Journal #3: "Upside Down and Inside Out"

Fulton, K. (2012). Upside down and inside out: Flip your classroom to improve student learning. Learning & leading, 39(8), 12-13. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120607?pg=14&pm=2&fs=1.

Summary:  In this article author Kathleen Fulton examines the "flipped" classroom, asking if there is real merit in the concept or if it's just the most recent fad in education.  Citing the experience of a Minnesota high school that "flipped" (assigning students to watch lectures at home and using class time to complete assignments that would traditionally be homework) due to budgetary and economic issues, as well as the promising results shown by early assessment data collected there, Fulton concludes that the flipped classroom is more than just a snake oil remedy.  While flipped teaching may not be right for every subject in every school, it is definitely a legitimate tool teachers and administrators should consider seriously, particularly because of its emphasis on meeting individual student needs and its relevance in this time when educators must adapt to show students how to use technology for life-long learning.


It's exciting to think about trying to flip my own classes, but I also have a few concerns.  First, I worry that students would not watch the video (or enough of the video) lectures at home.  Lack of understanding would probably show up in daily assessment quizzes; not a problem if it happens infrequently, but very troublesome as habitual behavior.  Flipping pioneer Jonathan Bergman maintains that when given this type of control students in fact take more responsibility for their learning.  Most likely I would just have to try it out and watch what happens, while being prepared to address the situation along the way.

Next I wonder what impact flipped teaching might have on the families at my school.  Our population is solidly middle- and upper-middle class.  The majority have at least one computer, but many families are limited to that one, either by moral choice (it's much easier to monitor a teenager's computer use if he or she is working at the one household computer located in the family room!) or by financial necessity--they are already paying for private school, often for several children.  How would mandating computer usage at home several nights per week affect these families?  In that respect I tend to agree with former teacher Derrick Waddell who feels that the flipped classroom method will effectively disenfranchise a certain segment of students.

Question #1: Some critics argue that the "flipped classroom" concept does not really alter our educational model.  If true, does this invalidate its usefulness?

Answer:  No, although some of the criticisms are valid.  I agree that the weakest part of the concept is watching video lectures at home.  This passive activity might be interrupted or thwarted by many factors, such as lack of computer/Internet access, sports or extracurricular activity commitments, and turbulent or unstable home situations.  Also, in the current climate, teachers are still judged according to student performance on standardized test, which clashes with the premise of flipped education and could result in teacher vulnerability.  Until these two areas are addressed, the flipped classroom concept will not reach its full potential.  However, I think that educational experiences will improve if teachers and students refine the concept further.


Question #2: What classes, age group(s) or lessons that you teach would best lend themselves to flipping?

Answer:   I'm glad that the article talked about trying to flip specific lessons before committing to flipping an entire curriculum.  For the 11th grade AP U.S. History class, I could record a lecture on "The Ten Most Important Supreme Court Cases Before the Civil War," for students to watch at home, then have them use Internet and textbook to research more in class.  I would end the lesson by pairing students and having them debate which one case is the most significant.  For another lesson, I could begin a power point lecture in class and then have students access the final section of slides from home before answering a prompt posted on the class blog and commenting on two of their classmates' responses.  The class I think would be easiest to fully flip is the 10th grade World History because these students are less proficient readers who also tend to be tech savvy.  They would welcome the chance to use more technology and also be more likely to benefit from a "less reading, fewer lectures," format.