Episode 024: Crystal Kirch and the W-S-Q

--Originally published at Ask the Flipped Learning Network

Show Notes

In this episode, Matthew Moore talks with veteran flipped educator and now learning specialist Crystal Kirch. Crystal is the author of the book Flipping With Kirch, as well as serving as a Flipped Learning Network board member. I had the pleasure of sitting down to talk with Crystal…twice as you will hear in the podcast. Although her book has been out for a few years now, this was my first reading and acquaintance with the W-S-Q method. Join us as we talk to a pioneer and voice of experience in the flipped community.

Access the podcast here (play MP3 or access/subscribe via podcasting services)

Enjoy the show and we welcome feedback via comments, tweets to hosts and/or the AskTheFLN Twitter account or as a comment via iTunes.

If you would like to support The Flipped Learning Network, please visit this page where you can consider how to support your not-for-profit community.

Guest Bio

Crystal Kirch has been an educator since 2007 and involved with flipped learning since 2011. After several years teaching high school math in a traditional, teacher-centered model, she stumbled across the flipped classroom idea and began transforming her classroom into a more student-centered, active learning, higher order thinking learning space where students were supported more effectively and challenged in ways that were not possible before.

After three years of flipping her class, she transitioned out of the classroom to be a Digital Learning Coach, where she had the opportunity to work with teachers of all subject areas on enhancing the learning environment by utilizing the power of different technologies. She currently works as a Secondary Math Curriculum Specialist, supporting math teachers from grades 6-12 on curriculum and instruction. Crystal is well-known as a reflective practitioner through her blog Flipping with Kirch, which she began in January of 2012, as a way to reflect and share her journey with the flipped classroom. The blog documents her weekly successes and failures, as well as lessons learned along the way, that helped her build a successful flipped learning environment structured around a model called the WSQ (Watch – Summarize – Question).

Crystal enjoys sharing her experiences through blogging, Twitter (@crystalkirch), and by presenting at conferences such as CUE, FlipCon, and ISTE. She is the author of Flipping with Kirch: The Ups and Downs from Inside my Flipped Classroom (2016) and contributing author in the book Flipped Learning: Gateway to Student Engagement (2014).  

Matt’s Take

I was thrilled to talk with Crystal about her book and the W-S-Q method. I was particularly interested in talking to an author whose book has been published for a few years as I was interested to hear the continuation of the story. I know for myself that the printing of a book is limiting in a way that blogging and podcasting is not. Once the manuscript is done and accepted the story becomes frozen. As educators we do not, and should not, become frozen in the development of our methods, even if we are the author of the method. Crystal’s career has grown in different ways since her book was published and it was great to hear her reflection with the benefit of time and distance.

Your Turn

I would also like to remind everyone that anyone contributing to the community that is the Flipped Learning Network actually *is* part of the Flipped Learning Network. We are a community and grow together by pooling our resources. See how you can contribute to this community through contributing blog posts, joining us on this podcast as well as participating in our Slack community.

--------------------------------

CREDITS

Music Credit

The music (titled Aloft) clip at the start and end of the podcast is copyright by Kelly Walsh and used with permission.

Podcast Logo and Featured Image Credit

The image provided by the author.