Why Should I Flip?

Flipped learning offers many advantages to the teacher and students. Through short video instruction, students can view lesson content on their own time, and spend class time with interactive activities and meaningful interactions with the teacher and peers. In an age where students are so well versed in using digital tools, the hope in flipped learning is that students will be intrinsically motivated to learn and participate in class time.

Flipped learning offers many opportunities to support a diverse group of students and connect school to home. What’s really neat about flipped learning is that the student is in complete control of how they view the video. For example, a student who struggles to understand the concept may choose to watch the video several times, perhaps pausing to jot down questions for the teacher the next day. On the other hand, a student who feels confident with the material presented may choose to move onto the next sequenced video to move ahead in the content. This gives students an opportunity to really control the pace and experience of their own learning! Beyond student control, allowing the teaching to essentially ‘go home’ with students connects parents and families to the learning experiences that traditionally stayed within the classroom. Exposing parents to the content taught at school will help to bridge the gap between school and home and encourage parent support!

While flipped learning offers many benefits, there are definitely some challenges. One challenge I see as a teacher is finding the time to create videos that match my instructional needs. While this seems daunting, I know that there are a plethora of instructional videos available on the internet already that would most likely fit my student’s needs. Another challenge I could see is a student who does not have access to the internet at home, or possibly has lost the privilege of bringing their iPad home. In this case, there would need to be two separate solutions offered. For a student who does not have internet available, I would think that downloading a video and sending it to a student for them to save to their device would allow them access without internet. For a student who cannot use their iPad at home, I might ask the family if they have other devices through which the students can access the video material, or offer times before school or during recess where a student could watch the video.

I can see flipped learning being used in many ways in my classroom. Because I am so focused on the beginning of the year right now, I am thinking about how useful this instructional method will be when I am introducing new technology tools to my students during the first few weeks of school. I think it would be incredibly beneficial to have my students watch a video on how to use google classroom during the first week! Giving them the opportunity to explore the uses of this app on their own will build their confidence and also give them a place to revisit in case they forget how to use certain features. I think this will be an awesome tool to use!