Ways to Improve: The Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom is another way to incorporate technology in the classroom, or rather outside of the classroom.  The flipped classroom involves students watching videos and lectures at home and communicating with other students and the instructor in online discussion boards.  In the classroom, the students then spend their time on exercises and activities. (7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms).  The key strength of the flipped classroom is that the in class time is used more effectively, for applying and manipulating knowledge, not just lecture. “The value of a flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities.”  (7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms).

The beauty of the flipped classroom is that there is no one right way to do it.  Teachers can manipulate the model to work for their individual classes and students.  For example, a teacher can put assessments online to free up even more time for hands on activities in the classroom.  In the flipped classroom model, teachers are more like guides, helping the students through inquiry style lessons in the classroom while providing the necessary content knowledge through an online forum.  For students, flipped classrooms also help to allow each student to work at their own pace, viewing lecture videos as many times as necessary or utilizing the discussion boards for questions they may not have asked about in class.  This could be a beneficial switch in our classrooms; provided the teachers are willing to produce the videos and the students have adequate access to technology at home.   

Here is a helpful infographic on flipped classrooms:

Here is a helpful video about the flipped classroom:

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Resources:

7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms. (n.d.). EDUCAUSE Homepage. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7081.pdf

The Flipped Classroom: Turning the Traditional Classroom on its Head. (n.d.). Flipped Classroom Comments. Retrieved October 3, 2014, from http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/