Flipping the Old School

A Flipped classroom is an innovative concept. I know, from experience, that classes where the teacher lectures for an hour and then gives out homework, is not the best way for students to learn. Students get bored, they fall asleep, they zone out, and the worst outcome is that they do not learn a thing. 

This is where the flipping occurs. Simply put, teachers give the lesson outside the classroom while the students are at home. They can do this through videos or screencasts of a lesson, or any other interactive module that students can access online. The kids would watch the video/presentation at home and then the classroom time would be used for intense discussion and for help in understanding the lesson. 

From what I have read, the best argument for a Flipped classroom is that students become active learners. They are no longer being lectured into boredom and sent off to do homework. The students have way to slow down or speed up the learning process. Having the ability to pause the teacher, and then replay a part of the lesson is invaluable. Instead of spending classroom time going over a lesson over and over again, the students can do that in their home. Then, in the classroom, the teacher can have the students discuss the lesson. Since their understanding is better, they can have more in-depth discussions and can analyze the subject better. Furthermore, a teacher can focus on the students who are still having a hard time understanding the material, while giving harder topics to the ones that are excelling in the class.

Is this a perfect strategy? No, I think there are flaws to it. Students may have a hard time accessing online content if they are without internet or computers at home. I can also envision students simply blowing off the assignment since it is basically homework. I do see this being a valuable way to change up the dynamic of a classroom. It can keep the students from getting bored of a classroom routine and the interactive model can keep the students engaged more so than a traditional lecture classroom.