AP Physics 1     Podcast & Flipped Learning Overview

This "flipped" course will utilize Bozeman Science and Dan Fullerton podcasts to introduce students to new concepts. Students are not expected to fully "understand" the concepts covered in podcasts. Podcasts are their first exposure to the rote background information and basic terminology. Students will then practice, apply and explore these concepts in the classroom. Paul Andersen produces the podcasts and has been teaching high school science in Montana for the last twenty years.  In addition to teaching Paul has created hundreds of YouTube science tutorials that have been viewed millions of times by students around the world. Paul was the 2011 Montana Teacher of the Year, and was also one of four finalists for the 2011 National Teacher of the Year. APlusPhysics.com is the creation of Dan Fullerton, in much-appreciated collaboration and conjunction with educators and contributors from a variety of backgrounds. Fullerton holds both bachelor of science and master of science degrees in microelectronic engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology. 
The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions. The video lecture is often seen as the key ingredient in the flipped approach, such lectures being either created by the instructor and posted online or selected from an online repository. While a prerecorded lecture could certainly be a podcast or other audio format, the ease with which video can be accessed and viewed today has made it so ubiquitous that the flipped model has come to be identified with it. The notion of a flipped classroom draws on such concepts as active learning, student engagement, hybrid course design, and course podcasting. The value of a flipped class is in the transformation of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities. During class sessions, instructors function as advisers and facilitators, encouraging students in individual inquiry and collaborative effort. In the below video Jonathan Bergmann, known for his chemistry podcasts, explains the reasoning behind the flipped classroom:
The Pedersens believe "The flipped classroom minimizes the rote and insipid practice of copying notes during lecture and maximizing valuable and meaningful face to face time with the instructor.  Students are not expected to initially fully understand or comprehend the content presented in the podcasts, but are asked to come prepared with questions for the next class. We have witnessed increased test scores and academic achievement using this pedagogical technique."

The podcasts will be available exclusively to students through this website, DVDs and flashdrives. Each unit will appear as a subpage on "Science with the Pedersens" and will only be available to our students using a unique password. The Bozeman collection are also readily available online at Bozeman Science.