The Fuss over Flipped Classrooms
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Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #2The flipped classroom is an instructional strategy that reverses the traditional educational arrangement by delivering instructional content, often online, outside of the classroom. It moves activities, including those that may have traditionally been considered homework, into the classroom. In a flipped classroom, students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out research at home and engage in concepts in the classroom with the guidance of the instructor. The video above was created by Mr. Kinnison for his physics class.
Two teachers at MPS are trying the flipped classroom approach this year. Math teacher, Mr. Miller and science teacher, Mr. Kinnison, have chosen one class each in which to implement this new teaching strategy. Here's how it works: students are provided a short instructional video by the teacher that focuses in on a particular concept, theme or problem. Students are expected to view the videos at home and then return to class the following day with enough understanding and/or questions to foster more in-depth classroom discussions and productive practice of targeted skills or concepts. It's almost like shifting the home work to the classroom where students can get one-on-one help from the teacher. Mr. Miller sees great potential in this new teaching style because "students can review the video or sections of it as often as necessary to understand the concept." Mr. Miller added that the key to this method working is that "students must actually 'be engaged' in viewing the video presentation." Mr. Kinnison stated that the flipped classroom style "allows more time for teachers and students to interact about the concepts at hand instead of the teacher spending most of the class period lecturing."
The flipped classroom intentionally shifts instruction to a learner-centered model in which class time is dedicated to exploring topics in greater depth and creating meaningful learning opportunities, while educational technology such as online videos are watched outside of the classroom.
In-class lessons may include using math manipulatives, debate or speech presentation, current event discussions, peer reviewing, project-based learning, and skill development or concept practice Because these types of active learning allow for highly differentiated instruction, more time can be spent in class on higher-order thinking skills such as problem-finding, collaboration, design and problem solving as students tackle difficult problems, work in groups, research, and construct knowledge with the help of their teacher and peers.
As a result of this method, a teacher's interaction with students in a flipped classroom can be more personalized and students participate in and evaluate their learning.
The following video describes what a flipped classroom is and how it works.