Flipped Classroom & Mobile Technology

During the spring semester, I watched a student constantly staring at his phone during the lecture.  He was paying attention but kept staring at that damn phone. Extremely annoyed after class I asked him "WHY?"
 I was surprised by him showing me his phone and what he was looking at.
He was using the Kindle App on his iPhone. What was he reading?  The textbook which he bought for $9.99
I was embarrassed and felt old all at the same time. I quickly realized that I am getting old. My vision has been declining since my forty second birthday.  Also I realized that the PC is out and Mobile is the new technology. I had read this in financial papers but here it was confronting me. I was jealous of that 19 years old kid.He had great eyesight and he was up with the latest technology.
Fast forward to today....
I got an email from Techsmith they produce Camtasia, Snag it and Jing which I use for my online classes.
They are coming out with their new and improved Camtasia 8 (I am too cheap to update I am still on version 4 or 5). After watching their video pitch I started watching some of the other videos on their Youtube Channel.

I found an old idea but with a twist. The old idea was a "Flipped Classroom". Instead of the teacher being "a sage on the stage" have him/her be a helping hand or a tutor to the students. The idea is have students get the lecture material at home at their own pace using (my old fashioned version) computers, CD, DVD,...  or (the new mobile version) using iPod and/or i Phones.
So what will they do in the classroom? You ask!!
In class they participate in classroom problem solving exercises where they attempt to apply what they learned from reading and the lecture on their little handheld devices.
This idea of  flipping the classroom goes way back to the days of CDs and DVDs see the video below. (this video makes me nostalgic for the days of CDs)......

 

Here is the twist, The following is a video showing how one teacher uses iPods to accomplish the same task. No more CDs and DVDs!!

Here is another one with more little iPods. It must be nice to have 20/20 vision! 

 

In case you are wondering, I am doing this whole thing on my little iPod Touch! I want to be young!!

Oh before you get excited there is only one problem a very big problem!!!!
No most of our students have iPods and some have iPads.  The BIG Problem with this method is as follow:
Many of  the students do not read the textbook. Will they watch these videos? I gave up on the Flipped classroom method when I realized this fact.
Only if there was a way to track them.. Where I could be sure that they have watched the lecture and are not just winging it.
Want to see my attempt at a Flipped classroom?