New Technologies and Future Classrooms: Educational Apps, Blended Learning and Flipped Learning  

Preparation:

Course organisers will send a list of materials related to the course topic to the participants. They can read it in order to prepare for the course. Organisers will assist the participants if they need information related to the accommodation, flight tickets, etc. It is recommended that the participants sign up to tools such as Kahoot, Socrative, Khan Academy, etc. before attending the course. Participants should also bring their smart phones or tablets or laptops. 

Course description

Teaching nowadays is by no means what it was ten years ago. An excellent coursebook and a solid pedagogical background are just not enough for the teachers to motivate students to engage in classroom activities. Especially pre-teenagers and teenagers expect our lessons to resemble their ‘reality’, where their online identities and interests mix and go along with their ‘real’ life.  New technologies appeal to students in class and outside class and the teachers and administrators sometimes feel threatened by the every-growing number of apps and sites which offer online learning programmes. Teachers also try to keep themselves updated with a number of apps they want to use in the classroom, and blended learning methodology. However, this is not an easy thing because all the apps are frequently updated, just as well as the research on the pedagogical approaches which promote technology: Blended Learning and Flipped Learning. It takes a very enthusiastic and persistent teacher to keep themselves updated to the ‘hottest’ apps and use them critically.
This course will introduce teachers to the most relevant educational apps, learning platforms, learning management systems, and Google suite of apps and extensions for education. Participants will learn about blended learning and flipped learning pedagogies through these apps and platforms. The trainer will help the participants  create their own online materials according to their own area/ subject of interest and will pilot their materials with the other participants. This process (see - use - create - pilot) allows the trainer and the other participants to give meaningful feedback about the materials and will enable teachers to feel confident to use technology in their lessons.
The participants will learn how to create a digital classroom, invite students and co-teachers, post materials, assignments and announcements, improve their communication with the students. They will also see how to adapt existing tasks and assignments in a way that they suit the needs of mixed ability classes.
Participants will try and compare different LMSs (Learning Management Systems) to decide which can best support their digital classroom. The course will also introduce you to different successful learning platforms that can be used in class or outside class.
What will happen if we flip the whole classroom? This is a relatively new model called „Flipped Classroom“. Having lectures at home and „homework“ at school enables students to learn at their own pace. Today there are so many options for online learning; students can easily watch videos and do the instructional part of learning at home. The key purpose of the flipped classroom is to engage students in active learning where there is a greater focus on students' application of conceptual knowledge rather than factual recall.
Flipped Classroom is practically impossible without E-learning. Students need to learn how to use technology and different online tools in order to actually attend parts of the lesson. Then they have lessons at school, with the opportunity to ask the teacher everything that is not clear.

 Methodology:

• Ice – Breaking and Warm – Up Sessions;
• Quizzes;
• Role – Play;
• Group Discussions;
• Debates;
• Problem – Solving Activities in Digital Classroom ;
• Project – Solving Activities;
• Action – Based Strategies;
• Brainstorming;
• Questionnaires

Objectives

• Improve the teaching and communication skills
• Improve students motivation by using technology in  the classroom
• Learn how to flip your class
• Provide teachers with practical ideas on how they can incorporate technology into their existing lessons
• Familiarize teachers with current Internet trends and how they can be applied in the lessons
• Familiarize teachers with different opportunities on how to use Google suite for Education
• Allow teachers to create their own digital classrooms 

• Improvement at the level of key competences and IT skills
• Get familiar with designing future class
• Being familiar with apps/platforms that can be used in school to enhance students' motivation
• Learning how to use Kahoot and Socrative and implement quizzes in the classroom
• Learning how to implement Information and Communication Technologies’(ICT) in teaching and learning
• Improvement of language and communication skills
• Internationalisation at the level of education
• Enhance diversity and intercultural awareness, critical thinking and cyber media literacy
• Improvement of language and communication skills
• Networking with teachers from various European countries

Follow-up

Trainees will be given soft and hard copies of all lesson materials, which they can present  to their colleagues at their own organizations to generate interest in the strategies learnt during the training course. In addition, a mailing list of participants will be created in order to exchange ideas/experiences. Self-evaluation materials will be provided. At the end of the course the participants will fill in a questionnaire in order to get a detailed feedback for the effectiveness of the training event.

Programme of training activities day-by-day:

Day 1 – MONDAY

• Welcome and registration
• Team building
• 21st Century Skills that our students need for Future Classrooms
• Introduction to Flipped Learning
• Key terminology used in learning with technology
• What does it mean to flip the classroom?
• Features of cooperative learning, blended learning and flipped classroom
• Traditional learning vs Blended Learning
• Teacher and Google – Who is a better educator in the 21st century? – Critical debate

• Flipped Learning: planning and assessment
• Flipped Learning: Best Practices in Individual Space
• Websites and Apps for learning and teaching (1) : Memrise, Quizlet
• Create your own material with these apps

Day 3 – WENDESDAY

• How to create your own digital classroom: Google Classroom, Edmodo, Class Dojo
• Posting materials and announcements in your digital classroom
• Assigning online homework in the digital classroom
• Flipped Learning: Best Practices in Group Space

Day 4 – THURSDAY

• How to manage your class via online classroom
• Learning Management Systems that can support your digital classroom: Edmodo, BlackBoard, Schoology, Class Dojo
• Websites and Apps for Learning and Teaching (2): Kahoot, Quizzez
• Create your own material with these apps

Day 5 – FRIDAY

• Educational platforms: Socrative, Khan Academy - how can you use them with your classes?
• Common misconceptions about Blended Learning and Flipped Learning
• Online tests

Days 6/7 – SATURDAY and SUNDAY Workshops and Cultural/Sightseeing Activities

Day 8 – Monday 

• How to choose videos for class work or homework
• Create your own tasks for the videos: Learning is more than just watching!
• How to create your own video for your lesson 

Day 9 – Tuesday

• Flipped Learning: benefits for students and teachers
• Google Apps and extensions 

Day 10 – Wednesday

• Feedback, course evaluation and dissemination focus
• Your 6 month plan to implement your new knowledge and skills in your teaching context
• Reflection and self-evaluation
• Certificate of attendance awarding