Let's Talk About Learning: Flipped Learning Part 1

Flipped Learning Part One

The concept of the Flipped classroom dates back as early as the 1990's, but has gained popularity in the last few years. (See Wikipedia's history). I normally hesitate getting on the band wagon of popular fads, but I do not think that the Flipped Classroom is a fad that will be going away anytime soon. Ever since the publishing of Sams and Bergmann's first book, "Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day," and the explosion of Khan Academy, the movement has kept gaining steam, and most importantly it has gained the backing of educators who are looking to improve the learning that goes on in their classrooms. In fact, what makes the Sams and Bergmann approach so compelling is that it comes from two high school chemistry teachers. It is not some theory developed by people who do not know what the inside of the classroom looks like.

Methodology

The basic idea is that teachers record and post video lessons in lieu of direct lessons in class. Students view the lessons at home (this can be done in school as well), having the ability to stop, rewind and re-watch videos until they understand the information. The goal is to remove the rote lecture from class time, allowing students the opportunity to learn that at their own pace, leaving class time for more individualized instruction, one on one time for the teacher and the student, and more time to focus on higher order skills. The basic question you have to ask yourself, is what is the best way to spend the precious face to face time that you have with your students?

Here are the 12 advantages Sams and Bergmann suggest for promoting the flipped classroom model:

Advantages

1. More efficient use of class time. Teachers remove the rote lecture from the classroom and have the students spend time at home learning that information. Moreover, teachers reflect on the content and can deliver a 5-10 minute video that could have taken 30 minutes of class time.

2. Class time is spent on applying the information from the videos.

3. This allows every student the ability to do his homework without getting stuck on problems he doesn’t know how to complete.

4. Increase of student-teacher interaction. Flipping allows the teacher to spend more time in class working one-on-one with the students who require extra help. This improves teacher relationships with the students and provides for a more personalized learning experience. This also allows for differentiated instruction.

5. Encourages teacher collaboration. They discuss what worked and what did not work with the videos so they can perfect the process.

6. Parent involvement increases as they have access to what and how the teacher is teaching in class. They can watch the videos to help their child with comprehension.

7. Research shows that teachers who use the Flipped Classroom model report that job satisfaction, quality of education, parent relationship and instructional skill improved.

8. Flipping speaks the student’s language. They have grown up on technology.

9. Flipping can be done in all class levels.

10. Flipping increases student-student interaction. Students who have mastered the content can help others.

11. Research shows that flipping reduces classroom management issues. This is primarily due to the fact that students are more engaged when using technology.

12. Flipping allows for students to learn even on days when a teacher is absent.

In my next post, we will further the conversation about the Flipped Classroom, discussing some best practices in implementation and look at some of the challenges that one might encounter in flipping.

Whether you are sold on the pedagogy or not, learning to create screencasts is an invaluable tool that you can use in so many ways to further the learning in your classroom. If you aren't convinced that you want students watching videos before class, then how about learning this tool so you can make quick "Week in Review" screencast or a review of your reading and translating a text so your students can "take you home" with them. CLICK HERE to see how some of my teachers at my former school, Hebrew Academy of Long Beach utilized this tool.

CLICK HERE to watch a video about how to create a screencast.