“The flipped classroom encourages teachers and students to think differently,” says Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow. “Teachers go beyond the lecture, tests and grading papers to a better understanding of student needs. They redefine their roles as a guide, coach or facilitator.”¹

 

By monitoring and tracking student progress, the teacher becomes more effective in refining lesson plans to provide the coaching each student needs. As a result, teachers focus on what matters most: what the students learn and how they apply it.

 

“The flipped classroom fosters the ‘guide on the side’ approach, rather than the ‘sage on the stage’,” says Andrew Miller, national faculty member for the Buck Institute for Education. “It helps move a classroom culture toward student construction of knowledge rather than the teacher having to tell the knowledge to students. It also creates the opportunity for differentiated roles to meet the needs of students through a variety of instructional activities.”²

 

Jonathan Bergmann, lead technology facilitator at Joseph Sears School, Kenilworth, IL, and a pioneer in the flipped class model, says, “I see the flipped class as a way to really bring some of the great ideas in learning into the classroom. Too many schools/classes are trying to do a one size fits all education.... {The flipped classroom} is a new way to look at schools, but not such a big step for educators to make.”³

 

Will the use of technology eliminate teachers or make them less important? Definitely not, say Alan November and Brian Mull, international leaders in education technology. “In a flipped learning environment, the teachers are more important than ever. If they have provided students with an array of rich resources and have set up opportunities for students to think deeply and question what they have learned at home before coming to class, a wide array of new questions arise that might never have come up during a standard class period. Teachers are really going to need to know their stuff, and they are going to need to be able to individualize on the fly—quite possibly five, 10, or even 20 times in a class period.”⁴

In the flipped model, the student becomes the center of learning, not a product of schooling. As Evans says, “They want to drive their own educational destiny.”⁵ That makes students more accountable for what they learn.

 

For example, students create ‘lecture’ videos and presentations to illustrate and share what they have learned with fellow students. Students use a variety of technologies to research academic topics online, collaborate with their peers in and outside the classroom, and hold group discussions to exchange feedback and demonstrate what they’ve learned. Because online tools are available to them 24/7, students keep up with assignments and lessons even when they are absent. Mobile apps also help them organize homework assignments when away from home and school.

 

In the flipped classroom, students master concepts at their own pace. If they get stuck on a lesson they can view videos and take quizzes online, query classmates via social media, and then work with teachers one- to-one until they feel confident they can apply the knowledge and move on.

The flipped classroom supports parental involvement at a deeper level — especially when it comes to math and science. These subjects are often taught differently than when parents were in school; but in the flipped model, parents gain more insight into how the topics are taught today and are better prepared to help their children understand concepts and complete assignments. The nightly kitchen-table battles and frustration over homework are reduced and students and parents can work together more effectively using the same approach the teacher uses.

 

The flipped model also gives parents easy online access to documents, information and student-progress updates, reducing the volume of calls to the school. And the parent/teacher conference shifts from parents asking how their child behaved in class to how well the child is learning. If the student isn’t progressing at the desired pace, teachers and parents can discuss what more can be done to facilitate learning.

 

For Kennedi Wojtowicz, one advantage of the flipped classroom is that the videos and quizzes reduce mother-daughter friction.

 

“We used to fight like cats and dogs over her homework,” says Heidi Wojtowicz, Kennedi’s mother. “Sometimes I wouldn’t understand the lesson, which frustrated both of us.”

 

“Now I show Mom how it’s done on the video and the right answers to the quizzes. If we need help or have a question, we send my teacher a message,” Kennedi says.

 

As a result, Kennedi and her mom get along better, homework is less stressful and Kennedi takes the lead on what and how she’s learning.

The successful flipped classroom relies heavily on the right technology. That goes far beyond using computers to write term papers and or researching topics on the Internet. The technology must support a myriad of opportunities for interaction, exploration and, ultimately, student achievement.

 

For example, teachers can get creative with their instructional videos, using rap music, man-in-the-street interviews and other techniques to convey subject matter in a way that keeps students interested and engaged. They may use Khan Academy, National Geographic and other videos produced by a variety of sources. Teachers can deliver more than a recitation of facts and mathematical formulas on a flip chart to convey information.

 

And flipped classroom technology is not limited to videos on a desktop or laptop. Students can often access the information they need on mobile devices, such as iPads, smartphones, and tablets. Many online platforms include file libraries for lesson plans, articles, assignments and podcasts.

 

Social media is no longer limited to Facebook or posting vacation photos. Students use education-relevant communication via chat rooms, walls, blogs, wikis, project-based photo albums and surveys.

 

“Students want to engage in technology, especially if it’s socially based, whether it’s with teachers, students, other schools, or experts around the world,” Evans says. “But they want social interaction that is school-oriented, about serious topics and not the personal ‘dramas’ of Facebook.”⁶

 

“Students are more engaged in my class now that technology has allowed me to flip the classroom. I have virtually no Ds. Ds have become Cs, Cs have become Bs, and Bs have become As. And student engagement has massively increased. They are excited about learning. It’s great to see the ‘light bulb ah-ha’ moments when students are working collaboratively,” says Aaron Sams, a science teacher at Woodland Park (CO) High School, who pioneered the flip concept with Bergmann.⁷

 

One challenge noted by flipped-class proponents is finding ways to bridge the technology gap and ensure that every student has access to tools and technology. Many schools make videos available for students to watch during lunch, or before and after classes. If the Internet isn’t available at home, videos are put on flash drives or DVDs and students check out devices from the school library. To increase accessibility, many school districts set aside funds, secure grants and collaborate with technology providers to ensure every student has access to required tools and technology. Many flipped programs are being implemented after a 1:1 laptop/tablet adoption initiative.

 

With many schools facing budget shortfalls, some educators are concerned that the flipped classroom and the need for up-to-date technology could negatively impact their bottom line. But from the practical standpoint, online learning platforms save thousands of dollars annually in copy machines, printers, paper, ink and repairs as assignments, directions, notes and materials are posted online. Teachers are saving the time required to copy, collate and staple printed materials and don’t have to repeat lecture material for students who have missed school.

Impressive statistics on the success of the flipped classroom are emerging. In the first 18 months that the model was used at Clintondale (MI) High School, the attendance rate increased and the discipline rate decreased. Most important, the failure rate (the number of students failing each class) dropped significantly. The ninth grade failure rate fell 33 percent in one year. In September of 2011, the entire high school began using the flipped instruction model. During the first semester, the overall failure rate dropped to 10 percent.⁸

 

As the flipped concept continues to develop, proponents stress that it’s just one piece of the learning puzzle and needs to be used appropriately. The foundation of the concept is the ability to increase student inquiry, collaboration and personalization in the learning environment.

 

Quality learning resources are accessible outside the classroom and available whatever-whenever-wherever (WWW) so students can have ownership of the pace of their learning, and review as needed.

 

Evans adds that the flipped classroom style of learning gives students the 21st century skills that employers look for, including collaboration, project management, creativity, and critical thinking to find solutions.⁹

 

“I feel we are in a transition period,” Bergmann says. “We still have vestiges of the old industrial model of education which is being slowly replaced by a dynamic student-centered, learner-driven education. I think that the flipped class is a way to help us with this transition. I’m excited about the future of education. We live in such an amazing time with the explosion of information and the ready access. Because of this, my ultimate hope is that with this information explosion that all students everywhere will have the opportunities to a great education.”¹⁰