Jonathan Bergmann is the chemistry, earth and space science, and AP chemistry teacher at the Woodland Park School District in Colorado. Jonathan uses Camtasia Studio, Flip Cams, SMART Board, Elmo Tablet (Wacom), the Bamboo Tablet, Moodle for Mastery Assessments, and a Samson Microphone.

Aaron Sams is Aaron teaches biology, chemistry and AP chemistry at Woodland Park High School in Colorado. Aaron uses Camtasia Studio, SMART Board, Moodle, Moodle Quiz, and Vernier Probeware.

Together, Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann have recently completed a book about flipping classrooms set to be published this fall (ISTE press).

Watch Jonathan and Aaron

Can’t see the video? Click here.

ISTE 2011 Presentation: Flip Your Classroom

Learn how two Presidential Award winning teachers are using Camtasia software to create instructional screencasts for their classroom. You’ll see the features that allow them to customize the learning experience to each student’s needs. They’ll also take you beyond the classroom to show how Camtasia helps them deliver lecture review and in-class instruction when they can’t be with students face-to-face.

Watch this presentation at ISTE:

Monday: 11:30AM, 2:00PM, 4:30PM

Tuesday: 12:30PM, 3:30PM

Wednesday: 10:30AM, 12:30PM

(download complete schedule | more about TechSmith @ ISTE11)

An Interview with Jonathan & Aaron

Question: How did you both come to work together?

Answer: Aaron and I [Jonathan] both started at Woodland Park High School in the 2006-2007 year. Since we were the only chemistry teachers, we decided to work together to make our life easier. As it turned out, we have a very similar philosophy of education, and there was a synergy between us. We feel we have become a great team over the years developing curricula, videos, and now teaching teachers.

Question: What led to flipping your classrooms?

Answer: In the spring of 2007, Aaron was thumbing through a technology magazine and showed me an article about some software that would record a PowerPoint slideshow including voice and any annotations, and then it converted the recording into a video file that could be easily distributed online. As we discussed the potential of such software we realized this might be a way for our students who missed class to not miss out on learning. Thus, we began to record our live lessons using screen capture software. We posted our lectures online so our students could access them. When we did this, YouTube was just getting started and the world of online video was just in its infancy.

In all honesty, we recorded our lessons out of selfishness. We were spending inordinate amounts of time re-teaching lessons to students who missed class, and the recorded lectures became our first line of defense.

Our absent students loved the recorded lectures. Students who missed class were able to learn what they missed. Some students who were in class and heard the live lecture began to re-watch the videos. Some would watch them when reviewing for exams. And we loved it because we didn’t have to spend hours after school, at lunch, or during our planning time getting kids caught up.

Have you found that students are more successful when learning the material at home?

In our system, the students aren’t necessarily learning at home: they are simply learning. Some of this happens at home and some at school. We are at the point where we don’t care where the learning takes place but rather that it simply does. And since we have given the responsibility for the learning over to the students, we feel this is probably the best thing we have taught our students: taking responsibility for their own learning.

What will people take away from your ISTE presentation?

We would like educators to know: a) All students can be challenged individually. b) When we give up control of the learning process to students, real learning happens. c) What we are doing is not just about the videos: It is so much more about the meaningful learning experiences we offer for our students when we meet them face to face. d) Know that we believe in teachers: We need good, quality teachers working with students face to face.

Connect with Jonathan & Aaron

Follow Jonathan on Twitter

Follow Aaron on Twitter

Check out their Vodcasting Ning

Read their blog series on The Daily Riff

Read Jonathan’s Blog

Watch an interview with Jon & Aaron at ISTE fromeSchool News

Look forward to the next blog post about Eric Marcos on Monday, June 27th.

Ali White is the Social Media Intern for TechSmith. She studies Professional Writing at MSU and loves musicals. Tweet her up @DesignLightning or follow her on Tumblr