Like so many schools across Pennsylvania,  our district began an immediate shift to a 1:1 model to accommodate instructional changes throughout the ever-changing landscape of the pandemic.  The 1:1 initiative has introduced new requirements for our staff as to how we implement technology in our classrooms.  Flipping the classroom can be challenging for anyone, especially those with a routine and curriculum that works for them. Still, as an Art Teacher, I think it can be even more challenging to shift instructional models.  As I began to rewrite lessons and implement Schoology during in-person learning, I realized many benefits to flipping the art classroom. It is a great way to individualize the art learning experience.  Flipping the class instruction is like cloning myself, one for hands-on help and teaching the content through pre-recorded instructional videos!

What a typical art class looks like for me:
Students log into their Schoology art course that is pre-assigned via our district’s technology and administration staff. Upon reviewing objectives, each student can see assignments in the published lesson folder by clicking on the folder and description.  Once the students enter a folder, they will begin at the top and work their way down. I always start a lesson with a hook, and this is either an external video clip or an article.  Afterward, students either receive information as a whole group through a PowerPoint or a pre-recorded video. As students move throughout the lesson, they complete a short quiz or discussion board prompt to check for understanding. Then, students can review the assignment expectations, including written instructions, a rubric, a demonstration video, and a place to submit their work.  To submit student work, they must take a photo of their work and upload it to the assignment. After students submit their projects, they save a copy to their digital portfolio.  Using digital portfolios helps me track students’ cumulative progress. Students who work quickly have access to enrichment activities. Flipping the art room keeps each student engaged in an art activity at all times, which has notably decreased student behavior issues within the classroom environment and strengthened student accountability as they have immediate access to their grades and progress throughout each quarter.

As I continue to expand my flipped curriculum, I have become more mindful of student outcomes and things that may hold me back. I realized that I could utilize the available tools in a more self-directed environment that offers students a self-paced art experience. The second thing I learned was to stop feeling like my videos need to be perfect.  I often spent many hours recording my videos because I would restart every time I messed up.  I realized that my video demonstrations only need to be as good as my in-person demos, in which I usually do mess up but keep going (The Art Of Education University 2015). I plan to reuse videos that I have previously recorded, which frees up much more planning time. During this extra time, I plan on creating more introductory videos and editing a few videos.  Additionally, I recently began building a folder that students can access anytime, with short instructional clips that review student expectations and find things throughout the art classroom.

As we enter the second year of the flipped classroom model, I note that using a learning management system (LMS) like Schoology creates an equitable learning experience for all of our students and has also helped our art department stay connected between meetings and professional development. We work together to build lesson content and share learning outcomes through groups. I feel confident that our students will continue to benefit from a flipped classroom environment with the curriculum and implementation of our resources.

Purtee, M. (2016, October 14). How to Flip Your Classroom Without Making Videos. The Art of Education University. https://theartofeducation.edu/2016/10/14/flipped-instruction- beyond-video/.

Zheng, L., Kaushal Kumar, B., Zhen, Y., & Zhang, X. (2020). The Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom on Students’ Learning Achievement and Learning Motivation: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 23(1), 1–15.

The Practical Guide to Flipping the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved May 04, 2021, from https://www.panopto.com/resource/practical-guide-to-flipped-classrooms/