What is the idea of a "Flipped Classrooms" all about?
Flipped classrooms or reverse classrooms - for some strange reasons – “levels the [educational] playing field” regardless of what social economic status (SES) students came from. Supposedly, flipped classrooms are schools that are hybrids: where half the classroom is at school and the other half is at the students home, online.
The flipped side of the story says flipped classrooms discriminates
against students coming from lower SES families whose parents cannot afford to
purchase certain required up-to-date electronic devices so their children can
even access teacher’s recorded assignments online. If students
have access to these certain electronic devices and can review instructor’s
recorded lecture notes until they fully comprehend content - and because of it –
are better prepared to advance to the next level. Then the flipped classrooms
could turn out to be a better fit for those students.
What do you need to know about "Flipped Classrooms"?
The traditional teaching practices and methods are switched completely around (reversed) into workshop(s) and students are able to review teacher lectures at home as often as they like. That is, providing students even have access to certain electronic devices with good internet speed capable of uploading/downloading teacher’s recorded lecture assignments on the internet.
The traditional teaching practices and methods are switched completely around (reversed) into workshop(s) and students are able to review teacher lectures at home as often as they like. That is, providing students even have access to certain electronic devices with good internet speed capable of uploading/downloading teacher’s recorded lecture assignments on the internet.
Students collaborate with other classmates in groups and ask
questions and inquire about content from peers to receive multiple perspectives
on content or project. This can only enrich students learning and comprehension
because student are required to think - within and outside - the box or
traditional teaching and learning methods and practices.
How do you see this as a possible tool in your
own classroom?
I could see using flipped classrooms as an alternative or for emergency reasons. For instance, say a student had a death in the family where her/his parents had to take them away for some time but the student can access the assignments online with ease (having a computer and good internet access) and made special arrangements with teacher in order that student do not fall far behind. The flipped classroom could turn out to be the useful tool for those students, possibly.
I could see using flipped classrooms as an alternative or for emergency reasons. For instance, say a student had a death in the family where her/his parents had to take them away for some time but the student can access the assignments online with ease (having a computer and good internet access) and made special arrangements with teacher in order that student do not fall far behind. The flipped classroom could turn out to be the useful tool for those students, possibly.
Or, I could see possibly using flipped classroom as a tool
if say [all] my students had access to good running internet speed and had
compatible computers at home for accessing my recorded lecture notes and assignments online. Then come the following day students can spend more time reflecting and
synthesizing content learned with collaborating in groups and away at
home.
The idea behind this method is great and I can see potential with it, but I still have some questions and doubts. After reading both articles, I found myself of the critic side. My main issue with this teaching method is that it assumes every student has access to the internet, which as we know, isn't always the case. One of the articles mentioned that it "levels the playing field" with students and it really makes me wonder, how? To me, it seems like this method favors only one learning style, and it is our job as teachers to ensure that we find as many ways possible in incorporate all learning styles.
ReplyDeleteI think you raised a valid point with your mentioning that this tool is only useful in the context of every student having access to decent internet access. However, I think that the ease of attaining this access is somewhat underplayed generally. While there are certainly students who would not have this access, the United Nations declared Internet Access to be a fundamental human right in 2011, and whether it is on smart devices, through home computers, through tools given out by the school (such as iPads), or through access to computers at school or at public libraries. True, this access may not always be very high-quality, but I feel that this concern is on an even level with problems faced with any out-of-school assignment: not all students will have access to the same tools, sources of help, or productive studying environments whether they're working online or writing things out by hand.
ReplyDeleteTo respond to Julia's comments above, I think that the leveling of the playing field they mention comes from a somewhat unexpected direction; by removing the availability and education level of parents as a consideration. In my own primary and secondary education, I found (especially as I reached higher grades) that I had to get a decent amount of help from my parents, particularly in my weaker subjects. I have the advantage of two very highly educated parents whose jobs allow them to be home most of the time, but many students don't have those edges, and being expected to do work building off of an in class lecture at home can leave many students adrift. By having the at-home work be more oriented toward the dissemination of information, it's possible to devote class time to making sure students have access to an expert in the subject when they're expected to be building off of previous information.