Tips and Tricks

The Edpuzzle flipped classroom basically consists of assigning your students video lessons to watch at home and using class time for more meaningful activities. Students learn the basic concepts of the lesson at home using Edpuzzle videos, which they can watch at their own pace. This gives the teacher more time in the classroom to work on other activities that will reinforce students' understanding of the topic. Edpuzzle makes the flipped classroom work. Keep reading to learn how!

Math or Science 

Math and science are usually taught in two parts: theory and practice. Many teachers complain that the curriculum is so broad that they spend most of their time covering the theory and never have enough time to incorporate problem-solving or projects that allow them to apply their knowledge. Here are a few ways that videos can help:

1. Assign videos about basic theory. We've created tons of videos covering basic theories in all subjects. You can find them in the "Curriculum" section. Assign one of these pre-prepared lessons to watch at home and use class time to clear up any doubts or push the students to learn key concepts in more depth. Students can watch as many times as they need to, so there's no need to use class time explaining the concept.
2. Use videos to show how to solve problems. Assign a video explaining the basic process to solve a problem, giving your students the chance to practice before coming to class. You can then use class time for a more challenging version of the same problem.
3. Engage your students with videos. Share documentaries, lab experiments or any other videos to surprise and engage your students. Collect the questions/reactions/opinions they may have while watching the video and use that data to drive your time in the classroom.
4. Share class rules via video. Usually, teachers spend a lot of time explaining and repeating class rules (behavior, lab security). Record a video and embed questions to check for understanding. You can use the same video every year, saving you time.

Languages

Teaching a language is a huge challenge. Reading, writing, speaking and listening ... teaching them all in a limited amount of time is almost impossible. However, video lessons and the flipped classroom will make your life much easier. Here's how:

1. Check for listening comprehension. Forget about CDs – you can use any video available on YouTube and embed questions to check for understanding. Include open-ended questions to work on writing skills or multiple-choice for vocabulary checks.
2. Start a debate. Share an interesting topic using a video from YouTube. You can embed an open-ended question asking for their point of view and use those responses to start a debate in class.
3. Use videos to go on virtual field trips. You may not be able to physically take your students to a country where the language is spoken, but you can go there virtually with a video, allowing them to explore the culture and listen to native speakers.
4. Share new grammar and vocabulary. There are thousands of videos that cover grammar rules or vocabulary. Use Edpuzzle to let the students learn these concepts at home and use the time in the classroom for practice.

Social Studies

Social studies standards are constantly changing and are so broad that it's hard to cover all the necessary curricula with a limited amount of time. It's also hard to be an expert in every area. Use Edpuzzle to:

1. Bring in the experts. There are plenty of expert TED Talks available on a wide variety of social studies topics. You can assign these videos to watch at home and ask the students for their points of view or to summarize the content. Use class time to develop key ideas or answer any questions.
2. Bring books to life. Use videos to enhance the content students read. Reinforce topics they've just learned or build on that topic using digital content. There are great resources already available online. You can embed a few questions to check for understanding, and use class time to discuss and share.
3. Turn your slides into videos. There are many online tools that enable you to quickly record slide presentations and upload them to Edpuzzle. You can now assign your lecture as homework, and you can use the time saved in the classroom to answer questions or work on projects.
4. Free tutor for your students. There are excellent video resources on Edpuzzle that are free to use. With one click, you can use the fantastic videos from Crash Course or Khan Academy to give your students an alternative way of learning the concepts covered in class or reinforce particular topics. With Edpuzzle, you can hold your students accountable and easily identify any questions or concerns.

Special Education

Special education students need individual attention, but it can be hard to cover the curriculum and provide extra one-on-one time with the students. Here are some ways Edpuzzle can help: 

1. Create learning stations. We recommend putting together two or three stations and rotating your students. For your video station, equip your students with headphones and have one or more videos ready. By using headphones and visual resources like videos, the students enhance their focus and retention of information. The other stations can have worksheets, hands-on projects, or involve one-on-one time with the teacher. That will give you extra time to provide individual attention to your students.
2. Discuss behaviors. Many special education teachers spend a lot of time explaining real-world scenarios. It may be hard for your students to visualize that specific situation or the context. Using video lessons can provide a visual example of a particular social situation.

Other 

No matter what subject you teach, you can take advantage of Edpuzzle to harness the power of videos in your classes. You can also use Edpuzzle for:

1. Substitute teachers. If you're sick or traveling and you want your students to continue learning even when you're not there, you can assign a few video lessons to complete while the substitute teacher is there. You can hold them accountable, read their responses, and continue without interruption when you get back.
2. Creating an in-class flipped classroom. If some students don't have access to the internet at home or you want them to take advantage of the laptops/tablets available in the classroom, we strongly recommend this method. The in-class flipped classroom is a rotation station model where one of the stations is for viewing Edpuzzle video lessons. Every 15-20 minutes (2-3 videos) the students will move to the next station. You can set up different stations where the students learn the same concept using different approaches: peer-to-peer learning, writing/practice problems, teacher lecture, project-based learning or hands-on experiments.
3. ASL. American Sign Language teachers love video lessons because it's a visual resource to learn how to sign. What's more, the fact that you can embed questions ensures that the student understands the context of the conversation or the meaning of a specific sign. You can even assign the video to watch at home and then monitor student progress and viewing history.
4. Physical Education. Coaches and PE teachers love video lessons and have been using them for many years to review techniques and strategies and motivate their students. With Edpuzzle, you can finally hold these athletes and students accountable. You can use a video that explains the basic rules of a sport that you want to practice with your students, or you can assign a specific offensive play that you want to cover during practice. The possibilities are endless!
5. Professional Development. Teachers are also students, but when it's time to do professional development, you're probably tired or thinking about the million other things you have to work on. You can flip PD by assigning videos to watch at home and use class time to respond to questions and allow teachers time to plan how they'd like to implement new concepts in their classroom. You can supervise the work and brainstorm with them.
6. Music. Videos are an excellent audio resource. Many music teachers use Edpuzzle to cover instruments or musicals. Depending on your students' level, you can assign videos to practice at home and use the class time to practice as a team.

Tips

In a flipped classroom, it's important to understand two things that we'll explain more in-depth:

1. Students love YouTube, but learning from a video is a skill they need to develop.
2. Change requires patience.

Teach Students How to Learn From a Video Lesson 

We strongly recommend explaining your objective in flipping the classroom to your students, their parents, other teachers and your principal. If they understand the final goal, it will be easier to get them on board.

During the first classes, you can assign videos to watch in the classroom. You can either watch as a group or have students watch individually. Identify and celebrate desirable learning behaviors before the video, like pausing the video, rewatching certain parts of the video to improve understanding, how to sit properly in front of the laptop and how to take notes.

Then, once the students have practiced a few times with the video and understand the behavior expected of them, we strongly recommend assigning one or two videos per week to watch at home. Measure the number of assignments completed and get feedback from the students on the length of the video, the difficulty of the questions and the content of the lesson.

After one or two units you won't want to go back to the traditional way of teaching!

Change Takes Time

Many teachers think that they have to flip all their lessons. That's simply not true. We recommend flipping one or two units your first year and working in a few more in the second.

Having someone else in your department or school that wants to flip their class is also very helpful. Sharing content and best practices make the whole process much easier.

Students might be reluctant at the beginning - they have to pay attention to the video and respond to questions, and it's no longer an easy passive experience for them. However, in the long run, students will start to see the change in their understanding and grades. Don't give up – you will see results!

Edpuzzle has several features that empower teachers to hold their students accountable and make sure that they watch their assignments and understand the content.

Allow or Prevent Skipping 

Edpuzzle’s "Prevent Skipping" feature is a great tool to make sure your students watch the whole video you've assigned them.

To use this feature, check the “Prevent Skipping” slider when you assign the video. Now, when your student needs to finish watching a video later, they can go back to where they last left off but no further.

Assignment Dashboard

You can also check the progress of each student on the videos you assigned them. To do this:

1. 1. Select a class from the list under “My Classes” on the left-hand side of your screen.
   2. Click on the assignment you want to track.

The assignment dashboard has two tabs: "Students" and "Questions." In the "Students" tab, you have an overview of how much every student has watched of the video, when they were last watching the video, and when they turned in the assignment. Clicking on a student's name will provide individual data. In the "Questions" tab you can see an overview of all questions embedded in the video and quickly see how many students answered correctly. Click on a question to see which students got it right or wrong.

Automatic Video Pause

When your students start playing a video on Edpuzzle and switch tabs in their browser, the video will automatically pause until they go back to the Edpuzzle tab. This way, students must watch the video in order to complete the assignment and are not able to do other activities in their browser while the video is running.

Edpuzzle is so easy to use that you can learn how to use Edpuzzle, through Edpuzzle. It's Edpuzzle inception!

We've created several self-paced courses on topics like the use of Edpuzzle, project-based learning, flipped classrooms, gamification, and more. Courses are broken down into several modules, each of which contains a playlist of video lessons designed to help you learn how to use the platform.

There are three Edpuzzle-specific courses available that vary depending on your level of familiarity with Edpuzzle.

• Beginner: If you've never used Edpuzzle or you don't remember exactly how to use it, this certification is for you. We cover the basics of the platform: how to create a video lesson, how to create a class and invite your students, and how to find and use the data collected in Edpuzzle. This course is a great way to train new teachers on Edpuzzle.
• Intermediate: If you've used Edpuzzle a few times or you want to see what secret features you can use in Edpuzzle, this course is for you. We cover features for teachers wanting a little more, such as: how to organize content, how to collaborate, advanced features when you embed questions and how to have students create their own video lessons.
• Coach: The Edpuzzle Coach Certification is ideal for teachers who want to help other teachers go from zero to hero. Learn more about the pedagogical basis for Edpuzzle and different ways to use video lessons to enhance learning, then dive into more detail on using and sharing Edpuzzle.

Why should you do it?

• It's 100% self-paced, so you can watch the videos at home, while you're cooking dinner, on the bus, or even at lunch. You can complete one module each week, or all of them at once. You decide when to complete the course.
• You'll get a LinkedIn certificate with the amount of time invested watching the lessons. Teachers usually use this official PDF to confirm PD hours.
• You'll also get an awesome badge! You can use them to enhance your CV or email signature.
• You'll become part of a community of teachers that love Edpuzzle as much as you do! We share best practices, ideas, and opportunities.

To learn more about all the courses we offer, visit our Online Professional Development page.

You can absolutely have a teacher account and a student account! You can even use the same email or Google Sign-In you use for your teacher account to make your student account. Just follow these steps: 

1. 1. Log out of your teacher account on Edpuzzle.
   2. Click the blue “Sign up” button in the top right-hand corner of the webpage.
   3. Click “I'm a Student”.
   4. Use your preferred sign-up method to create your student account.

That’s it! Don’t forget to add a class code so you can see assigned videos – it’s a great way to see what your students see!

Edpuzzle is a great tool for creating and presenting professional development to colleagues. If you're interested in using Edpuzzle for your professional development, workshop, training, or presentation, we have several resources available to help you make it great. 

Online PD

If you're looking for online resources for your professional development requirement, Edpuzzle's here for you! We offer several online self-paced courses through which you can learn a variety of skills. Click here to check them out. Just be sure to ask your supervisor if they qualify for recertification hours – qualifications vary by state and district. 

If you’re creating online professional development for your colleagues, Edpuzzle is an easy and convenient platform for you to use.

Presentations

Introducing Edpuzzle at your school or at a conference? Click here for resources that will help you get started – you can also fill out this form to get some awesome Edpuzzle swag to pass out.

Thanks for the support! If we can help in any way, please feel free to reach out to support@edpuzzle.com.

Edpuzzle can help you teach your middle school or junior high students even more effectively! Using interactive video lessons benefits you and your students because:

1. 1. You get more time to work with your students.
   2. You hold your students accountable.
   3. You're able to make even basic concepts more powerful.

 However, not all students may have access to technology. You can work around this problem by:

1. 1. Encouraging your students to use smartphones to watch videos.
   2. Creating rotation stations where students can watch videos, even if you have a limited number of devices.
   3. Helping students watch videos in the library for 10 minutes before or after class.

Edpuzzle can help you teach your high school students even more effectively! Below, you'll find some of the benefits of using interactive video lessons:

1. 1. Videos are a great way for students to review for exams.
   2. Using open-ended questions in your videos gives you an understanding of what may be confusing for students.
   3. Sharing student progress or great responses boosts self-esteem and engages teenagers.

However, not all students may have access to technology. You can work around this problem by:

1. 1. Encouraging your students to use their smartphones to watch videos.
   2. Creating rotation stations where students can watch videos, even if you have a limited number of devices.
   3. Helping students watch videos in the library for 10 minutes before or after class.

If you're a college professor, you can use Edpuzzle to create and assign homework and make learning more engaging for your students. Here are some cases in which using Edpuzzle can be especially effective.

Make Concepts Come Alive

College professors can use the animation and illustrations in Edpuzzle videos to help teach complex concepts, especially in subjects such as engineering and medicine.

Ensure Student Accountability

Many students miss lectures by choice or because of other commitments, and oftentimes professors post lectures online for their students to watch. With Edpuzzle, professors can ensure that their students are actually watching the lectures and not just skimming through their friends' notes.

Free Up Class Time for Application

By flipping your classroom with Edpuzzle, professors have more time to allow their students to explore the content through practical application, instead of just covering the content.

Edpuzzle can also be used for adult learners in continuing education. Any trainer can use Edpuzzle to create a video course that's more engaging and flexible compared to traditional continuing education/career training, with the added ability to check whether your class has watched and understood the content.

You’ve just signed up for Edpuzzle, but what’s the best way to start using it? Here are some suggestions from our top users:

• Try it for a week and share! You'll see an amazing improvement in your students’ engagement. Start by creating and assigning one or two videos to your students. Then, share the results with your colleagues. Here are a couple of tips for engaging your peers:
  • Explain the easy steps to create a video lesson, classroom and assignment.
  • Help them to get started and brainstorm the next lesson they could create. We recommend re-using one of your lessons – teamwork!
• Focus on creating one block of content each month. By the end of the year, you'll have 50% of your content in video lessons and ready to reuse the next year.
• Introduce Edpuzzle to your students slowly. Make sure you explain how to watch a video lesson: they must pay attention, re-watch if they don’t understand something and answer the questions. Watch the first video together as a class, then transition gradually to your students watching Edpuzzle video lessons independently.
• Show your students the information you're collecting. It’s a great way to make sure they understand the grading process and encourage them to complete their lessons.
• Engage the parents. Explain why it’s important and how they can help their kids: watch the lessons together or make sure their children complete the task on time. It’s always nice to spend some learning time with your family!
• Use short videos! It depends on your students, but we've seen that 7-9-minute videos are effective and even more so when shorter. Trim the videos to make sure your students only have to watch what's necessary.
• Record your voice. Studies show that students pay three times more attention if they hear a familiar voice! Try embedding an audio note as part of your video lesson.
• Share your excitement! If your students learn through the video, celebrate it! This way, students will understand that learning is fun and have increased motivation for future lessons.

Looking for more tips? Reach out to teachers on social media @edpuzzle or check out our professional development courses.

Not finding the right video for your students? Make your own! 

Use a screen recording tool like the Edpuzzle extension for Google Chrome to record yourself giving your slideshow or PowerPoint presentation. Then, you can easily upload the recording to Edpuzzle and use our editing tools to add audio or embed questions.

To learn more about the Edpuzzle extension for Google Chrome, check out this article.

Students need to sign up for an Edpuzzle account before they can add themselves to your class. When you send them your class code or link, they'll be asked to log in to their account or sign up if they don't have one.

We've created a PDF handout that you can print out or email your students. It shows them exactly how to register for Edpuzzle accounts and add themselves to your class. Feel free to download and share it with your students!