Flipped Learning

Flipped Learning

Today, learning about Flipped Learning, this was the first time I have ever heard of it. Reading about flipped learning made me realize that it is, in my eyes, just a mind shift for the students and teachers. During my research, I found out that "Flipped Learning is a model of teaching in which student's homework is the traditional lecture viewed outside of class. Then class time is spent on inquiry-based learning which would include what would traditionally be viewed as a student's homework assignment." (flippedclassroom.org) Flipped Classroom is also known as Reverse Classroom. 

The flipped classroom allows children to get their work done during class time. The class is structured so their homework is just to watch a video or listen to a class lecture, that way the next day when they come into school they can get all their work done, with just a video for homework again. The classroom is just structured differently than normal classrooms. In one of my sources it stated that many people say that this classroom is structured more like a "learning center" rather than a normal classroom. There are usually many different things going on as once, such as a group doing a reading assignment in one area of the classroom and a group doing a math worksheet in another area. 

Outcomes of the Flipped Classroom:

• students can move at their own pace
• students can review what they need to review
• students can stop, pause, go back, review the video, ect.
• students can begin to brainstorm any questions they have on the material for the next day in class when they do their "homework
• teachers can more easily work one-on-one with the students
• students can easily catch up on their work by watching the videos the teachers have posted online and such

Drawbacks of the Flipped Classroom:

• not all students have access to the internet at home
• not all students have computers at home
• having the students watch their "class discussion/lecture" at home would involve them sitting in front a computer for hours
• not everyone learns the best by sitting in front of a computer all night long

My personal opinion of flipped learning is up in the air. I think in some ways it would be an interesting and good way for children to learn, considering today we have more technology than ever before. Children would have to learn to work with technology in the classroom and mostly at home on their own. This would prep them for future times when they would be using technology, which is often once you get higher up in the grade levels. I also believe it can be a bad way of teaching. Some kids really do not work well with technology and computers. There are kids that would rather just have the traditional classroom and learn in the class and do their homework at home. Students like this would struggle in a flipped classroom, because it would be hard for them to use technology. Also, like I researched for the drawbacks, many children do not have access to a computer and/or internet at home. This would lead to them having to go to a library, staying after school, or the teacher would have to burn a DVD or things like that. All in all, the flipped classroom can be both good and bad, and if I were to ever use it in my classroom as a teacher, I would make sure to switch it up every once in a while to make sure all of my students were happy and doing well in my class. 

This video explains why he has flipped his classroom style and teaching style. He likes the fact that he can make a video, assign it for homework, then the students will learn to apply the things they learned in class the next day. 

This video explains how this way of teaching and learning gives students much more time to learn, and teachers much more time to teach. The students are more willing to get the help they need when doing their work because the teachers are right their with them, where as, when they were doing their homework at home, they have no one to tell them whether they were doing their work right or wrong.

Sources: 

1. http://flippedclassroom.org/forum/topics/definition-of-terms
2. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/flipped-classroom-pro-and-con-mary-beth-hertz
3. http://www.thedailyriff.com/articles/how-the-flipped-classroom-is-radically-transforming-learning-536.php
4. http://info.lecturetools.com/blog/bid/59158/The-Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-the-Flipped-Classroom
5. http://www.knewton.com/blog/knewton/2011/08/29/flipped-classroom-infographic/
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4RkudFzlc
7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNpXL_zVQkI