Recently, I’ve been doing quite a bit of thinking regarding the idea of a flipped classroom. I am so intrigued by this idea because flipped classrooms tend to provide students and teachers more opportunity for a supportive learning environment. This is because teachers end up spending less time teaching to students, in comparison to helping them explore new knowledge and ideas. The video below provides a basic explanation of what a flipped classroom can look like:
Flipped classrooms seem to be the epitome of what it means to integrate technology into education; there are a variety of tools that teachers can use to set up lessons, utilizing tech in this way provides more opportunity to meld tech tools with assessment, and there is the potential to be much more collaborative with students’ home lives. Setting up a flipped classroom would allow parents and families of students to be involved in the learning process as well as connect them to the day-to-day routine of their children at school.
This digital poster by Knewton provides a detailed understanding of what a flipped classroom entails.
Created by Knewton
It’s not difficult to understand why the flipped classroom has become such an intriguing idea for many educators. After all, who hasn’t used the internet to search “how-to” videos whether it’s cooking a recipe, fixing something in the home, or helping your child with her/his math homework. If a student had the ability to learn from their teacher through pre-recorded video lessons, access multiple other resources, and collaborate with classmates, it is more likely that students will grasp the content being taught. Teachers can also provide more authentic differentiated lessons by utilizing tech tools.
To learn more about how a flipped classroom can become a reality, Tech Tools of the Flipped Classroom provides extensive information, tools, and resources available.
However, one concern that many educators, students, or parents might have when considering the idea of a flipped classroom is what happens when students do not have access to tech outside of the school (or even within it). Schools tend to have basic technology access, however there may still be a lack of resources. eSchoolNews provides an article that discusses potential solutions for students who lack home access to technology.
Ms. livingstone 