Flipped Classroom This teaching and learning concept can radically change the learning environment in any classroom. The following information will enable you to apply flipped classroom principles to a variety of settings. So, what is a flipped classroom? The following video is an interview with Salman Khan, CEO of Khan Academy and Anna, math teacher in Norway, posted by euronews in 2012.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI7qkDQj9OM&feature=youtu.be The flipped classroom is literally turning the conventional learning model upside down and, in the process, increasing student engagement and giving teachers access to the moment learning takes place.
Before we go a y further, let’s look at a traditional definition of teaching and learning.
The teacher does most of the talking, from the front of the room. Students listen and perhaps take notes. Students then work on application assignments at home, often by themselves, or in study groups.
The flipped classroom looks and sounds very different.
The content of the lesson has been presented PRIOR to class starting in an online environment. During class time, the teacher is moving around the room, checking in with students to see if they are understanding the application of concepts and information. The students are talking, and actively solving questions or applying course content. So, from a traditional standpoint, the lecture is given BEFORE class, and the homework is done IN class. The students do the MOST talking, and the teacher LISTENS and engages on a very personal level with the students.
Now some may say that teachers who use the Flipped Classroo
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odel are ’t teachi g at all.
I heard a student say that teachers get paid a salary to teach, so they expect the teacher to do all the talking! This is coming from a student who is accustomed to traditional teaching. Again, we are o f o ted ith hat is eall ea t the o d tea h .
Let s o side the e e se s e a io fo a i ute… if the e e e su h a thi g as a g oup of stude ts ho had only experienced the flipped classroom their entire lives and then entered into a traditional classroom, those students would think they are experiencing the worst teacher in the history of academia. o Student 1: The guy never shuts up! He only talks, talks, talks! We have to fight to get a word in edgewise; we get only brief chances to work on things when he is there. o Student 2: I k o , a d e e al a s ooted u e e o iousl out of the le tu e hall e used to all the lass oo s a d left to fe d fo ou sel es o all this diffi ult ho e o k! In particular, the way culture places value on the teacher is radically different between the traditional academic environment and the culture of the flipped classroom. In the traditional classroom, what makes a good teacher is t pi all that tea he s a ilit to le tu e i a clear way and give assessments that gauge basic knowledge of the lecture. I othe o ds, the tea he s alue hi ges o his o he a ilit to talk.
In the flipped classroom, by contrast, what makes a good teacher is his or her ability to create good materials and then coach the students on the fly as they breeze through some things and get inexplicably hung up on others.
I othe o ds, the tea he s alue hi ges o his o he a ilit to listen. o Student 1: I love it when the teacher is actually present the entire time I am working through the G eek assig e t, it akes it so u h easie to u de sta d hat I doi g a d to ask questions . o Student 2: That s so t ue; i ki esiolog lass, it s e ha ds o , I a t i agi e if I just had to sit there and listen . The flipped lass oo o ept is a azi g, a d o e i ple e ted, it s ha d to go a k to le tu e st le teaching.
However, there ARE criteria to the flipped classroom model.
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To implement a flipped classroom effectively, ALL the students need access to predictable wifi at home and at school. Also, ALL students need access to a smart phone, tablet, or computer of some kind hi h a st ea ideo. The the e is the stude t s a ilit to use te h olog well and appropriately.
In many post-secondary academic institutions across North America, more and more programs are converting to entirely online textbooks and resources. This is also a reality in over 20 SDA academies. Many academic institutions supply the tablet or computer of choice to every student, to ensure maximum access to technology in the classroom. Another fact which profoundly affects the flipped classroom is access to a learning management system or some kind of free online video resource where learning materials can be gathered and stored. Most academies, high schools, and post-secondary institutions use Blackboard/WebCT, Moodle, or any number of other learning management systems which can house pre-recorded lectures, eTextbook resources, YouTube videos, and even assessments that accompany these resources. In my nursing classroom, I use the flipped classroom model with students for nursing lab purposes. They watch videos online specific to nursing skills, and then take and pass a quiz on Blackboard PRIOR to coming to lab. Whe the hoose ot to o plete the uiz, I o t let them enter the lab. This forces students to do their research PRIOR to lab practice. Once in the lab, we spend the entire class time practicing skills. They learn very quickly that to maximize their learning, they need to view the content at home first. In my pharmacology classroom, I do it a little bit differently. I post all my lectures on Blackboard for the entire semester, and then have students use those lectures and other resources in class to solve case studies, or research and present in small groups.
So how can a teacher implement the flipped classroom at the elementary or junior high school level?
This really depends on a number of factors; the philosophy of education at your school, the age and ability of your students, the amount of time and technology available to create or find online resources, wifi and technology access of students and teachers - both at home and in the classroom, and the commitment from parents for this model of learning. These are all issue to be discussed with your administration, teaching team, and families.
So how does it work?
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Find or make video-based resources focused on the content you need to cover in the curriculum. I often supplement these with PowerPoint presentations with additional information.
o I often search YouTube or Khan Academy first, before I start creating my own stuff. There are MANY online resources available if you just look for them. o Many textbooks now have online content which includes videos that can be uploaded to the learning management system for use in the flipped classroom model. O e ou e do e that, fo us o hat will happen IN the classroom. Think about what you would have traditionally assigned as homework, and do it in class. o You can use textbook assignments, case studies, or even old tests. Have the students work in groups of two or three. As the teacher, you stay fully engaged and focused on the application and learning taking place instead of presenting. I think the biggest aha fo e as he I ealized that stude ts e e t a i g to COMPLETE a homework assignment; rather, they were actually taking their time to process and apply content, and I was there to see it. It is best if students have wifi access in the classroom if online resources are necessary to complete activities.
One of the biggest advantages of the flipped classroom is what the teacher gets to focus on.
In the lecture environment, the teacher will choose what they think is most important or difficult, and focus on that content without really knowing if the students need this focus or not. In the flipped classroom, the teacher can assess learning by noting what the students are asking about. I often stop an activity and actually clarify content to the entire class, once I discover that it is a sticking point for several students. I am responding to their learning needs, not guessing.
Why is the flipped classroom so significant?
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Consider conversatio s su h as this… o Student 2: My Greek professor is great at detecting when we get off track or have errors in thinking, which with Greek happens a lot. o Student 1: I like that I get to apply content at my own pace, and I love that sometimes my teacher gets to see how smart I am right there in the classroom!
What is the downside?
The flipped classroom is an easy model to get wrong. Although the idea is straightforward, an effective flip requires CAREFUL preparation. I e hea d tea he s sa that the eed to k o thei o te t e t e el ell to e a le to pull off the flipped classroom and accommodate all the potential questions.
What are the implications for teaching and learning?
The flipped model puts more of the responsibility for learning on the shoulders of students while giving them greater impetus to experiment. It s oka to ask uestio s, a d it s oka to e o g. Learning starts to be about the process instead of just the end product.
In conclusion, here are some of the benefits of the flipped classroom:
For teachers, it increases their availability to students in the classroom. It i eases the tea he s exposure to what students are actually learning. It increases the chance that the teacher can quickly correct false assumptions. It does increase the time for preparation, but the student learning payoff is worth it.
Pick one topic this week and flip it! You may enjoy the inverted classroom. Please note additional resources posted to help you flip your classroom.
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Euronews learning world, (2012). Flipped classroom improve learning. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iI7qkDQj9OM&feature=youtu.be Humber College Centre for Teaching & Learning, (2013). Flipped Classroom tab. Retrieved from http://www.humber.ca/centreforteachingandlearning/instructional-strategies/teaching-methods/coursedevelopment-tools/flipped-classroom.html#ScrollHere
