When flipping projects, we focus on devices, technologies, and things to have students start pursing their passions. However, as Sabba shows us through video of her students, she proves that it’s about the idea and not the tool. One of the reasons that the flipped classroom can be so beneficial is in how it supports students on the back-end. As educators, we need to help students take ownership of their learning and become problem solvers.

“The flipped classroom inverts traditional teaching methods, delivering instruction online outside of the class and moving homework into the classroom.”

Sabba says that she doesn’t really like this definition as she wants to address the question, what does learning look like…

• at home
• at school
• anyplace else

TouchCast then becomes the tool to allow the teacher to become the facilitator and the guide both in the classroom and outside of school.

Before beginning to flip or think about flipping, Sabba recommends having a framework in mind. The goal is to give students the skills that will allow them to be successful regardless of the tools, the task, or the context. Given that goal, she recommends creating curriculum based on the Understanding By Design model from Grant Wiggins and Grant McTighe. This means that you begin planning with the essential question of what does learning look like?

Steps for Students

1. What is the goal or question for students
2. Storyboard
3. Create

The Future is NOW

Sabba challenges the group to use TouchCast to create a video that will curate the ideas from #ettsummit that we may take back to our learning communities and then create a TouchCast to demonstrate that learning.

Tips to Get Started

1. There are a number of vApps (virtual apps to integrate with the video)
2. In Settings, make sure to have the video pause when students interact with an app.
3. It is possible to create without an account.
4. Channel name may be class name, project name, etc.
5. The final product can go anywhere. However, to be interactive, it has to be published to TouchCast. From there, it’s possible to get a link or embed code to post to a class web site or blog.
6. Creating happens on iPad or on a Windows PC (Mac version coming soon)
7. With the poll feature, it may be quicker to insert a link to a Google Doc or Google Form
8. You do not have to be “present” on the screen in order to record. You can go in and turn the camera OFF. It is possible to upload a video to have as the background.
9. When doing a project, Sabba found that projects work better when she did NOT recommend an app. Students then felt pressured to use it rather than picking the tool that best fits their learning.
10. Be careful with video in video. Make sure that one of them has the sound turned off or it gets a bit messy.

Sabba also has some great TouchCast examples and resources in this ThingLink from her blog.

Final Question

How can TouchCast transform how time is spent together in the classroom?

• Introduce a science lab – usually they have to be walked through certain things. This would give a good preview of the experience to help them to be independent in the process.
• Encourage a conversation – with the live Twitter feed option, students could see and engage in conversation while watching a video
• Mystery Skype – with the whiteboard option, you could have a live map inside of a Skype video to enhance the experience. With the “glass board” feature, it’s possible to write on top of a video.
• Professional Development – use TouchCast to create preview lessons so that people can work at their own pace during workshop opportunities.
• Flipped Back to School Night –  as an effort to bring more of a community feel to the experience, the video reviewed all of the basics that normally have to get repeated a million times. By providing this as a TouchCast, the night can become more about building relationships rather than about disseminating information.