Math classes seem to be the ideal place
to implement a flipped classroom. Currently,
students listen to a lesson then have only enough time to answer the easiest
homework questions. So at home, they’re
stuck trying the harder questions on their own, often doing them wrong and
getting frustrated. As a result, we make
after school programs like Homework Club which is 95% students who need help
with Math homework, so it might as well be called Math Club. The problem is, everyone’s time is precious,
so Homework Club is normally only a 2 day a week thing. So students can’t benefit from this homework
help every night.
Enter the implementation of the
flipped classroom. Students watch videos
at night on the lesson, watching it at their own pace and stopping it to take
notes or write down questions as necessary.
After that, there is a short quiz that students must answer on the video
either online that night, or at the start of class the next day. Because these are evaluated, the students will
typically watch the videos (there are other solutions to ensure students watch
the videos, but I won’t get into that here).
The remainder of the class time is devoted to homework, so students have
far more time to not only answer the easy questions, but the hardest ones as
well. The benefit here is that now the
teacher is available to help. The
student also has peers for assistance as well.
The last few minutes of class can be used doing a little review, having
students answer a few questions on personal whiteboards/clickers/etc., or even
a Q&A. Students learn best by doing,
so why not use your class time wisely and give it to the students to work
through the problems? But of course, no
system is perfect…
I know most people become
teachers because the want to teach. Removing the lesson from the classroom poses several
problems. Teachers no longer get
feedback from the students as the lesson progresses, making it more difficult
to know what students aren’t getting and removing the option of explaining a
concept in a different way. Having
students do a mini quiz before they start the homework helps, but not
entirely. There’s also the time delay
between students learning a new concept and putting it into practice. Some information is bound to be lost. In addition, unless you’re using somebody
else’s videos (and stats have shown that students are not impressed with Khan
Academy), teachers now have to make their own.
The amount of time spent learning how to make a video and actually
making the videos can be a real turn-off.
For non-tech savvy teachers it can also be a real challenge.
Some teachers also find the
flipped classroom causes a real disconnect between the teacher and
students. The teacher’s role now becomes
that of a facilitator; your entire class time is essentially spent wandering
around and helping. The students no
longer really see you as a teacher (unless maybe if you make your own videos)
but more as an assistant. There’s seems
to be a loss of respect if teacher’s don’t use their own videos; it leads to
the mentality of “Well, if they can’t even put in the effort to make their own
lessons, why should I put any effort into watching it?”. It is up to the teacher to really make sure
to connect with every student during homework time and make a positive learning
environment, which some simply don’t know how to do with a flipped classroom.
Ultimately, teaching isn’t easy
and it’s up to each teacher to figure out what works best for them and their
students. Good luck to all the teachers
out there; be flexible and never stop learning!
Hello Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI certainly do find the concept of a " Flipped Classroom " to be very unique in it's prime objective. However, as mentioned in your blog, if the instructor doesn't teach the lesson his/her self, the students can experience a real sense of disconnect when they attempt to do their homework in the classroom. As a potential solution, I suggest that as a proactive instructor, it would be most beneficial to teach the students in a lecture format 50% of the time which will allow the students an opportunity to ask important questions and for the other portion of time, students can participate in the "Flipped Classroom" methodology. I enjoyed reading and posting to your blog.
The 50/50 regular vs. flipped classroom idea intrigues me. Maybe a week 1 one way and week 2 the other, or every other day. I find routine essential to successful learning, so it's be something to experiment with and get student feedback from, then go with what works best. Though I hate using students are guinea pigs (obviously, what's in their best interest should be our top priority), progress requires trial and error.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the post and clarifying the works on a flipped classroom. I haven't heard of it since taking the math course, but I think it's something worth trying. It brings me back to my university years and doing video modules, but if the students are watching videos, are they really going to grasp the whole concept? It's kind of like watching the Khan Academy videos, is it?
On the contrary, it does sound great because we're able to spend more time working on the math homework and taking it up, doing our formative assessment and helping students still struggling in class, via a guided group.
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for addressing many of the questions that I have concerning flipped classrooms. I too, like Jerry Clark, am concerned about the disconnect but my concern goes beyond the students. Are parents going to accept that their child is "doing all the work themselves at home" (I realize they are not but a parent may see it that way). A 50/50 class can solve this potential issue as well. It give me lots to contemplate. Thanks.
Hello,
DeleteI'm convinced that a number of parents who are from the traditional format of learning will not support the idea of their students taking on the task of being taught to learn via video. Not only that, the students have to comprehend the terms and methods that are going forth and if they lack the level of comprehension or if they don't learn well by viewing videos, then the "Flipped Classrom" may not be well received by some parents.
I think Natalie did a great job explaining the flipped classroom. I really like the idea of this type of classroom setting as it ensures that students get the practice they need to grasp the concepts but also to get help from the teacher right when they need it. We often see students who "give up" halfway through their homework (when the harder questions begin) because they do not understand the question or it is slightly more difficult than the examples done in class. The flipped classroom really gives all the students the opportunity to do their work and ask questions. The other thing I like about it is that the teacher can individually work with students as they ask questions. This is especially beneficial to those students who are too shy to raise their hands in class. In the end though, I think there are certain topics that should be taught in person, while there are others that can be learned online. I think the teacher should pick and choose when to do the flipped and when to do a regular lesson.
ReplyDeleteJohn, to reply to your post. I see your point about the disconnect and what the parents will think about the flipped classroom idea. I think that most parents would not mind because when their child is stuck, most parents cannot help them because they don't remember how to do the questions themself. With this, even the parents can watch the video as a refresher to help the child. In the end, the student isn't doing many questions at home anyway, so most will be asked to the teacher the next day and not to the parents.