Flipped Learning

What is flipped learning and how can we implement it in the classroom? Flipped learning is where the teacher uses technology by putting lessons online for students to learn at home. By doing this it enables the student to be the master of the content. This enables the teacher to have students do the homework the next day in class. This enables teachers to see how effectively the students are progressing in the content area. These lessons can be shared via twitter, e-mail, or facebook. One of the benefits of flipped learning is that students can learn at their own pace. By having visuals and videos it can enhance the students learning and understanding of the content.

One of the benefits of flipped learning, according to Crystal Kirch, is that it enables her to work with individuals and small groups more effectively than taking away valuable time from students that are ready to progress. There is a video of Bill Nye talking about the advantages and disadvantages of flipped learning.

Some cons on flipped learning include the question from parents, "what if my child is watching the videos?" Many parents don't believe there is any real interaction between student and teacher. Proponents believe that all instruction should be within the classroom where children get the best opportunity of learning. At home there are many distractions including after school sports and activities, TV, video games, etc. Another con is that some students don't have access to the internet. Those are mostly students who live in poverty where the expense of a computer is a large burden on a family just making enough to fed and clothe the kids.

My personal opinion is that technology should be limited in the classroom. The use of laptops, PowerPoint, and smartboards are fine, but adding video and ipads is ridiculous. In school I learned best from teachers that taught in class. An effective teacher is someone who will be open to help any student with help in a content area and take time to help that student. I had that still were able to answer other students questions even in the time constraints of a class period. With the flipped classroom you can't expect an eleven to fourteen year old middle school student to go home and do the work on a computer. This something I believed should be geared towards junior and seniors in high school. With colleges using blackboard and D2L, it would give those students a hand of how to use those tools when they further their education.