EDUC 638 - Week 6 - Flipped Classroom

A flipped classroom is a new innovative method to promote learning in and outside of the classroom. A flipped classroom also incorporates technology and all of the social aspects that have grown in the past five years that children use on a daily basis. Flipping the classroom simply changes the way students learn; from a very different instructional practice that takes place at home to a more collaborative and engaging classroom environment when the students are in class.

Of course there are pros and cons to every practice, policy and procedure in any organization. With flipped classrooms, teachers need to encourage it as an “all in” method to learning or children will be turned off. Traditional methods of instruction with lectures are out; however, students and families may still feel more comfortable in this particular learning environment. The pros are that students are able to work in their own learning environments at their own pace. If they need instruction repeated, all they have to do is rewatch or redo a particular module. This encourages critical thinking, along with rethinking and even redoing. A con to a flipped classroom is that not every student has access to a piece of technology. To overcome this challenge, teachers need to know what students have access and what students do not have access to a computer or particular source of technology. Teachers can designate specific times, before and after school for students without technology access to complete their assignments. In this case, these students cannot always take their time learning at their own pace, unless it is, of course, after school hours.

Staker and Horn (2012) write, “The Flipped-Classroom model accords with the idea that blended learning includes some element of student control over time, place, path, and/or pace because the model allows students to choose the location where they receive content and instruction online and to control the pace at which they move through the online elements” (p. 11).

(Example: At Stillwater Area Public Schools along the St. Croix River in Minnesota, students in grades 4–6 math classes use Internet-connected devices after school at the location of their choice to watch 10- to 15-minute asynchronous instruction videos and complete comprehension questions on

Moodle. At school they practice and apply their learning with a face-to-face teacher.) (Staker and Horn, 2012, p. 11).

In regards to parents and stakeholders, teachers need to keep constant, clear open- communication to ensure best possible student outcomes where everyone is on board and supportive. Schools that encourage the flipped classroom need to implement effective teacher professional development related to flipped classrooms and maintaining parental involvement throughout the entire process. School administrators must keep their teachers accountable for maintaining effective flipped classroom practices, as well as open, clear communications with parents.

School administrators must ensure their roles in observing students, evaluating teachers, and mandating staff meetings that keep teachers in the loop and on top of best practices related to flipped classrooms. Staff needs to communicate their pros and cons with the flipped classroom method of instruction, and the school needs to continually revisit and adapt or change their flipped classroom practices. Essentially, balance is needed with any instructional practice. The mind gets used to the same old method and students become bored; therefore, teachers have to constantly reflect on their own instructional practices, making changes that will ensure students intuition and drive to learn and grow.

Reference:

Staker, H., & Horn, M. B. (2012). Classifying k-12 blended learning. Innosight Institute.

 Click below to hear Geoffrey's audio piece on flipped classrooms:

https://ia601402.us.archive.org/16/items/Hampson.Educ638/Hampson.%20Educ%20638.m4a