What Is A Flipped Classroom
What Is A Flipped Classroom
A flipped classroom flips, or reverses, traditional teaching methods. Traditionally, the teacher
talks about a topic at school and assigns homework that reinforces that day's material. In a
flipped classroom, the instruction is delivered online, outside of class. Video lectures may be
online or may be provided on a DVD or a thumb drive. Some flipped models include
communicating with classmates and the teacher via online discussions.
The recorded lecture can be paused, rewound, re-watched and forwarded through as needed.
Then, class time is spent doing what ordinarily may have been assigned as homework. Class
time may also be spent doing exercises, projects, discussions, or other interactive activities that
illustrate the concept.
The benefit of the flipped classroom is that teachers have more one-on-one time to help students
and explain difficult concepts. If problems are difficult for a student to work through, the teacher
is right there to help and explain. If students have questions about the video or online
presentation, they can use class time to get questions answered. Recorded lectures work well for
students who miss class because of illness, sports, and family vacations.
For families, the flipped lesson model provides 24/7 access to content delivered directly from the
teacher. This helps parents support their child in a way that is consistent with the way the
teacher is teaching it in school.
Encourage your child to rewind and rewatch the video as needed. Encourage your learner
to take notes on things that are unclear. Those questions can be answered during class
time. If possible, watch the assigned videos with your child. Doing so will help you
understand more about what (and how) your child is learning.
Provide feedback to your child's teacher and school about how flipped learning is working
for your child and your family. Your insights will be invaluable as one way to evaluate
how this new model is working within the school.
Flipped classrooms can mean more time for students to interact directly with the teacher. It can
also mean that classroom time is more active and engaging for students. As with all aspects of
education, parents play an important role in the process.