Flipped classrooms are a concept that East High School has recently implemented into many advanced math classes. The idea of a flipped classroom is that lectures and homework are flipped around: homework is done in class, and lecture is done at home through a video recording. There are downsides and upsides to this new idea, but that will all be unpacked along with what effect this has on students. Teachers and students have different opinions on this new concept and if it is something that should be continued or stuck down for future years.
Benefits:
Many high schools and notable colleges use flipped classrooms in their schools. Harvard University, Boston University, the University of California, and many others use this concept of a flipped classroom in their STEM departments. This teaching technique was made popular in 2012 by John Bergman who wrote a book explaining the many benefits of flipping a classroom in this way.
According to the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, from Harvard, the benefits of a flipped classroom are that, “Students can learn at their own pace”, “instructors and TFs work more closely with students, getting to know students better and providing better assistance”, and there is “increased collaboration between students”. When the lecture is happening outside of the classroom then the teacher gets the chance to work with students individually, and cater their teaching style to the needs of that student. Kristy Skarphol is an AP Precalculus teacher whose math class is flipped, “I think a flipped classroom is beneficial…”, “It gives me more time to answer students individual questions…I feel like I can make closer relationships with students because I am able to check in with every student everyday.”
Audrey Goodman, a junior in a flipped math classroom, explains that, “because we learn the lesson at home it makes me more motivated to do it, and in class I can work with my friends and collaborate on the assignment.” Collaborative learning can be very important and make the class more engaged with the material and each other.
Drawbacks:
When instruction is not occurring in class, this lowers students' likelihood to participate in the class and keep up with the material. Students can be a whole unit behind but go unnoticed because they have the ability to work individually and be ignored. This can be especially detrimental in the AP classes that this model has been applied to because AP classes move at a much faster pace then a normal classroom. Student-athlete Declan McDonald agrees,“I think it's tough to have an entire AP class be self paced and I believe it's more engaging to do all of the learning about the individual topics in class.” Having the ability to work at your own pace in a math class at East is not beneficial.
East High School also has a huge population of students which makes class sizes up to 40 people. It's almost impossible for a teacher to serve the needs of each student with this new flipped method. “It takes away from the personal part of teaching, I understand the teachers are teaching in a video but you [students] can't stop and ask questions when you need to as you could in a regular classroom”, Theresa McDonald, activities director and teacher, asserts, “so I disagree with it wholeheartedly.”
Are flipped classrooms good or bad? According to a study from CBE Life Sciences Education, “The overall pass rates for flipped and non-flipped sections were not significantly different: 63.5% of students from flipped sections passed the course with an “A”, “B”, or “C” grade, compared with 60.2% of students from non-flipped sections”. Flipped classrooms have not yet proven to be beneficial or harmful, but with their increasing use more results of this teaching style will become apparent.
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