Summary: Learning and Leading with Technology features an interesting article titled Upside Down and Inside Out ,which addresses how to "flip" a classroom. At first, when I read the title, I did not know what to think, nor had I ever heard of it being done. After reading the article by Kathleen Fulton, I now understand that it means that the students study up on the material/lessons at home and then work on the "homework" or actual assignments in class with their peers and teacher. By sharing ideas, being able to zone out with headphones, and use the technology of their choice to watch videos and complete the homework, the students stay engaged and are sure to do their homework as long as they are in class.
Q1: In your opinion, what are the drawbacks of flipping a classroom?
A1: A few drawbacks I can think of revolve around my personal experience in secondary school. When I remember back, I was always the girl that did my homework in the classes I was good in (Statistics, Math, English), but in History and Spanish, I had to copy my peers' homework. It wasn't because I didn't try or put in the effort, it was because I really did not know the answers. My peers copied off of my homework in my classes, too. A lot of times I felt lost and confused but just really wanted to get the credit for the assignment. So, when I heard that students could work together on the homework, it made me think that the "smart" kids would be doing all the work, while the slacker got the same amount of credit. Also, I did not like that the teacher would seem to be just monitoring the classroom, rather than actually teaching. I feel like that time in classroom is so that the teacher can teach, not watch the students teach themselves. If you have an active teacher, this probably wouldn't happen, but it seems a lot of teachers are lazy and uninventive. I also feel like this technique could only work in advanced classes, or with students who really are motivated to learn. The others would get left behind and able to copy off of their neighbor.
Q2: What might be the positive effects of this technique? Would you use it in your classroom?
A2: I liked that the teacher would give pop quizzes with clickers as a way to test that the students are actually reading up on the lesson at home. I like that using a clicker, the teacher could know who was slacking, or which questions the students are having trouble with.
In addition, I liked that the students could watch video lectures at home, with the ability to pause, rewind..etc. I think the use of technology is a great and exciting idea. Again, I do feel like this would be a problem in an inner city school where you have many homes without computers.
Conclusion: In short, I am a little skeptical of this process of flipping a classroom. I think that each class, each year, is different. It would probably work for some, and fail miserably for others. I think, as an educator its important to treat each class independently and understand that they will respond to different methods individually as well.
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