Still Having Questions About Flipping?

What the advocates of flipped learning say...

The discussion on flipping the classroom has grown tremendously in educational circles. If you conduct a Google search on the topic, you'll find tons of articles, posts, and videos about the topic. In all that discussion, there are, as with any topic, proponents and opponents of the practice. This summer I'll be conducting a professional development class on how to create videos for flipping the classroom. In all that discussion, we will talk about what flipping is, how it is best applied to the classroom, and ways to push video content out to students. In my research I have run across many different names of teaching professionals who have been successful at flipping. If you are interested in hearing their thoughts, here are a few heavy hitters and links to their comments and work:

• Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann
• Flipped Learning Blog
• Alan November Interviews Sams and Bergmann
• TechSmith Interview with Sams and Bergmann
• Katie Gimbar
• Elevated Math - Katie Gimbar
• Friday Institute Professional Development on Flipped Learning
 
• The Flipped Class Network

Katie posted a video back in 2011 regarding one serious question that many teachers have asked me in this discussion:  What if the kids don't watch the videos?  Interested in her response?  See her answer below:

What the opponents say... 

And as it should be with any discussion, you need to see and hear both sides of the story.  There are some groups in this discussion that are against the idea of flipping the classroom.  While flipping the classroom can be beneficial to students in many ways, it should be understood that not all lessons can be successfully flipped.  And in turn, the homework you sent home in the past should not be the same work you introduce in the flipped classroom.  The flipped classroom allows for richer and more meaningful lessons to take place in individual and group settings.  Simple drill and practice homework assignments are not for the flipped classroom.  Students will benefit from real world activities and deeper conversations that come from them.  

Although I choose to disagree, I thought it important to post a few links showing this side of the conversation. 

• Why I'm Not Flipping Over the Flipped Classroom
• Flipped classroom - What it is and my reservations of it

Although this list is short, the discussion on both sides is very lengthy.  Ultimately, the decision to flip the classroom should not come lightly.  It does take work at the outset, and should only be undertaken if you are willing to put in the work. But if you are willing, then it can create a whole new learning environment for students that draws their interest and motivates them to learn.