning apps that are helping students to reinforce their knowledge. Students also find further help via QR codes without the need for internet connection, all they need is a free QR-Scanner for their smartphone. This allows creating a singular work sheet serving different levels.
About 9 years ago I came up with the idea of Ivi-Education. I was teaching in a special school in Schwarzenbek and took care of pupils in 3rd grade (German Klassenstufe 3 ~ age 9) to the 9th grade (~ age 15). All pupils had special needs in learning and/or social/ emotional development. It was impossible under these conditions to teach only one topic for the whole class. I, therefore, started to create boxes with learning materials about various topics for the subjects German and maths. The boxes contained work sheets and a number of sources for free work. Every box with a topic included achievement reviews for the students to test themselves, once they felt comfortable with the topic. Within 2 years, I gathered a collection of approx. 50 boxes, which I store in my attic. What did my classes look like? Every student got an individual weekly schedule and could work on the materials in the box on his/ her own or with the help of a partner. Once the achievement review was taken successfully, they could continue working on the next box. In general, it worked out really well. However, the fact that the students continuously needed my input to start their work with a topic turned out to be challenging. The worksheet did not serve well as an input, it was thus up to me to get them started. I thought about recording learning videos for each topic, but did not find the technical resources to realize it back then. Only after changing to the Julius-Leber school, about 5 years ago and the technological progress, I took up the idea of learning videos again. Together with a colleague of mine I created learning videos with computer software and learned how to create websites for publishing the videos. Step by step this led to further ideas for teaching. Finally, these ideas accumulated to the current concept of Ivi-Education. Ivi- Education means individual, visualised and inclusive education. The overall focus will be on the learning videos, which visualise topics for students on various levels. The videos are accessible for teachers, students and parents via the internet. They run on any computer, smartphone or tablet. Arne Sorgenfrei and Kai Wörner are producing learning videos for Ivi-Education too. In addition, I could win Sebastian Stoll and his concept “180 degree flip” for a cooperation, and his learning videos for maths are now embedded on Ivi-education.de. My boxes used to include work sheets from different sources, whereas we are now creating work sheets with the same layout, accompanying the learning videos. You can have a look at the composition of the work sheets here. QR-codes on the working sheets link directly to the equivalent learning videos and to learning apps that are helping students to reinforce their knowledge. Students also find further help via QR codes without the need for internet connection, all they need is a free QR-Scanner for their smartphone. This allows creating a singular work sheet serving different levels.
HOW DID YOU DO IT?
Ivi-Education can be used in various settings and can be adjusted according to the technical status quo of each school or to individual teaching approaches of teachers. At the moment we use Ivi-education with the method of the flipped classroom or rather the in-flipped classroom in a big school in a district of Hamburg. For homework students often watch learning video, take notes and write a summary. This way they can take as much time as they want to get to know the content. We have developed specific work sheets for this process. At the beginning of the next class we check the work sheets and inquire about the content. We often use Socrates quizzes for this assessment, since we are in possession of tablets in the classroom. However, the assessments may also be done in an analogue format. During class students work on their work sheets or on creative and collaborative tasks, applying the newly gained knowledge. They can choose whether to work with others in small groups or not. Students have to help each other out, especially when one of them has not watched the learning video or has not comprehended the content fully. Teachers, thus, gain a lot of time for students in need of special support or simply for specific learning impulses in this kind of learning environment. In particular for classes we have only once a week, we rather choose the in-flipped method. Students can watch the learning videos in class; the rest of setting is very similar to the other method. By giving the input in class, there is less time for applying what was learned or for creative tasks. Many teachers from our school use Ivi-education. Some show a learning video, pause for emphasizing a particular aspect, or let the students explain it instead of giving a lecture. Others like to hand out Ivi work sheets and let the students use learning videos and apps during class. Ivi learning apps are especially popular at the beginning or end of class to check and reinforce knowledge. Almost every teacher using our resources recommends students and parents watching the learning videos at home for a better comprehension or to prepare for tests and exams. Take a look at my article about the lesson plan for a class about short stories with an Ivi-booklet and the flipped classroom method.
Ivi-Education can be used in various settings and can be adjusted according to the technical status quo of each school or to individual teaching approaches of teachers. At the moment we use Ivi-education with the method of the flipped classroom or rather the in-flipped classroom in a big school in a district of Hamburg. For homework students often watch learning video, take notes and write a summary. This way they can take as much time as they want to get to know the content. We have developed specific work sheets for this process. At the beginning of the next class we check the work sheets and inquire about the content. We often use Socrates quizzes for this assessment, since we are in possession of tablets in the classroom. However, the assessments may also be done in an analogue format. During class students work on their work sheets or on creative and collaborative tasks, applying the newly gained knowledge. They can choose whether to work with others in small groups or not. Students have to help each other out, especially when one of them has not watched the learning video or has not comprehended the content fully. Teachers, thus, gain a lot of time for students in need of special support or simply for specific learning impulses in this kind of learning environment. In particular for classes we have only once a week, we rather choose the in-flipped method. Students can watch the learning videos in class; the rest of setting is very similar to the other method. By giving the input in class, there is less time for applying what was learned or for creative tasks. Many teachers from our school use Ivi-education. Some show a learning video, pause for emphasizing a particular aspect, or let the students explain it instead of giving a lecture. Others like to hand out Ivi work sheets and let the students use learning videos and apps during class. Ivi learning apps are especially popular at the beginning or end of class to check and reinforce knowledge. Almost every teacher using our resources recommends students and parents watching the learning videos at home for a better comprehension or to prepare for tests and exams. Take a look at my article about the lesson plan for a class about short stories with an Ivi-booklet and the flipped classroom method.
WHY WERE TABLETS USED/WAS IT BENEFICIAL?
iPads are mainly used for creative tasks. Students create, for example explanatory videos, quizzes, ebooks, and so on. Needless to say, they can use all ivi elements, such as learning videos, apps, snacks, or other support. The iPads allow for creative tasks, which would not be possible in analogue formats. It is easy to collect, correct or give individual feedback with my teacher’s ipad. It makes further working on ongoing tasks much easier for students, whereas analogue texts are much harder to revise. You can find specific materials of Ivi-education under this link :
- Students create ebook about the German comma rules together
- Giving a presentation
- Creating an explaintory video
- Collecting question with Etherpad
- Quizlet for practice
Additionally, you can have a look at the outcome of student’s digital work from my classes.
iPads are mainly used for creative tasks. Students create, for example explanatory videos, quizzes, ebooks, and so on. Needless to say, they can use all ivi elements, such as learning videos, apps, snacks, or other support. The iPads allow for creative tasks, which would not be possible in analogue formats. It is easy to collect, correct or give individual feedback with my teacher’s ipad. It makes further working on ongoing tasks much easier for students, whereas analogue texts are much harder to revise. You can find specific materials of Ivi-education under this link :
- Students create ebook about the German comma rules together
- Giving a presentation
- Creating an explaintory video
- Collecting question with Etherpad
- Quizlet for practice
Additionally, you can have a look at the outcome of student’s digital work from my classes.
HOW DID IT SUPPORT INCLUSIVE TEACHING?
Due to the availability of all media content the y can be repeated as often as wished. Students can study at their own pace; stop the video and watch it again. The standardized structure and visualisation help to understand and focus on the subject. Each work sheet has the same layout and consists of tasks for basic and advanced levels. Support is granted by QR-codes, which can be impulses triggering ideas. The work sheet „Brudermord im Altwasser“ has a QR-code linked to the recording of the story. Students with reading difficulties were able to listen to the story at home already or use it as support while reading. A few examples of inclusive practice:
- A Listening of the short story in German
- Support via QR-Code
- Students with special focus on support of mental development create tutorial videos for maths –Summation and Subtraction
- Student with special focus on support of mental development creates Learning-Snack about our school
Due to the availability of all media content the y can be repeated as often as wished. Students can study at their own pace; stop the video and watch it again. The standardized structure and visualisation help to understand and focus on the subject. Each work sheet has the same layout and consists of tasks for basic and advanced levels. Support is granted by QR-codes, which can be impulses triggering ideas. The work sheet „Brudermord im Altwasser“ has a QR-code linked to the recording of the story. Students with reading difficulties were able to listen to the story at home already or use it as support while reading. A few examples of inclusive practice:
- A Listening of the short story in German
- Support via QR-Code
- Students with special focus on support of mental development create tutorial videos for maths –Summation and Subtraction
- Student with special focus on support of mental development creates Learning-Snack about our school