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I recently attended the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching in Dallas, Texas. while I was there I had the opportunity to hear Jon Bergman speak about a model of teaching that his department has pioneered called the flipped classroom. In this model, students watch high quality, teacher made instructional videos as homework and spend class time practicing content through activities, practice problems, and labs. Lecture becomes homework and practice becomes class work, hence the term "flipped". I was instantly amazed at the way this model provided for differentiation among students, time for remediation, and student driven learning. It seemed to address all of the issues I had been facing in my own classroom. I have resolved to try it out in my classroom in the coming semester. I would love to hear any opinions, concerns, or questions that you might have about the Flipped Classroom.

I am a big proponent of the flipped classroom. Although not widely embraced in my county as of yet, I discovered that using this model in my classroom increased scholar interactions with one another. I was able to work with small groups, serving as a 'guide on the side' instead of the 'sage on the stage'. As a learning coach, I could walk around the room and ask questions, while encouraging the scholars to be more responsible for their own thinking and learning. My scholars were eager to help one another instead of relying on me. On our county's benchmark assessment for first quarter, my classes scored higher overall than any other classes in our area of the district (about ten schools). My scholars all have iPads, so this past quarter, I posted information to our class Edmodo site (free to enroll). I uploaded PowerPoint presentations, reading assignments for the completion of graphic organizers, etc. Once the scholars came to class, they immediately began their laboratory investigation or Advancement Via Individual Determination (A.V.I.D.) activity. I was generally in awe the first time I saw the scholars actively engage in the learning without any prompting from me. I still have a ways to go to truly have a flipped classroom, but I think I'm off to a great start...and my administration and my parents are onboard with the changes I'm making in the classroom.

Lorrie, I am so glad to hear that you have seen the benefits of the flipped classroom first hand. I have quite a few anxieties about getting started with it, and it is so nice to know that it has been successful for you!

Here is an article I found on the learning center about the flipped classroom.

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Science 2.0: “Flipping” Your Classroom (Journal Article)

Hi there! I also am fond of the flipped classroom. I feel that as this design grows students will become more inventive and motivated in the classroom. Especially with all of the technology and advancements that we have today! Students are really interested in using technology to learn, because they are familiar with it. It will promote positive learning, and allow teachers to work one- on -one with students who need extra guidance. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for the flipped classroom. Hannah

As a novice in the flipped classroom, I would like to know if there are any problems I should be ready to address with this model. Has anyone run into any issues or challenges with using the flipped model? (Specifically the flipped mastery model)

Hi Kayla, you may be interested in the discussion thread that has been talking about this very topic over in the Research in Science education Discussion Forum: flipping...and then what?
Among other things there are some links to some teacher websites with flipping in full swing. It would be great if you could please share what you are doing to implement flipping in your course(s).
Thanks,
Carolyn

The “Flipped” classroom is a relatively new concept, and has been met with guarded results. Many that have tried it have been highly successful. The biggest obstacle remains that of internet access for all students at home. I would be curious to find out from those that have either used this concept or are considering it, how you overcome the lack of internet issue. A couple of interesting resources I found were: http://www.iste.org/connect/iste-connects/blog-detail/11-06-29/The_Flipped_Class_A_New_Paradigm_in_Education.aspx I especially liked their quote, “Class is for conversation, not dissemination.” The second site, http://vodcasting.ning.com/ has a variety of stories from folks “Flipping”. There appear to be quite a few uses for the strategy.

Sandy, These are two great resources, thank you. The way I plan to deal with students who do not have access to the internet is either by allowing them to download the video files to a flash drive to play on thier computer (without internet) or by giving them a DVD with the videos burned to it so they can play them on their TV. I am also fortunate enought to be at a school that has an open computer lab that students are able to use in the mornings. Here are two documents that I prepared to provide to parents and students as I begin this flipped model.

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Flipped_Classroom_Parent_Letter.pdf (0.06 Mb)

Flipped_Mastery_Rubric_Unit_7.doc (0.05 Mb)

I really like how you sent a letter home to the students’ caregivers about what your plans are. Explaining the concept of a flipped classroom is a great way to make those important connections with home. After all, with this model, it will be very important for the students to complete the necessary assignments at home in order to maximize success in the classroom. Having an informative meeting and asking for feedback is also a great strategy for success. It is vital to have everyone on board. I also liked how you are flexible and are willing to not continue with this model if it turns out to be not as successful as you had hoped. I would like to hear more about how it is going. Hope to see future posts.

What sources have you found for instructional videos and class exercises?

I too like your letter home to parents/guardians. You provide in a very clear and positive way the expectations you have that students will watch the videos at home. A couple of curiosities. One, how long are the videos the students watch? Did you create them yourself, or are they already on YouTube or some other source? From your rubric, it appears you have a list of expectations for the amount of work your students need to complete. I’m not sure how long the unit you have listed is to last, it appears to be about three weeks. I noticed the note on the bottom that at the end of six weeks work not completed would be a zero. I would love to know more how this works in a real classroom over a period of time and the changes and modifications you would make.

Good News...my school district has decided to try a pilot program with the schools that have iPads with a 1:1 ratio, involving the 'Flipped Classroom'. My school just happens to be one of those schools. However, while this is so very exciting, as I have been implementing this strategy in my classroom as mentioned in my previous post, the pilot is only for one Math teacher from each of the schools. It is a start....and I, for one, will most certainly continue to transform my science classroomn using instructional videos, iPads, internet connectivity and ubiquitous access. LA

This is a very intriguing conversation. Up until I began reading his thread, I had never heard of a "flipped classroom" I am wondering if and how this could work in an elementary school classroom? Our students are such digital natives, I think if the access/equity could e figured out at last some form of a flipped classroom might work in an elementary school.

I appreciate the concept of a "flipped classroom." It is all about being prepared to learn, which is more consistent with the learning paradigms at the college level. Students are expected to read in advance (my daughter had one professor assign 22 articles and a book before one class even started). That requires a great deal of responsibility and commitment by the students and their parents. I am wondering how those of you that are flipping are getting the support from the parents. We have a large immigrant population, and a significant population of at-risk students, some of whom read almost no English, even though they have lived in the districts their entire lives. There is also a strong backlash against requiring "homework" in the district; because we are only allowed to count it for a maximum of 10% of the grade, most students do not do outside reading or other assignments in preparation or for practice. How do the rest of you get the commitment from students when the school, family, and community culture seems to be pulling the opposite direction?

Jennifer asks, "How do the rest of you get the commitment from students when the school, family, and community culture seems to be pulling the opposite direction?" I am so glad you brought that up, Jennifer. It seems like we, as teachers, are pulled in two different directions: Help our students to become independent learners and/or enable our students to become couch potato learners, where we stuff them with so much organization and think-free enabling tools that they get to do the bare minimum in record time so that they have more time to be....couch potato learners. It takes a village is more than a cute cliche - the teacher needs the support and leadership of his/her district to change the culture to a community of life-long learners. That is not an easy task, but it is a worthy one. My district went the route of PLCs. The enculturation of PLCs (professional learning communities) within school districts is one way that helps to positively change the culture of a district, its administrators,teachers, parents and students. I learned a lot from the PD my district provided as we learned how to incorporate the various elements of this cultural transformation. How have others been able to improve the rigor of their curriculum without enraging the wrath of parents or administrators who feel we expect too much?

Really intriguing. I am going to investigate this

It seems to me one of the hardest things with the flipped classroom is the maintenance. I love techno geeky things. They intrigue me to no end. That being said, I’ve never done a website because I can’t find enough time to keep it up to date. The only thing worse than not having a website is to have one that is not kept up. Parents begin to expect they can find information on a regular basis, then go on and find “old news”. My curiosity is whether or not the flipped classroom concept runs into the same issue. It appears much of the tangential information a student needs has to be available online before class so they can “do the work” of the concept in class that it could be a nightmare to keep up. Of course the first year or two would be the most difficult, but then again, I regularly change what I am doing. I am really curious to hear from someone who is making the flipped classroom work on a daily basis.

This is quite intriguing! I may try this out for a lesson soon to see how it goes. YAY! Something new! I am wondering what happens when you have those students who don't have a computer at home. Do you give them class time to look at these videos? If so, do they lose the time working on projects?

So I continue my quest for wanting to know more about the Flipped classroom and what do I find in my email? A wonderful link appeared in one of my Technology and Learning emails dealing with the flipped classroom. The URL is http://schoolsofthought.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/my-view-flipped-classrooms-give-every-student-a-chance-to-succeed/?hpt=hp_bn1 What intrigues me the most is the video attached to the article where the principal explains his theory on how “Flipped Classrooms give every student a chance to succeed.” He makes some really interesting points about student attendance and improvement in the failure rate. I am curious what others have found.

I have read about "flipped classrooms" mostly for Math here in MN. Teachers created their videos over the summer and provided DVD's of the lessons to those without internet access. Student and families really liked watching the videos together! and it allowed the teacher more help time the next day in class. I would love to give it a try!

I teach in the inner-city and feel that the flipped classroom could really work not just in science. I feel that if done right the Flipped Classroom model would allow for more time to explore more of a topic/content and possibly help with classroom management as the class would be deeply engaged in further exploring the content discussed. I want to bring it up in our next PD.

I agree that this is a really interesting concept. I think I'm a bit torn between two key points. As someone mentioned before, I'm wondering how this might be applied in an elementary classroom as well. I'd be interested in giving it a try! With the increased use and availability of technology, it's a great way to introduce mixed media and keep up with the change of times. However, I also feel that this is a form of learning that is more or less used widely in college courses, where homework and independent research outside of class counts for more than 10% of a grade. I'm not knowledgeable of how other school districts and states use this scale, but all that I'm familiar with do. I've never been one to stress homework too much, unless it can significantly impact or improve the skills learned in the classroom -- large projects, research, vocabulary. Point blank, I see no purpose in "busy work". Give them something worth spending their time on, and I'm game :)

So many questions, so little time. I am not necessarily against the Flipped classroom, but have lots of concerns. If I spend my summer creating these videos for use with students, post them on a district website because that is where we are supposed to put stuff for parents to access because they complain about having to go to too many places to look for “stuff”. Who owns my videos? In this day and age of districts taking more and more from us as teachers and giving us less back, then I would like compensation of some sort for creating quality classroom materials used by others. What about those teachers that don’t want to create videos, but still want to do something else that seems “flipped”, though at this moment, I don’t know what that looks like. I know I am supposed to be a teacher that cares only about students and their progress, and believe me I do. But, in my state, I took a 1.9% paycut this year, which is about $300 a month. The district still wants me to come in before school, stay after school and work with middle school kids on my lunch, all for free. For that $3,600 loss, I got two, 2 ½ hour furlough days. Somehow this just didn’t seem fair. If I am going to spend hours creating videos, what prevents the district from eventually using them in an Internet Academy format and then finding they really don’t need me anymore since students can just watch the videos and take some canned test someone in a district office or curriculum writing company puts together. As teachers we want to believe that won’t happen to us, but it does time and again. No, we can never fully be replaced, but I think we need to be cognizant of what could happen down the road.

I hear your frustration, Sandy, and I am so sorry. I am just starting to flip my classes and it has been quite successful. I only have 48 minutes daily with my students so I use the class time for labs and simulations. Students can also work on problems. Three times a week they have lectures that they download. They complete a viewing guide while they listen.

I tried flipping some of my lectures and overall it has been challenging. Some of the problems I saw was students would copy the notes from other students instead of watch the video. Students would say they watched the video and didn't understand it. Students who didn't watch the lectures were extremely lost during class. I always had a handful of students that would never watch the videos so I had to teach them in a small group during class. It's been rocky but I'm determined to make it work.

I started doing this concept last year with my 8th graders. It's a pretty neat progression having students take part in online discussions and blogs. Other than not having a 1:1 ratio of internet access and students, the biggest problem I faced was my 8th graders hadn't been exposed to this model before, and needed to learn new habits. However, the students that did participate regularly saw marked growth in their achievement. Even better, the students that typically didn't do their homework were far more likely to do their work simply because it was on the computer. I stopped this year because I wanted to re-think the model and needed to find a new hosting site. We used Room21 last year, but I'm not sure if our district continues to support it. We use Engrade as well, and that has a plethora of online learning supports.

As for the ratio, my solution was for the students to come to my room between classes, go to the library, go to a friend's house, or use their phones to do the required classwork. It wasn't ideal, but it's all I could come up with. Any other solutions out there?

In an effort to increase my understanding about what a "Flipped Classroom" was all about [and "Blended Learning", something that is different I have found out], I ran across a web site dedicated to pod/vod casts for this type of classroom. There are already several thousand teacher created short multimedia videos available for free. This could allow you to use some already created material to experiment with until either; you have your own library of resources, or you decide it does not fit your situation. The site is www.khanacademy.org.

Here is a GREAT site to get you started in Flipping your classroom, It is called "Teachers Vodcasting & Flipped Classroom Network". It has everything a beginner can want: How-to, Management, Forums, Webseminars, and more. This you need to see...it's also free. http://vodcasting.ning.com

I love that this is being discussed online here. My district is also discussing bringing this in. I am fortunate to work for a district that offers unlimited technology access to the students at our schools. Some of the benefits that we discussed as a department was the awesome ability for the students to work at their own "pace" with online videos. They could pause the video, unlike pausing the instructor, they could google concepts or words that they didn't understand. They could move freely through the video and go at their own pace. My own learning is very much this way. I am a multitasker abound, so very often I find something and play it online and work on something else while I listen in the background. I need to be doing something with my hands. As a high school teacher I have so many students that function like that. One of my hang ups though is that i really don't want a video of myself being passed around freely. I don't know why - but the thought is just weird. I have been looking at the Khan Academy though and sifting through the video tutorials on the website. Check it out it has great things on it! http://www.khanacademy.org/

I work in a school, inner city St. Paul, where only half my students have access to internet and at least 1/4 have little technology at home/and/or are not allowed to use it. What I have learned is to keep my lessons down to 10 minutes at most. Just to give the kids basic vocabulary and concepts to explore the lessons themselves. They then work in groups to either read lessons (reciprocal teaching) or do labs to explore concepts. I find both these techniques increase student engagement and student achievement. From what I have read and seen, that is the purpose of the flipped classroom. As far as watching lessons at home, I worry about burdening kids with so much homework that they do not have time to have a life outside of school. They need time to exercise, spend family time and socialize. In the case of my students, some of them are working to help their families survive. Using my time very effectively in class keeps them growing academically at a nice rate.

Thanks, Adah. Have you tried having kids watch lessons at home? How does it go. Do they actually watch them? How do you have time to record them? Do you find it more or less time and energy consuming?

This year I have flipped my Honors Physical Science classes and it is working extremely well. The biggest problem I have found is that it is knew and an adjustment for the students. A few of their comments is that they don't like immediate discussion reaction when there is lecture, others have said that they have to stay on task more in the classroom. In the first semester I had a few comments from the students that I am doing no teaching, I then asked them "so when I do one on one work with you, that isn't teaching?" they said it was, what they actually meant to say is they missed the lectures when they could look like they were engaged but where spacing out. I have a hundred fold more time to do one on one work with them, I am able to ask individuals more probing questions. Some of my students have even made the comment that they like flipping because now they don't have to wait on the slower ones in the class they can keep working. My goal for this next year is to flip all of my Physical Science classes (regular & honors). Our Chemistry teacher has already flipped all of her classes (Chemistry 1, Honors Chemistry 1 and Chemistry 2). She has put a proposal before the board to add a couple of more classes (that she will flip) Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (I think). It is being set up that these will also be during her Chemistry 2 class so she may have 3 different classes going at the same time. Without the flipped classroom she would never have been able to add these upper level classes to the curriculum. I'm not saying there weren't growing pains, and there still are but I believe in the flipped classroom, we just have to work with the students thoughts about it.

If the students are watching the lecture at home, how do you keep them accountable? How do you deal with questions? It sounds really great. Where do you teach? Do your students all have access to technology at home? Do they have adequate time to get in their lecture and still have time for their own life?

Kayla, I like the idea of letting the parents know in a letter about "flipped classroom", how it works, and benefits of using it. I am curious to see how it works so that I can one day use it in my classroom when I become a teacher.

I am wondering if the "flipped classroom" idea could possibly work in an elementary school setting, and be used to teach not only science, but the other subjects as well. Would it also help students perform better on standardized testing?

I'm still wondering where you teach that all your students would have access to watch the lessons at home. What do you do for students who do not have access?

Flipped learning is great for younger grades. Check out this site for more...http://flippedoutlearning.weebly.com/

I use flipped classroom lessons in my 6th grade class. Students watch the procedures for completing a lab, or expectations for the investigation before we begin. This gives them time to process the information, complete the pre-writing assignment, and fill out the safety contract for the investigation.

This looks very interesting, I am definitely going to try this in my classes.

I tried flipping for the first time this summer, and we all (students and teachers alike) enjoyed the concept. I taught a hands-on science class this summer for middle grades, and we students from 4th-8th grades. For each project, we found videos that introduced the concepts, and provided some basic instruction for the project. Because one of my goals was to have students think about design concepts, we gave them the basics, and then instructed them to "build a better mousetrap," with their rationale for the changes. Then we tested the projects. Our theme was about building a moon colony, so we did egg drops (lunar landers), solar ovens (energy collection), and a number of other activities this way, and it was awesome. We did the introduction in the classroom, however, because of the informal nature of the summer program, and the fact that about half went to a park and rec program for the afternoon and wouldn't have time to get to the computers. We were fortunate to have computers in the classroom for research, and they were heavily used. We also had a block of 75 minutes, which was allowed for introduction, design time, and planning the first day, and construction and testing the second day for the activities we did. It seemed to keep the kids focused, and there were a lot more questions than I saw last year with more traditional approaches.

I tried flipping for the first time this summer, and we all (students and teachers alike) enjoyed the concept. I taught a hands-on science class this summer for middle grades, and we students from 4th-8th grades. For each project, we found videos that introduced the concepts, and provided some basic instruction for the project. Because one of my goals was to have students think about design concepts, we gave them the basics, and then instructed them to "build a better mousetrap," with their rationale for the changes. Then we tested the projects. Our theme was about building a moon colony, so we did egg drops (lunar landers), solar ovens (energy collection), and a number of other activities this way, and it was awesome. We did the introduction in the classroom, however, because of the informal nature of the summer program, and the fact that about half went to a park and rec program for the afternoon and wouldn't have time to get to the computers. We were fortunate to have computers in the classroom for research, and they were heavily used. We also had a block of 75 minutes, which was allowed for introduction, design time, and planning the first day, and construction and testing the second day for the activities we did. It seemed to keep the kids focused, and there were a lot more questions than I saw last year with more traditional approaches.

I am a new teacher this year and have not heard of the flipped classroom up to this point. I love this thread! It has great links posted with in the responses and I look forward to trying this out in my science class. It sounds like a particularly great way to teach science with a more hands on and critical thinking scenario.

I find this topic very interesting and I too plan to look into it further. My concern is my students that do not have the technology to complete the home viewing.

I also had problems with student access to technology. While it is improving, some districts with high percentages of students with free or reduced lunch also have high percentages of students without tech access. Only about 10% of my students' parents had email accounts last year, which was almost impossible for me to believe. What I have noticed is the ubiquity of cell phones, both Android and iPhone, among all income groups. Apparently there is not a lack of funding for cell phones! If we could just get them to view the introduction on their phones on the school bus on the way home. And most do have a study hall, if the schools are fortunate enough to have the technology. But that time competes with teacher contact hours, and, of course, student socialization time.

Thank you for creating this thread! I have heard the term "flipped classroom" prior to this but I had no idea what it meant. I think having students participate in the "lecture" portion of learning at home and come to class to practice, work with others, and ask clarifying questions is an excellent idea. I think that this is definitely a great way of teaching because it allows students to move at their own pace and access to review if necessary. I have tried to used khan academy to do this on a smaller scale but I have had issues with students not having access to computers at home. For those of you who have the same problems, do you "flip" the classroom back to normal for those individual students and let them do the "lecture" portion in class while working with other students? I'm not sure what to do in this instance. I would love to have my students learn about some controversial environmental issue in this "flipped" way and then come to class ready to debate!

I have "flipped" my classroom in my AP Biology course for the past two years and have saved a lot of classroom time. Here are a few reasons why I chose to do it and why it worked. 1. The students already had basic knowledge of the concepts, so I had them review their knowledge at home by watching videos from Bozeman Biology (you can find on youtube). 2. The AP students are capable of intrinsically motivating themselves to "learn"/review on their own. 3. The AP students are typically the ones who will go above and beyond to find a computer with internet if they don't have access at home. I haven't tried flipping my regular Biology students, but I did encounter problems and excuses in just having them access the book online. I'm not sure I'm ready to "flip" them just yet. :) I like Khan Academy and Bozeman Biology- I preview the videos and they're usually under 15 min.

The flipped classroom model seems like a very interesting method for instruction. I do agree that it seems like a luxury option, because there are so many students who just don't have access to a computer. It also seems to pose the problem of distractions. The students would have to be extremely motivated to watch the instructional videos at home, over the entertainment that YouTube provides. However, I love the idea of having the practice and supplemental activities being done in the classroom, because it gives the students more opportunities to ask questions, receive guidance, and work with peers to solve problems.

I am glad to see that the "flipped classroom" is actually a proposed model/method of teaching as I began to make changes towards that concept as well in the past couple of years, not for any thing but to facilitate my students producing more work during contact time versus what was currently being produced outside of class, minimal. I do see the value in using "lecture time" (learning and reinforcement) as homework time and having hands-on practicing of the concepts in class. Personally, I have gained from this change as well, as it allows me to focus more on the higher levels of teaching and learning which is the synthesis and application of information, which comes with the "doing" of part of learning, thus more of my energy and time now goes into the planning of the hands-on experiences versus the lecture portion of the unit. The teaching of concepts now come from the inquiry learning process with the informational reading and learning tier vocabulary coming from the support material such as interactive videos, readings, video clips and follow up worksheets (now used as reinforcement practice which may be given as homework but we go over the next day). Student assessments are now of higher levels as they are able to demonstrate knowledge of the concepts through their participation and direct involvement in class activities, laboratories and/or exercises. Thank you for starting this thread...I will definitely follow it as everyone has contributed greatly to my understanding of the concept and how I can make better use and implementation of its components.

A parent asked me an interesting question at Open House the other day. They have heard of the Flipped Classroom and wondered aloud, if all teachers were using Flipped Classrooms and students were to spend time at home viewing the videos of the teaching of a concept, and then practiced their learning in the classroom, when are students supposes to have free time? Seems to the parent they are in school at school and at home. What happens when there is more than one child, only one computer with internet access? It seems to me, especially after reading Susan’s post, there is a need for some rethinking as to what a Flipped Classroom should look like. I am thinking it’s not so much an initial teaching tool, but one where students could review the concept or lesson that was taught. I am thinking too that a large part of what we do in classrooms every day is look for the blank stare, rolled back eyes, or eyeballs floating in so much information, that it allows us to do a reteach or partner turn and talk or pair shares to alleviate the lack of understanding. As with all technology, I think it is only a matter of time that we become more blended, thank you Sue for the term, and use a combination of both in class and flipped teaching. Just an FYI, I have used Khan Academy with my adult Algebra students, but one thing you should know is the answers aren’t always correct. The process is, but about 10 – 15% of the time, the answer is not right. I really love the conversations that have occurred and am looking forward to hearing how others have managed to flip their classrooms.

I find "Flipping the Classroom" quite interesting. I, too, want to try it but have a hard time thinking about the access students have and the discipline they will need for it to be successful. I see many positives with this as it also prepares the students for online courses. Listening and viewing the lectures and samples takes a lot of discipline on a students part. I have made a video in class about twice so my special education students could view it on the IPAD. If they need repeated steps, they could rewind while I tended to other students in the class. Thanks for stirring the pot in my head about "flipping the classroom."

There are pros and cons to any form of instruction and the 'flipped classroom' is no exception. There's a great little blog at Edutopia that discusses this very topic. The author argues that for some communities, computer access remains an issue (for example, in families that have only one computer). It comes down to doing what is best for the learner----while some may learn well via video, others may not.

I am very interested in flipping the classroom, however I am really scratching my head on how to make this happen in an urban, low-income school. I suppose material or "lecture" information can be provided in the form of written material as opposed to video or electronic media. Does anyone have insight into creative ways to cultivate this in a technology-poor population?

Wow, what an incredible series of posts on this topic. I sincerely appreciate the openness that others are sharing in their implementation of this model(s) and the URLs that are provided that discuss the same both inside and outside of NSTA. While, some laud its value--and justifiably so, there usually is "no one size" fits all approach to any instructional model or strategy, as "the best way," so I am encouraged with the range of potential uses and the notion of blending this strategy with others, and as a way for review to support f2f experiences too. The logic of "time shifting" and extending the instructional day via "flipping" is obviously good from a "contact time" POV, but I appreciate the balance too if "flipping" is required for several hours each day, across multiple subjects--this might be burdensome for students. I also think that combining the watching of the video lecture/demonstrations with integrated discourse online (or f2f) is a great way to support negotiating meaning and deeper understanding, and some here in mentioned this necessity, in addition to the "saved time" for labs--very important, and in providing differentiated 1-on-1 discussion with students. I would welcome feedback form the forum to the individual that shared some of the challenges how they should be addressed: students would copy the notes from other students instead of watch the video. Students would say they watched the video and didn't understand it. Students who didn't watch the lectures were extremely lost during class. A handful of students would never watch the videos so I had to teach them in a small group during class.

Hi Thread posters and readers, [b]Albert Byers wrote:[/b] [i]I would welcome feedback form the forum to the individual that shared some of the challenges how they should be addressed: students would copy the notes from other students instead of watch the video. Students would say they watched the video and didn't understand it. Students who didn't watch the lectures were extremely lost during class. A handful of students would never watch the videos so I had to teach them in a small group during class. [/i] Thanks for highlighting these challenges to using flipped classrooms. In a traditional classroom, teachers can monitor our students as we teach...are they sleeping, are they paying attention, are they giving me the "deer in the headlights" look. When we assign videos to watch at home, we may lose that personal touch with our students while we instruct. Here are my ideas for each scenario: [b]students would copy the notes from other students instead of watch the video[/b] - Give students a unique log-in so you can ensure they logged in and watch the videos - Give spot quizzes, that ask questions that you would only know if you watched the video, to determine if students actually watched the video [b]Students would say they watched the video and didn't understand it[/b] - I think this is a problem that exists no matter what method you use to teach. Different kids learn best in different ways. As a teacher, I try to employ various teaching strategies to meet the learning needs of all my students. Using the flipped classroom model would be no different. You will have some students who do extraordinarily well with this method, but you will also have students for whom this strategy doesn't work. When teachers use a flipped classroom model, they may need to re-teach some concepts in class, develop hands-on activities to compliment concepts, or provide extra instruction to students who do not understand the concepts as presented on the videos. I think the key is ensuring teachers consider that some students will not understand the material presented in the videos. [b]Students who didn't watch the lectures were extremely lost during class. A handful of students would never watch the videos so I had to teach them in a small group during class[/b] - In my experience, these two scenarios tend to co-exist. Although sometimes I have a "one-time offender" who misses a video, it seems that generally, the students who do not watch the videos are "repeat offenders" (on a side note, these are also typically the kids who do not turn in homework assignments). Because these kids were not introduced to the concept, they do tend to struggle in class and honestly the only way to get them caught up is to do small group instruction. I suppose another option is to relocate the kids who consistently do not watch the videos into a class that does not use the flipped classroom model. - Another potential problem that may lead to this scenario is access to technology. Some students do not have an internet connection at home and may not have the ability to stay after school to use computer lab or go to a free internet location (like the library). This in turn means they do not watch the videos. Some students in this situation may be uncomfortable telling a teacher that they do not have an internet connection at home. In order to employ a flipped classroom, it's critically important to ensure students have the ability to access the videos outside of the classroom. Those are just a couple of ideas I had regarding these challenges, but I'm looking forward to hearing how other teachers would address these challenges in your classrooms. Also, here's a TED video where Salman Khan discusses [url=http://www.npr.org/2012/06/22/155228627/how-can-videos-flip-the-classroom]flipping classrooms[/url]. Thanks for the great discussion! Maureen

Maureen Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to some of the common challenges that may exist in a "flipped classroom". As you so aptly note, some of the challenges may be easily ameliorated, and some exists in all classrooms, regardless of the instructional delivery mode or strategy employed. I appreciate the collective wisdom of the group and the professional spirit in which a collegial dialog and exchange of ideas may occur via our online integrated forums. Thank you!

Kayla! I love the idea of the "flipped classroom". It turns actual class time into a more fun and interactive environment for the students to learn in. This strategy will also help eliminate the amount of talking/ listening and increase the amount of practice the students will have and they will actually have the opportunity to incorporate what they learned in the lesson. Thanks for the lovely idea! Ali

I began flipping some of the lessons in my chemistry class when I re-wrote the learning outcomes to emphasize what students should be able to "do" rather than what they should know. This rewrite called to my attention that if the LOs were performance based I would need to structure my lessons around those performance objectives. Yes I know students are supposed to practice with homework at home. Well just as some students do not watch the videos even fewer do homework. So here I chose to fight the battle in what I thought the most effective manner. Practice is critical and guided practice is better than unguided (individual at home practice - more on this later) practice. So with this decided I went out and bought myself a livescribe pen http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/ In my pencasts I work through various types of problems with a step by step narrative that includes what I am doing and WHY I am doing it. In class I begin with problems similar to those in the video. I work at the board and have student "help" at appropriate junctions. I toss Tokens for correct contributions. The tokens can be used to "purchase" grace days on assignments, missed 5 minute warm ups, extra points on an exam - There is a menu with a "price list" Bottom line is you don't get tokens if you don't watch the video Working problems on the board this way also helps me identify misconceptions and where students are in the mastery process. Lastly I have them work problems on their own as I walk around to help if needed. So here is why I think this works better than the I tell, students do homework approach. Short term memory has a limited capacity (7 plus or minus 2 bits of information). When a teacher "tells" the process of students retaining information in short term memory can lead to distortions and misconceptions. In order to retain more information in STM students "chunk" individual bits of data into larger pieces, but they do not always do this appropriately leading to what I thought I said was nothing close to what they thought they heard. Videos get around this and lessen the need to disentangle students from the weeds of misconception and distortion. It is MUCH easier to learn it correctly the first time than to have to unlearn what you thought you understood. So in short here is the process I show you - video You help me - I work at the board, student help (BTW the "answer is never good enough they have to tell me WHY we need to do that step. In fact after a correct answer in a class this week, I responded with the follow up why and got in return I knew you would as that) I help you - students work in class to solve problems, I help as needed You show me - tests and quizzes. Here is a collection of resources on flipped classrooms

Flipping Your Classroom Collection (10 items)

The Flipped Classroom Infographic

- User Uploaded Resource

Flipped Learning

- User Uploaded Resource

Flip Teaching

- User Uploaded Resource

View All 10 Items

I like the concept of tokens. Positive reinforcement. How do you keep track of all the incentives and their use? Any way to automate that?

I am in my last semester of classes before my internship in Elementary Education and I have never heard of the "flipped classroom" technique. It seems to be a very interesting approach that could really benefit the students because they can spend more classroom time deepening their understanding and practicing the concepts in the classroom where they can interact with their peers. However, this raises concern because it seems that it is an approach that can only work in schools that have the resources to provide students with lectures as homework. Does any one have any possible suggestions or ideas of a way that this method could be implemented in a low-income school that does not have the resources but where the students could really benefit from these types of experiences? I plan on teaching in a low-income school when I graduate, and I would like to enter the classroom with innovative and new techniques that will appeal to my students.

Pam, I am so glad you mentioned the Livescribe pen. A new one, Sky, just hit the market and I am so excited about it. The newest has wif-fi capabilities and comes in the 2, 4 and 8 GB capacities. If you go to the Livescribe website, http://www.livescribe.com/store/store.html?vid=20070723002&cid=101&pcid=101 There is a video you can watch that highlights the features. I am excited about the pen because it not only records what I am saying as I say it, allowing me to convert my notes into a pencast, but now allows me to do so wirelessly. I am sure there are some glitches initially, but knowing this company, they will deal with them quickly. If you have never seen or experienced a pencast, there are many available at http://www.livescribe.com/en-us/pencasts/ Go to the bottom of the screen to “Academics” and there are lots to choose from. The possibilities for these pencasts appear to be unlimited. I love the idea of using the pencasts as part of the Flipped Classroom, I am still not sure where to put them when they are generated for students to access. I don’t have a website, so it makes it difficult to upload to. Even though I am technogeeky, I struggle with creating a website because I don’t have time to maintain it well. There is nothing I hate worse than a website that is not updated. I am thinking about the possibility of creating tinyurl’s, but not sure that is the answer either. I am open to suggestions from others as to where to put the pencasts so students can get to them. Are there alternatives to websites where students and parents can access the information that is easy for me as a teacher to share the pencast.

I taught at a school that had a 1-1 initiative where all students had laptops. Flipping the classroom is an excellent strategy if all students have access to technology. Even if they didn't, videos can be burned on to discs and hopefully all students have access to a dvd player. Great topic!

For those of you interested in flipping your classrooms, there is a webinar on this NOvember 28th The flipped classroom model—in which students watch video lessons for homework and receive more direct, individual instruction from teachers during class time—is rapidly gaining popularity in K-12 schools, with websites such as Khan Academy offering thousands of free video lessons. Some teachers see flipped learning as a way to spend more time working with their students and less time lecturing. But critics of the approach have called it nothing more than a high-tech, time-shifting tool that often leaves students confused about the content they’re supposed to be absorbing at home. Our guests will discuss the pros and cons of this approach and highlight the best methods for making a flipped classroom successful. https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=539872&sessionid=1&key=81F12A8BC1D279CE470613E899C83F87&partnerref=eblast&sourcepage=register

Flipped classrooms require educators to reconstruct traditional classrooms by sending lectures home and providing more face-to-face time at school, but elementary- through university-level instructors are finding good reasons to try them out. Frequently traced back to Colorado teachers Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann, who were quick to experiment with posting videos online in 2008, the flipped classroom concept is small, simple and has shown positive results. The general idea is that students work at their own pace, receiving lectures at home via online video or podcasts and then devoting class time to more in-depth discussion and traditional “homework.” Here are 16 examples of flipped learning at all levels nationwide and abroad: http://www.educationdive.com/news/16-flipped-learning-uses-in-k-12-and-college-classrooms/74311/?goback=.gde_2811_member_188437114

I am in love with the idea of flipping the classroom, but without the technology, it is very difficult. Of my 106 students, about half of them have internet access at home. I used to use Edmodo, which makes flipping so easy. You can pot the lecture video as well as a short quiz to check for basic understanding. I used this last year with my 6th grade and it was awesome! Any ideas on trying to make flipping work where home technology is limited?

Brandi Do you students have smart phones? I find that when the choice is internet and computer OR phone, the phone wins. If they have phones there are apps that can get the videos to run there.

My school is beginning a pilot program within our district this December to allow wireless access to student devices during school hours. I am excited to see how this could possibly open doors & move toward "flipping" my classroom. Thank you all for posting such helpful information.

In my most recent ASCD Education Updates, there was an article on Flipped Classrooms. A lot of information was presented, but one that particularly interested me was the data from Clintondale High School. They are a “100 percent flipped school and test results improved in every subject.” They found they had an 11% increase in English Language Arts, 5% in Social Studies and 7% in Writing. I am curious what happened with their Math and Science scores. Their graduation rate improved to 90% and disciplinary issues dropped from 736 to 187. A wondering that I am having is, as I look at the data, it appears that high schools are able to flip classrooms much easier than middle or elementary schools. I’ve talked about this concept to my middle school students and while they like the idea, they are somewhat reluctant to want to do “extra schooling” at home. I am intrigued by the idea, but still need to be convinced. The article listed several websites I had not yet visited: Clintondale High School, http://flippedhighschool.com/ Flipped Learning: http://flipped-learning.com/ Flipped Learning Network: http://flippedlearning.org/ Flipped Learning Network Ning: http://flippedclassroom.org/ Flipped Classroom Infographic: http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/ As I captured the links, I took a few minutes and glanced through the websites. This looks like a jackpot in terms of being able to learn more about the process and its success rate.

WOW! Thanks Sandy. These are great resources

A new journal article on the flipped classroom just came out this month. I am attaching it.

Attachments

Science 2.0: A Flipped Classroom in Action (Journal Article)

I just came across this infographic on flipped classrooms http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/?goback=.gde_2811_member_214928544

Hi everyone! Does anyone have any pointers on how to best manage a flipped classroom. One of my teaching colleagues recently tried introducing a flipped classroom model to teach Algebra I to an 8th grade class. He has the kids watch videos and they complete a related exercise. The students have a matrix for each chapter that outlines the videos they are supposed to watch and the assignments they are supposed to complete. He gives them two weeks to work through each chapter. At the end of the two weeks, the kids should have watched all of the videos and completed all of the exercises. The problem is at the end of the first two week period, the majority of the kids have not watched all of the videos, and have not completed the assignments. I'm curious if anyone who has been using this model has any tips or tricks to pass along? Thanks! Maureen

There will be a webinar on flipped classrooms this coming MOnday Flipped Learning Primer Part I: Basics of Flipped Learning Monday, March 18th - 4PM Eastern Time Register here http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=EB57D780844F Also of you are interested in flipped classrooms, join the flipped learning community http://www.edweb.net/flipped

I have never heard of the flipped classroom model before, but it sounds like a great idea. I would like to see the different resources used for the learning portion. I think it would be great for children to own their own learning.

I heard of that idea before and i found it extremely interesting and it can help students become more interested in the subjects. But you need to make sure there is constant interaction between you and the students, and the students themselves because when I was in  high school I had a math class that was flipped and it did not work at all. It did not work because all the work was individual and the teacher did not allow any talking between the students, and when the students would ask for a further explanation the teacher would say to watch the video with the method again.  I would recommend to try it but to not depend on the children to learn only from the videos. This method also reduces the amount of homework but if a students doesn't finish their work in the class, then you'll have to figure out if the student will need to do it at home plus the videos, or during the next class. at the end you will need to teach a lesson during class and then it will not be that much of a "flipped" classroom. 

This model of teaching sounds very interesting! Does the Flipped Classroom function better than the traditional model of teaching? I always thought that the teacher should be giving lectures in class so that the students may ask anything they aren't too sure of then do the lab after, while practice problems should be done at home at their own convenience. Do you think that the Flipped Classroom works well for other subjects or just General Science? It seems like a flipped classroom would feel like an online class. For students that don't have the technology to watch the online lectures, what do they do?

Kayla, I have two opinions on flipped classrooms. The first is extremely positive as I have seen it work wonders in a math setting! These students went home and watched the videos or lessons religiously, and would come back to class ready to discuss ideas with peers and make connections from lesson to lesson all on their own. The teacher had done enough scaffolding in the beginning of the year for the students to know how to guide a conversation, respond to and help each other, and learn to understand. They wouldn't ask the teacher questions the next morning, but instead would discuss with each other and compare notes until everyone understood. In this way, I think a flipped classroom can be wonderful. My fear with a flipped classroom is threefold. First, I wonder if some students might have trouble accessing online videos or finding a good, quiet place to watch them and learn on their own. I know where I plan to teach many students do not have a home environment that encourages such learning. Second, you might still have students who think they can get away with skipping a video once in a while, and you'll have to spend your class time teaching them anyway. And finally, a flipped classroom has to be scaffolded thoroughly and set up right at the beginning of the year with clear guidelines and expectations. I think if done right, the idea can be great and has lots of benefits so I wish you luck! And if you try it and end up with more tips, I look forward to reading them!