Not your Average Accounting Classroom
"With incorporating Wipebook Flipcharts, there has been more thinking, student debate and quite frankly, more fun in the classroom."
Over the last few years, there has been a trend to incorporate more Vertical Non-Permanent Surfaces (VNPS) into classrooms. This trend has really taken hold in Mathematics classrooms with the incorporation of a “Thinking Classroom” approach. As a Math teacher, I have seen the benefits first-hand of using VNPS for both individual and collaborative tasks to create a risk-free means to map out a student’s thinking and enhance their learning. This semester, I decided to see how VNPS would transform a business classroom. By integrating Wipebook Flipcharts into a Grade 11 Accounting class, the students have had more of an opportunity to work together and build excitement than your traditional Accounting classroom.
The Boring Accountant
Accountants have a reputation for not exactly being the most exciting people at a party. The same can be said for classrooms where future accountants learn their craft. However, with incorporating Wipebook Flipcharts, there has been more thinking, student debate and quite frankly, more fun in the classroom. This “edu-tainment” of problem-solving collaboratively using VNPS has made these future accountants the “life-of-the-party”.
The Accounting Cycle
This week we are nearing the end of the semester. This is the time where we bring all of the ideas and concepts covered to produce a product that celebrates our learning throughout the term. Part of our learning in Accounting is to demonstrate an understanding of the basic procedures and principles of the Accounting Cycle. Completing the Accounting Cycle can be a labour-intensive process - with many opportunities for accidental error. Luckily, there are “checks and balances” built into the process to help discover and correct these errors. By using the Wipebook Flipcharts, students could see their work in a larger, more visual way. These VNPS also allowed for easy corrections to be made and updated with its amazing reusability feature. This made more of a student-friendly exercise that resulted in much less used eraser bits all over the desks. It also allowed students to share and compare their work to explore their thinking.
I Dare You
I have been using VNPS for years in my mathematics classrooms and there is a lot of research that supports the benefits of VNPS in a mathematical learning environment. This year, I have transformed my traditional business classrooms by incorporating Wipebook Flipcharts into their everyday learning. There are so many uses that can encourage and foster student thinking and learning. I cannot see a reason why the Wipebook Flipcharts would not be a perfect compliment for any classroom.
With this in mind, I challenge you. No. I DARE you to try it for yourself. Whether you are teaching Grade 1 or Grade 12, Science class or Music class, individual work or group work - these Wipebook Flipcharts will enhance your best practices and add a valuable element to your classroom to support student learning.
Mark Bieksa, Teacher, Nora Frances Henderson Secondary School
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