What You Should Know About Flipped Classroom

In a traditional classroom model (probably the kind us parents are familiar with), the teacher spends the majority of his/her time instructing the children on a particular lesson, usually through direct teaching methods or a lecture style presentation. Information is presented to the students. Students are expected to listen attentively and possibly ask questions at the appropriate time. Then homework is assigned to be completed between classes to help reinforce the concepts taught in the classroom. The flipped classroom, on the other hand, takes this model and turns it upside-down.   The flipped classroom model uses technology to deliver instruction to the students in electronic format (think web modules, PowerPoint® presentations, and even You Tube videos) before and between classes. Then actual class time (face-to-face interaction with the teacher) is spent answering questions and working through homework assignments - essentially "flipping" the traditional classroom teaching model. Proponents of the flipped classroom argue that this allows for more individualized attention on a student's weak areas, and also lessens frustration and confusion over homework, leading to greater percentages of completed homework assignments. And using technology to deliver the instructional content allows kids to pace themselves during the learning process, lessening the frustration often found in a traditional classroom setting where the teacher must move forward in a lesson plan whether all students have understood the information or not. This is a major paradigm shift for classroom education.