My Flipped Classroom
You may notice many different things about my classroom as compared to other teachers. I teach with a method known as the flipped classroom. Here are some FAQ’s I frequently get about my methods and its efficacy.
What is the flipped classroom?
In the traditional classroom, the teacher generally presents the content during class and the students do their problem-solving homework outside of class. The flipped classroom “flips” the location of the learning so that students watch a short video with basic concepts outside of class and then come to class to review the concepts with the teacher and do their problem solving during class.
Why flip the classroom?
Many students do not have access to help at home, whether parents aren’t home when the student does his/her homework or doesn’t understand or remember it themselves. Flipping the classroom lets me, the teacher, be with the students when they need me most…as they’re doing their problem solving work.
How does this change the way math homework is done?
What we have known as “homework” has typically been a set of problems that were assigned so that your child could practice what he/she learned in class. Since this type of work will now occur during class time, student “homework” will now be to view instructional videos that I have prepared. These instructional videos will introduce your student to math concepts. They will be taught how to be active learners while viewing the videos so that they can understand the concepts presented. Students will take notes in a math notebook to show accountability. Each day their notes will be given a 10-point completion grade.
How can my student learn from a short video?
I have prepared these videos to be clear and concise. Most are under 15 minutes. Students will be taught how to be active learners by using the “pause” function when they need to write something down or just to take a minute to process. They will also be taught to use the “rewind” function when they need to hear information again. Students will be able to learn in an environment free from the distraction of fellow students (hopefully) and learn at their own pace throughout the video. In their notes, they should write down questions they want to address with the teacher in class.
What if my student doesn’t understand something in the video?
If your student does not understand something in the video and requests your help, there are a number of things you can do:
· Have your student review the video at a slower pace. Make sure they use the pause and rewind functions when they don’t understand something. This will help them pinpoint where they are getting confused.
· Work through example problems. Videos often contain example problems. While these problems are not all the types of problems your student will encounter in the unit, they are designed to help launch the student from a basic understanding of the concepts to a thorough understanding whereby they can tackle problem types they may not have encountered before. Have your student pause the video, copy the problem down and then work through the problem before resuming the video.
· Watch the video with your student. One of the best parts about the flipped classroom is that parents/guardians now have direct access to the teachers’ instruction. This will allow you to view the video with your student and help them if they get stuck.
· Communicate with me. I encourage the student to write questions in their notes to address with me the next day in class. I want students to communicate their questions directly with me that way they get practice clearly articulating these questions and I have the opportunity to help them pinpoint their area of concern, if they have not already done so. My goal for students is to have them be able to get to the point where they have specific questions for me that they have thoroughly thought through.
What are the benefits of learning from a video?
· Pace. One of the benefits of learning from a video is that your child can view the video at their own pace. Imagine a classroom where the teacher is lecturing to 25+ students. What would happen if one of those students didn’t understand what the teacher had just explained? Some students are bold enough to raise their hand to indicate they did not understand, but others are not. Still others have their learning interrupted by questions from other students. Lessons can now be rewound or replayed. Students can review them prior to test/quizzes.
· Teacher interaction and personalization. The greatest benefit of learning form the video, however, will be the time that is now available in class for your student to work through problems and interact with me. Class time will be more personalized for your student as students work through problems together and with me. They will be able to work more at their own pace as they learn.
What happens if my child falls behind?
In a traditional classroom setting, it can be days before a teacher realizes that a student does not understand the concepts, as feedback occurs only after an assignment has been graded. This delay is critical in mathematics and leads to much frustration on everyone’s part. In a flipped classroom, teachers have more time with students as they complete their work to tutor, remediate and help students understand difficult concepts.
How will this improve student learning?
The goals of the flipped classroom are to improve student learning, increase student engagement and increased differentiation of math instruction. Because I have more time with each student, I can tailor explanations and work to meet their needs more fully.
Is the content different as compared to other classes?
No, the content is identical. I simply present the same lessons via video that I would present in class. Weirdly enough, without all the interruptions and distractions, it ends up taking surprisingly little time to do so.
How will equity of technological resources be addressed?
Students will complete a technology survey at the beginning of the semester/year. Students without Internet access will meet with me to create an individualized plan to help them access the videos without problems. The content will be available on YouTube so that students with any piece of technology that can connect to the Internet will be able to access the videos. Additionally, students may watch videos during class (if they have time) or during lunch.
Will there be more work to be done at home than for other students?
The workload will be similar for all students, but the homework for students in a flipped classroom may only take 15-30 minutes to watch the video and take notes. My hope is that the time spent on homework will eventually decrease over the course of the year.
What if I don’t see ANY homework being done? How can I ensure my student is working on math consistently?
Students will each have a math notebook. Each unit of instruction will have a Learning Guide page that will be in their notebooks. These learning guides list individual lessons, complete with dates they should be done by, and spaces for me to stamp off the completion or give a score of less than complete. A stamp indicates full points. Anything scores less than full credit or a missing stamp indicates that the student receives either the lower score or has not turned an assignment in. I attempt to keep grades current throughout the unit, but you can check their notes in the notebook and their assignments as well to ensure they are actually completing them.
I hope this clears up any basic questions you may have concerning my teaching methods. If you have any other questions or suggestions, please email me at [email protected].
What is the flipped classroom?
In the traditional classroom, the teacher generally presents the content during class and the students do their problem-solving homework outside of class. The flipped classroom “flips” the location of the learning so that students watch a short video with basic concepts outside of class and then come to class to review the concepts with the teacher and do their problem solving during class.
Why flip the classroom?
Many students do not have access to help at home, whether parents aren’t home when the student does his/her homework or doesn’t understand or remember it themselves. Flipping the classroom lets me, the teacher, be with the students when they need me most…as they’re doing their problem solving work.
How does this change the way math homework is done?
What we have known as “homework” has typically been a set of problems that were assigned so that your child could practice what he/she learned in class. Since this type of work will now occur during class time, student “homework” will now be to view instructional videos that I have prepared. These instructional videos will introduce your student to math concepts. They will be taught how to be active learners while viewing the videos so that they can understand the concepts presented. Students will take notes in a math notebook to show accountability. Each day their notes will be given a 10-point completion grade.
How can my student learn from a short video?
I have prepared these videos to be clear and concise. Most are under 15 minutes. Students will be taught how to be active learners by using the “pause” function when they need to write something down or just to take a minute to process. They will also be taught to use the “rewind” function when they need to hear information again. Students will be able to learn in an environment free from the distraction of fellow students (hopefully) and learn at their own pace throughout the video. In their notes, they should write down questions they want to address with the teacher in class.
What if my student doesn’t understand something in the video?
If your student does not understand something in the video and requests your help, there are a number of things you can do:
· Have your student review the video at a slower pace. Make sure they use the pause and rewind functions when they don’t understand something. This will help them pinpoint where they are getting confused.
· Work through example problems. Videos often contain example problems. While these problems are not all the types of problems your student will encounter in the unit, they are designed to help launch the student from a basic understanding of the concepts to a thorough understanding whereby they can tackle problem types they may not have encountered before. Have your student pause the video, copy the problem down and then work through the problem before resuming the video.
· Watch the video with your student. One of the best parts about the flipped classroom is that parents/guardians now have direct access to the teachers’ instruction. This will allow you to view the video with your student and help them if they get stuck.
· Communicate with me. I encourage the student to write questions in their notes to address with me the next day in class. I want students to communicate their questions directly with me that way they get practice clearly articulating these questions and I have the opportunity to help them pinpoint their area of concern, if they have not already done so. My goal for students is to have them be able to get to the point where they have specific questions for me that they have thoroughly thought through.
What are the benefits of learning from a video?
· Pace. One of the benefits of learning from a video is that your child can view the video at their own pace. Imagine a classroom where the teacher is lecturing to 25+ students. What would happen if one of those students didn’t understand what the teacher had just explained? Some students are bold enough to raise their hand to indicate they did not understand, but others are not. Still others have their learning interrupted by questions from other students. Lessons can now be rewound or replayed. Students can review them prior to test/quizzes.
· Teacher interaction and personalization. The greatest benefit of learning form the video, however, will be the time that is now available in class for your student to work through problems and interact with me. Class time will be more personalized for your student as students work through problems together and with me. They will be able to work more at their own pace as they learn.
What happens if my child falls behind?
In a traditional classroom setting, it can be days before a teacher realizes that a student does not understand the concepts, as feedback occurs only after an assignment has been graded. This delay is critical in mathematics and leads to much frustration on everyone’s part. In a flipped classroom, teachers have more time with students as they complete their work to tutor, remediate and help students understand difficult concepts.
How will this improve student learning?
The goals of the flipped classroom are to improve student learning, increase student engagement and increased differentiation of math instruction. Because I have more time with each student, I can tailor explanations and work to meet their needs more fully.
Is the content different as compared to other classes?
No, the content is identical. I simply present the same lessons via video that I would present in class. Weirdly enough, without all the interruptions and distractions, it ends up taking surprisingly little time to do so.
How will equity of technological resources be addressed?
Students will complete a technology survey at the beginning of the semester/year. Students without Internet access will meet with me to create an individualized plan to help them access the videos without problems. The content will be available on YouTube so that students with any piece of technology that can connect to the Internet will be able to access the videos. Additionally, students may watch videos during class (if they have time) or during lunch.
Will there be more work to be done at home than for other students?
The workload will be similar for all students, but the homework for students in a flipped classroom may only take 15-30 minutes to watch the video and take notes. My hope is that the time spent on homework will eventually decrease over the course of the year.
What if I don’t see ANY homework being done? How can I ensure my student is working on math consistently?
Students will each have a math notebook. Each unit of instruction will have a Learning Guide page that will be in their notebooks. These learning guides list individual lessons, complete with dates they should be done by, and spaces for me to stamp off the completion or give a score of less than complete. A stamp indicates full points. Anything scores less than full credit or a missing stamp indicates that the student receives either the lower score or has not turned an assignment in. I attempt to keep grades current throughout the unit, but you can check their notes in the notebook and their assignments as well to ensure they are actually completing them.
I hope this clears up any basic questions you may have concerning my teaching methods. If you have any other questions or suggestions, please email me at [email protected].
“The time when students really need me physically present
is when they get stuck
and need my individual help”
- Bergmann and Sams,
“Flip Your Classroom”, 2012.
Helpful Flipped Classroom Articles:
http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/