The Flipped Classroom Approach

The flipped classroom concept presents some interesting new teaching methods. This concept, basically inverts the traditional teaching methods, delivering instruction online outside of class and moving “homework” into the classroom. The model relies on students watching lectures at home at their own pace and communicating with peers and teachers via online discussions. Moreover, the concept engagement takes place in the classroom with the help of the instructor. John Dewey made this proposal a century ago; Socrates did it 2,500 years ago; and Maria Montessori did it 150 years ago. The idea that children must know before they think is nonsense. They can think their way into knowledge. They do this instinctively even before they can talk. It is our ego centred idea that we have something important to say that gets in the way of their learning. The availability of online video and increasing student access to technology has paved the way for this model to take off. It is yet another mean to move away from the traditional one-size-fits-all model of education which often results in limited concept engagement and severe consequences.

The Khan Academy is a perfect example of this: www.khanacademy.org

Use of social media in classrooms

Social media comprises of activities that involve socializing and networking online through words, pictures and videos. Social media is redefining how we relate to each other as humans and how we as humans relate to the organizations that serve us. It is about dialogue – two way discussions bringing people together to discover and share information. The figure below shows example of such media tools.

Ideas for use in teaching

Blogs have become a central tool for academic research and for teaching and learning over the last five years. Many programs require students to blog reflectively on their progress throughout a course and submit this as graded work. These blogs provide a great space for reflection, for recording progress with academic readings and developing ideas, and for discussion with peers from the wider world.

In schools, there are greater risks to address in terms of privacy and access to resources but there is also huge potential for innovation. The award winning "I’m a Scientist, Get me out of Here!" initiative (see Resources) used a talent show format to connect practicing scientists with school children. Over the course of two weeks, social media tools such as YouTube and real-time chat tools enabled school children to ask any science question, which was then answered by a research scientist within 24 hours. The students voted for their favorite scientist throughout the show and the winning scientist won a small grant to further their research.

A number of sites are also experimenting with entirely new ways to teach that takes inspiration from, or connects with, social media. The Khan Academy (see Resources) is one of the most interesting of these. The site is a free learning space combining specially produced videos, practice tasks, and instructor tools with game-like progression and achievement badges that can be shared through email or social media sites. The Codeacademy (see Resources) is another innovative self-led learning site focusing on making programming skills interactive and accessible. These types of sites build upon the wider Open Educational Resources (OER) movement that supports the open sharing and reuse of learning materials and materials in the public domain (see Resources).

MSL4206 - What this unit had to offer!

This unit raised awareness regarding a resource-sharing world. The approach changed from a closed minded setting where one would not even consider sharing ideas with others, to one which is more open where a huge network of ideas are raised and shared with the world. I feel that a common concern, especially among teachers, is that of fear of sharing without receiving anything in return. Thanks to this unit I got over such concerns since I myself use online resources I find for free and as such nothing would I lose when I share resources with my colleagues and receive nothing in return!

How free are online resources?

One of the best online websites I use frequently is  http://www.prometheanplanet.com/. It targets various types of resources in many subject areas. Have a look under the tab 'Resources' and explore games, quizzes, animations and even lesson plans you can make use of during your teaching experience.

Are such resources free? What should you worry about before downloading such material? Nothing really... all resources are marked as either free or accessed via a payment.

So another question crops up here! Could you use resources you just bought freely without any accreditation? The answer is NO! Paying allows you to use a resource but not making it your own!

Would money make you happier?

Kurt Vonnegut and novelist Joseph Heller were once allegedly at a party hosted by a billionaire hedge fund manager. Vonnegut mentioned that their wealthy host made more money in one day than Heller ever made from his novel Catch-22.

Heller responded: "Yes, but I have something he will never have: enough."

Whether it's true or not, I've always thought this to be one of the smartest finance stories ever told.

All throughout college, I had one career plan: investment banking. The industry was attractive to me, and thousands of other students blinded by a lack of life experience, for one reason: You can make a lot of money. Six figures right out of school, and millions later in your career.

There's just one catch. Your life becomes abjectly miserable.

One-hundred-hour work weeks, the most pressure you've ever experienced, and less exposure to sunlight than death row inmates. They had a saying: "If you don't come to work on Saturday, don't bother coming back on Sunday." The senior bosses were worth millions, but stressed, overweight, anxious, never saw their kids, and hadn't taken a vacation in years -- I'm unfairly generalizing, but only slightly. Almost no one actually enjoys it. I quickly cried uncle, moved on, and never looked back.

In his book 30 Lessons for Living, gerontologist Karl Pillemer interviewed 1,000 elderly Americans (most in their 80s and 90s), seeking wisdom from those with the most experience. One quote from the book stuck out:

No one -- not a single person out of a thousand -- said that to be happy you should try to work as hard as you can to make money to buy the things you want.

No one -- not a single person -- said it's important to be at least as wealthy as the people around you, and if you have more than they do it's real success.

No one -- not a single person -- said you should choose your work based on your desired future earning power.

The elderly didn't say that money isn't important. They didn't even rule out that more money might have made them happier. They just seemed to understand the concept of enough.

Studies show that money does increase happiness. The latest research shows there's not even a known satiation point -- a higher income makes virtually everyone happier, although each additional dollar delivers less happiness than the one before it.

But we tend to overestimate money's potential on our happiness by thinking of it out of context. Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics, writes in the book This Will Make You Smarter:

On average, individuals with high incomes are in a better mood than people with lower income, but the difference is about a third as large as most people expect. When you think of rich and poor people, your thoughts are inevitably focused on circumstances in which income is important. But happiness depends on other factors more than it depends on income.

In other words, young investment bankers assume a big income will make them happier because they think about a nice house and fancy cars, not working until 4 a.m. and having no social life.

In a New York Times column three years ago, David Brooks put a twist on this thinking by analyzing the life of actress Sandra Bullock. He wrote:

Two things happened to Sandra Bullock this month. First, she won an Academy Award for best actress. Then came the news reports claiming that her husband is an adulterous jerk. So the philosophic question of the day is: Would you take that as a deal? Would you exchange a tremendous professional triumph for a severe personal blow?

"If you had to take more than three seconds to think about this question, you are absolutely crazy." Brooks concludes. But for the same reason investment bankers choose a miserable life while assuming money will make them happier, I'm willing to bet many otherwise happy people would have gladly changed shoes with Bullock three years ago. Research is clear that some things completely override any happiness that can be gained from money or work success. It's just hard to realize that because money is tangible, measurable, and universal, whereas the "other factors" Kahneman mentions that have a greater impact on our happiness are vague and nuanced.

What are those "other factors" Kahneman mentions?

The field of positive psychology studies what makes people happy. It's a young and constantly changing field, but researchers broadly agree that four major points have a big impact on making people happy:

• Control over what you're doing.
• Progress in what you're pursuing.
• Connections to other people.
• Having purpose and meaning.

That's it.

You'll notice "more money" isn't on the list. But you can easily see how money ties into these points. Money can grant you freedom from a nine-to-five job, offering control over what you're doing. It can provide the tools necessary to achieve progress in whatever you're pursuing. It can afford you time off to and a chance to spend time with other people. It can give you the ability to provide for people other than yourself, bringing meaning and purpose. To the extent that money can buy happiness, most of us would do better to think of how it can help us achieve these four points.

Everyone is different, though. So I want to ask you: How much is enough money? Are you there? Will you ever get there? Do you even want to?

X'l-aħjar tgħix f'appartament fuq ħaddieħor jew f'dar maqtugħa minn kulħadd?

Inkonxjament bniedem jagħżel dar skont il-karattru li għandu... għallinqas hekk jgħidu xi għorrief li jaħsbu li jifhmu f'kollox. Imma dan għalija ma jgħoddx.

Jien persuna b'karattru xi ftit jew wisq soċjevoli u ngħix f'appartament ma' missieri, ommi u oħti l-kbira. S'hawn m'hemm xejn ġdid. Kollox skont ir-regola imma komplu aqraw u tkunu tafu kif naħsibha sewwasew jien.

Sabiex ma ninħeliex f'ħafna tlablib fil-vojt, sejjer nirrakkonta storja. Storja vera li ġrat f'Ġunju tas-sena l-oħra, lejliet l-eżami annwali tal-Malti...

Dakinhar kont iddeċidejt li ma nmurx skola sabiex nistudja l-aħħar ftit. Fil-letteratura kont għadni lura u ċerti poeżiji ma kontx narafhom mil-lista tax-xirja t'ommi. Biex tgħaxxaqha għandi l-vizzju misħut li nħalli kollox għall-aħħar u għaldaqstant dakinhar kont ippjanajt li nqum kmieni u ma naqlax għajnejja (u moħħi) minn fuq il-kotba tal-Malti.

...U sebaħ il-jum.

"Maryanne! Maryanne!"

Maryanne hija ommi. Dak il-leħen ta' ċawla, kien ġej mill-bitħa interna... għaraftu. Dak il-leħen nobogħdu minn qiegħ qalbi - leħen ta' ċawla maħnuqa li kull kelma li tgħid trid tkarkarha. Kienet Rosy li toqgħod fl-appartament ta' taħtna.

"Lili qed tgħajjat Rose?" Ommi tipprova tilgħabha tal-pulita imma leħinha penetranti u xejn ma jixbaħ lil dak tar-Regina Eliżabetta tal-Ingilterra.

Rosy kompliet, "Għandna l-problemi fid-drenaġġ, Mer." F'qalbi ħassejt li llum ġejja.

"X'jiġifieri Rose?" Ommi riedet tilgħabha tal-fidila imma Rosy ma tagħtiex ċans u, "Kif? M'intix ixxommha din ir-riħa!? ...Instadd il-loki Mer."

"Ħeqq, sewwieh hux!" Leħen ommi beda jissoda.

"Insewwuh trid tgħid! Meta tinstadd is-sistema, kulħadd irid joħrog sehemu. Hekk tgħid il-liġi." Donnu li Rosy kienet avukatessa qabel ma laħqet mara tad-dar.

"Ħeqq, kollox sew hux!" Ommi ċediet. Imbagħad kompliet, "issa nċempel lir-raġel, u filkaż nibgħat lil David għand Vestru biex jgħidlu jiġi jsewwihulna. Ħabat sew, ara, dak illum ma marx skola, u Vestru dal-ħin ikun għadu ma marx għax-xogħol."

L-ewwel nofs ta' nhar studju għidtlu "requiem eterna".

Ommi mara tal-kelma. Eżatt kif daħħlet rasha mit-tieqa, ċemplet lil missieri u bdiet titmasħan miegħu. Jien bil-kalma kollha stennejt l-ordni, li waslet puntwali daqs arloġġ Svizzeru.

"Dave, għamilli pjaċir hi. Taf fejn joqgħod Vestru ta' seffitlu?"

"Iva ma. U naf xi tridni ngħidlu wkoll. Tinsiex ma, illum bqajt hawn sabiex nistudja. Għada l-eżami u għadni lura." Ippruvajt immissilha qalbha imma ma rnexxilix.

"U iva. Mur ara kemm tista' ddum! Int mur bir-rota, mhux neffaqtna l-flus u mhux qed tużaha." Ommi għandha memorja ta' ljunfant fejn trid. Fakkritni li kont wegħedtha li naqdiha f'kull haġa li jkollha bżonn jekk tixtrili r-rota, u issa kienet qiegħda tirrikattani. Kelli nċedi.

Mort għand Vestru f'tebqa t'għajn imma hu talabni biex nistennieh sakemm jgħabbi l-vireg għax ma kienx jaf fejn noqogħdu. Bla ma għidtlu xejn, għabbieli r-rota fil-vann imġiddem tiegħu u qalli biex nirkeb fuq quddiem. Tistgħu taħsbu x'divertiment! Jien, Vestru u riħa li trid tuża l-immaġinazzjoni tiegħek biex tiddeskriviha.

Insomma, l-affari ta' Vestru ħadet madwar sagħtejn. Sagħtejn li fihom jien ġejt regolarment mitlub nimla bramel bl-ilma u nbattalhom  fit-'toilet' u niskot nissemma x'se jgħid Vestru. Fl-aħħar waslet il-kelma li kont qed nistenna.

"Kollox sew, lest." Imma kienu diġa' saru l-għaxra u nofs. Madanakollu kien baqa' ħin mhux ħażin għall-istudju, u bla ma tlift ħin, mort ngħaġġel lejn il-kamra tiegħi bit-tama li nibda, imma x'nibda nibda! Beda t-tindif tal-bitħa ta' Rosy.

Rosy kellha l-bitħa mandra u kellha tnaddafha. Il-ħaġa li tagħmilha weħedha m'għoġbithiex u bdiet tgerger b'vuċi għolja biex tismagħha ommi. Ommi mhix ċuċ. Semgħetha kollox imma għamlet ta' bir-ruħha li mhu qed tisma' xejn. Jien xtaqt ma nisma' xejn imma l-vuċi ta' Rosy tinfed saħansitra mill-konkos, u minħabba f'hekk ma stajtx nikkonċentra saħta.

Għal xil-ħdax u kwart, Rosy lestiet u waqa' s-skiet. Jien bdejt nistudja. Mill-bitħa kienet tiegħla riħa ta' diżinfettant tal-giżimin li lili togħġobni ħafna u għalhekk ftaħt it-tieqa beraħ. Anki s-sħana ta' Ġunju donnha battiet b'dik ir-riħa ta' ilma u diżinfettant.

L-istudju ħabat se jirranka meta r-riħa bdiet tinbidel. F'daqqa waħda bdiet tielgħa riħa ta' minestra li ma nistax għaliha. Nippreferi niekol il-vann ta' Vestru milli l-minestra ta' Rosy. Imma minn fejn tixtrieh il-ħaxix, din?

Għalaqt it-tieqa, bdiet is-shana, ir-riħa baqgħet imwaħħla ma’ ħwejgi, u fuq kollox l-istudju reġa’ waqaf. Dħalt fil-banju, inħsilt u ddeċidejt li sa ma nikkalma ftit, noqgħod nara l-aħbarijiet tas-siegħa tas-‘secondo’.

F’xi s-sagħtejn nieqes kwart erġajt dħalt f’kamarti biex nistudja. Ir-riħa tal-minestra kienet battiet ħafna. Għalhekk ftaħt it-tieqa, u fi skiet, paċi u żiffa ħafifa li tgħaxxqek, komplejt il-missjoni qaddisa tiegħi.

Missjoni li damet fil-paċi għal nofs siegħa biss!

Kienet waslet Doreen, it-tifla l-kbira ta’ Rosy. Din iffissata fuq Celine Dion u xi kultant tħobb timmaġina li hi hi. Għandha s-CD tat-‘Titanic’ u erħilha ddoqqu b’kemm għandha saħħa, ikun x’ħin ikun. U biex tgħaxxaq il-bejgħa toqgħod tkanta miegħu. Għadha sa llum tagħmel hekk. Tistgħu taħsbu x’opinjoni għandi fuq it-‘Titanic’. Niggarantilkom li nħoss sodisfazzjon kull darba li narah jegħreq. Imma Doreen ma tegħriqx. Tibqa’ tkanta u tneħħili dik il-ftit rieda li jkolli biex nistudja.

Għal xi l-erbgha, il-kant waqaf.

“Celine Dion waqfet għat-te”, għidt f’qalbi. Issa l-waqt li nistudja… imma le, Celine Dion u ommha qabdu jiġġieldu.

Milli jidher kienu ħerġin flimkien sal-Belt biex jixtru żarbun, u Celine Dion kellha l-‘mini skirt’ qasir wisq u ommha ma xtaqitx li l-ġuvintur joqogħdu jpespsulha quddiemha.

Ħeqq… iva, jien inħobb nissemma’ wisq. Ma stajtx nistudja. Anki oħti ġiet ħdejja tissemma’ u tgħidx kemm dħakna flimkien. Għal xi l-ħamsa u nofs ħarġu u minnufih irrealizzajt li l-jum beda’ t-tmiem tiegħu u jien għadni bilkemm bdejt nistudja. Qabadni paniku sħiħ. Keċċejt lil oħti l-barra mill-kamra tiegħi, għalaqt it-tieqa u ntfajt wiċċ imb’wiċċ mal-ktieb. Imma issa kien imiss il-kelb.

Iva Rosy għandha kelb li kull meta jsib ruħu waħdu jibda jinbaħ bla waqfien. In-nebħa tiegħu qisha l-influwenza, tagħmel x’tagħmel la tista’ tevitaha u wisq anqas twaqqafha. Id-dinja tieqaf meta jibda jinbaħ Brownie.

Pruvajt nippersevera fl-istudju bit-tinbieħ ta’ Brownie fl-isfond. Qrajt xi ħaġa iva, imma f’moħħi ma daħal xejn għajr tinbieħ, u thewdin dwar kif nista’ nivvinta xi mediċina biex traqqad il-klieb.

Għal xi t-tmienja mort niekol. Kont diġa’ rassenjat li l-pjan tiegħi kien falla bil-kbir, imma biex immut bix-xabla f’idi, kilt malajr u erġajt mort f’kamarti.

Daħlu lura f’xi t-tmienja u nofs… u reġgħu bdew jiġġieldu.

Kien ġara dak li kienet ħabbret li se jiġri Rosy. Il-ġuvintur qagħdu jgħaddu l-kummenti u l-omm ħassitha l-pulċinella ta’ Strada Rjali. Il-ġlieda qlielet, oħti reġgħet invadiet it-tieqa strateġika li għandi f’kamarti. Din id-darba anke ommi ġiet tissemma'. Kif stajt ngħidilhom “le” jien?

F’xi l-għaxra nstemgħet xi ħaġa tal-ħġieġ tinkiser u waqa’ skiet taqtgħu b’sikkina. Donnu li t-triq kollha kienet qiegħda tissemma'.

Ommi sakkret it-tieqa malajr u qaltli, “Isma Dave… taf li saru l-ħdax?” Għandha ħabta treġġa’ l-ħin skont kif ikun jaqblilha. “Int aħjar tidħol torqod, ħalli għada tqum frisk għall-eżami.”

Smajt minnha u dħalt norqod.

U ħlomt li kont noqgħod waħdi f’razzett il-Baħrija, ‘il bogħod minn kollox u kulħadd, fejn skiet ifisser skiet, fejn nista’ niddeċiedi jien x’għandi nagħmel matul il-ġurnata, fejn li-mużika li nisma’ nagħżilha jien, fejn l-unika rwejjaħ li nxomm ikunu r-riħa tal-ħaxix wara xi ħalba xita, u r-riħa tal-baħar nadif tazza li titla’ minn taħt l-irdumijiet ta’ taħti. Hemmhekk iva ma jkollix għalfejn nistudja l-poeżija. Hemmhekk il-poeżija inkun nista’ ninnamra magħha.

Bilħaqq, mill-eżami tal-Malti kont weħilt.

Tissogra tistaqsini x’inhu l-aħjar jekk hux ngħix f’appartament ma’ ħaddiehor jew waħdi f’dar maqtugħa minn kulhadd?