TrendsInEducationalTechnology:FlippedClassrooms

TrendsInEducationalTechnology

BenjaminStephenson

UniversityofNebraskaatKearney

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OfallthetrendsintechnologythatareimpactingeducationtodayIbelieveflipped
classroomstheonethatwillhavethegreatesteffectduringthenextfiveyears.
AsdefinedbytheFlippedClassroomNetwork,theflippedclassroomisapedagogical
approachinwhichdirectinstructionmovesfromthegrouplearningspacetotheindividual
learningspace,andtheresultinggroupspaceistransformedintoadynamic,interactive
learningenvironmentinwhichtheeducatorguidesstudentsastheyapplyconceptsand
engagecreativelyinthesubjectmatter(FlippedLearningNetwork(FLN),2014).Flipped
classroomsrepresentachangeinclassroomsthatcanhaveaprofoundimpactonboth
teachersandstudents.
Thebasicpremiseoftheflippedclassroomisthestudentwatchesalessonthrougha
deliveryprocessotherthantraditionalteacherledlessons.Thiscantaketheformofa
prerecordedvideo,apodcastoravarietyofotherdeliverymethods.Studentsthenhavethe
opportunitytobringtheknowledgebacktotheclassroomandapplywhattheyhavelearned
withthehelpoftheteacher.Flippedclassroomsallowteacherstomovefromthetraditional
roleofprimarysourceofinformationtomoreofafacilitatorofknowledgeacquisition.Students
becomelesspassivelearnersandbegintotakeamorepersonalresponsibilityfortheir
learning.

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InhisblogEducator,Learner,BrianBennettmakesthecasethatflipped
classroomsarenotabouttechnology.AccordingtoBennett,allsuccessfulflippedclassrooms
havethreeimportantelements.First,inaflippedclassroomstudentshaveavoiceandthe
teacherscreatearolewhereindividualstudentscanbesuccessfulinavarietyofways.
Second,inaflippedclassroom,teachersbecomebetterteachersbecausetheyare
continuallydifferentiatingandusingongoingassessmenttofacilitatestudentlearning.Finally,
flippedclassroomsallowforclassesandschoolstodelivercontentinavarietyofwayssothe
flippedclassorschoolbecomesaplaceofsupportedlearning.(Bennett,Brian2012).
Ibelievetheflippedclassroomwillhavesuchaprofoundimpactoneducationduring
thenextfiveyearsbecauseittranscendstechnologyandeffectswhatreallyneedstohappen
forstudentstobecomesuccessful21stcenturylearners.IntheblogarticleFlipped
Classroom2.0:CompetencyLearningWithVideos,AaronSamsandJonathanBergmann
talkabouthowflippedclassroomsarenotaboutvideosbutareaboutstudentsactively
engaginginlearningwiththehelpoftheteacher.Bergmann,oneofthepioneersinflipped
classrooms,sayswhenhebeganflippinghisclassroomhisthinkingshiftedfromIdont
teachscience,IteachkidstoIdontteachscience,Iteachkidshowtolearn.(Bergmann,
2014).Thisbeliefthatflippedclassroomscanhaveanimpactonhowstudentslearnisexactly
whyflippedclassroomswillbesoimpactful.Theamountofinformationstudentsareexposed
toandhowquicklythatinformationchangesmakesitcriticalthatstudentshaveskillsin
informationacquisitionandtheabilitytoprocessandthencreatesomethingoutofthat
information.Flippedclassroomshelpteachstudentsthoseabilitiesmoresothanthe
traditionalmethodofinstruction.Someidentified21stcenturyskillsthatstudentsneedto
havewhentheyleavehighschoolinColoradoarecriticalthinking,informationliteracy,

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collaboration,selfdirectionandcreatingsolutions.Byusingaflippedclassroommanyof
theseskillscanbelearnedbystudentsmoreeffectivelythaninatraditionalclasssetting.
InBergmannandSamsbookFlipYourClassroom:ReachEveryStudentInEvery
ClassEveryDay,theauthorsgivealistof15reasonstoflipyourclassroom.Ofthose15,the
firstonetheymentionisflippedclassroomsspeaktothisgenerationoflearnerswhohave
grownupwithtechnologyandhavingaworldofinformationattheirfingertips.Aseducators,it
isourresponsibilitytomeettheneedsofthesestudentsflippedclassroomscanhelpdothat.
InEducationWeeksBlog:FlippedLearning:TakeItorLeaveIt,theauthorsendtheirarticle
bysayingflippedclassroomsarenotachangeofpracticeforteachersalonethisisa
transformativepracticeforallofus(BerkowiczandMyers).Iagreewiththeauthorsthat,if
donecorrectly,flippedclassroomscanhaveaprofoundeffectoneducationandopportunities
forstudenttosucceedandbereadyforlifeinthe21stcentury.

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WhatIsFlippedLearning.FlippedLearningNetwork.March12.2014

Bennett,B(2014,October10),FlippedClassrooms:Letschangethediscussion.Retrieved
fromhttp://smartblogs.com/education/2012/08/07/flippedclassroomsletschangediscussion/

Bergmann,Jonathan(2013,November11),TheBiggestHurdletoFlippingyourClass.
Retrievedfromhttp://www.edutopia.org/blog/biggesthurdleflippingyourclassjonbergmann

Bergmann,J.,&Sams,A.,(2012),FlipYOURClassroomReachEveryStudentEveryClass
EveryDay

Berkowicz,J.,&Myers,A.,(2013,April16),FlippedLearning:TakeItorLeaveIt.retrieved
from
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/leadership_360/2013/04/flipped_learning_take_it_or_leave_it
.html