A NEW APPROACH TO TEACHING! - Vocabulary

HELLO EVERYONE!

My post is about flipped vocabulary teaching, the advantages and the disadvantages of it, and the process of making video materials.

The Task

The next assignment was to create flipped vocabulary teaching videos. My friend and Eda were paired to work on the task. Visuals and voice recordings were requested to present the vocabulary. Quizzes or checkpoints were also requested to be prepared to accompany the content so that students could practice before participating in in-class activities.

What are Flipped Vocabulary Teaching Videos?

A non-traditional approach to vocabulary teaching is flipped vocabulary teaching. Instruction, which is the theory aspect of learning, takes place at home, while practice, which is the most critical part of learning, takes place in class. Students learn the vocabulary with the lecture videos prepared by the teacher, and when they come to school, this information becomes permanent with practice. Animations, narrations, and graphics are all used to grab attention. A quiz is also included for easy self-evaluation.

Advantages and Disadvantages

This new approach comes with various advantages. 

• Since each student is unique, they can choose the best learning method for them. Theory instruction is moved outside of class hours so that students can study when and where they want. They have the option of arranging their own time and place.
• Students become more engaged in class. Students become passive listeners when the theory portion is taught in class. When they return to class, they spend their time collaborating and consciously practicing more in-class hours. Teachers can also provide one-on-one feedback to students to help them progress.
• Students can choose how they want to learn. They can pause, rewind, take notes, and draw whatever they want on the video. They construct their learning in the way they want.

But not everything comes with advantages, flipped vocabulary teaching also has some disadvantages. 

• This technology might not be available to all students. In rural areas, technology is still in flux. Furthermore, some students may be unable to afford the equipment required to display the materials.
• Not every student possesses the self-discipline needed to design their learning. They may not watch the teaching videos on their own. Coming to class not having watched students can cause students to get lost in the classroom, wasting valuable practice time.

The Process

The process of making flipped vocabulary teaching videos was a bit challenging for me. As Turkish pre-service teachers, we are used to the traditional way of learning. Preparing something unfamiliar to us necessitates a thorough understanding of the entire flipped approach as well as the resources needed to construct one.

My partner Eda and I decided on our unit to work on in our video after learning the subject. We chose the At the Fair unit from the 6th-grade student's coursebook because it includes fun vocabulary such as fair rides and adjectives that can be used to explain something in their everyday lives. We presented the vocabulary in a context then repeated it one by one which can foster their learning better.

Animaker is a fantastic tool for creating entertaining animations. Since our students are in sixth grade, grabbing their attention is crucial. Animaker allows you to make characters, gestures, speech bubbles, audio, and recordings that will grab attention. Also, you can easily record your voice with the animator without needing any other tool.

A personal problem has occurred while I was recording my narration part. I couldn't load our video or edit anything because of the device I was using. I had to postpone it until the next day, which made me feel bad for my pair. Not being able to complete my part made me stressed. But, thankfully, I was able to edit the video after switching the device and platform I was using.

Finally, we created a quiz to accompany the video so that students could assess themselves before class. Wordwall is a fantastic website with a variety of templates for creating various evaluation activities. You can make quizzes, games, and other activities with pictures and different backgrounds based on your content and topic. Students can test themselves by practicing before class, and if they get it wrong, they can watch the video material again for better practice in class!

Here is our Flipped Vocabulary Teaching video!

Don't forget to check, my pair, Eda Umarov's blog for her ideas!

Here are our quizzes to accompany our video!

See you in my next post!