Flip Your Writing Workshop ─ A Blended Learning Approach

How many times during writing workshop have you thought, "If only I could clone myself!" Dana and Sonja have a solution for finding more one-on-one teaching time during your writing workshop: flipped learning. Imagine students having access to instruction and support when they need it as often as they need it. While definitely not a replacement for you, the teacher, flipped learning allows students to:

- access a variety of minilessons on their own
- work at their own pace to study the minilesson
- move ahead or review concepts, depending on individual needs.

Meanwhile, you'll have more time to maximize individual instruction and conferring. Dana and Sonja walk you through the "how's" and "why's" of flipped learning, and provide guidance for determining which minilessons should be "flipped." They'll illustrate what flipped learning in a writing workshop looks like by modeling a flipped lesson, and explaining the technology used. Whether you're a novice or advanced technology user, you'll find tech tips throughout the book that help you choose the right tools and resources for creating flipped lessons and incorporating them into your workshop.
Discover how a blended approach using flipped learning can increase efficiency in your writing workshop, while fostering independent learning and student engagement at the same time.

Dana has taught elementary and middle school for more than ten years. She currently teaches fifth grade English and is earning her doctorate in Curriculum & Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. Dedicated to the ever-expanding applications of technology in the classroom, she has presented at conferences on the use of iPads, wikis and blogs in the classroom. Passionate about this work, her first book, Teaching Interpretation: Using Text-Based Evidence to Construct Meaning, co-authored with Sonja Cherry-Paul, combines her love for teaching reading with digital resources. Follow Dana on Twitter @LitLearnAct.Sonja has taught 5th and 6th grade middle school students for more than fifteen years and is currently working to complete her doctorate in curriculum and teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. She has presented at conferences on reading instruction that makes central issues related to power and perspective and has provided professional development for numerous educators on the teaching of reading and writing. Sonja is a committee member for The Jane Addams Children's Book Award, which acknowledges the work of authors and illustrators who promote peace and equality. Her first book, Teaching Interpretation: Using Text-Based Evidence to Construct Meaning, co-authored with Dana Johansen, is reflective of her ongoing work to propel students' growth as readers and help them view the world through multiple lenses. Follow Sonja on Twitter @LitLearnAct.