Flipped Classrooms- David Jesselson

While explaining to the geography class I was teaching that we were

going to attempt to establish a flipped classroom, most of the
students could not understand what I was trying to do. "So we need
to study at home for a test each week?"- Some asked, while others
complained about getting more homework "we have too much as
is!" One student took it even further- "So basically" he said," you
dont want to teach- so we have to study at home so you can come
to class and just watch us do homework".
Their complaints (which are usually about everything anyway) made
me think: maybe I'm explaining it wrong. How can I sell the concept
of a flipped classroom to them, and make them understand that this
would be better for them? And above all this, am I sure that this is
the best system for this class?
The short answer is that I dont know, I wanted to try and flip the
class, since I really believed in these students and their ability to
work as individuals outside of the classroom. In order to convince
others, I needed to look into the issue further.

When weighing the pros and cons of a flipped classroom, we need to

consider the following elements ("10 Pros And Cons Of A Flipped
:Classroom", te@ch thought, 2012)
Pro
1. Students have more control
The flipped structure and expectation that they should grasp the
material "on their own" - allows students who need more time to
understand certain concepts to take their time reviewing the
material without getting left behind, and receive immediate

assistance from teachers and classmates when back in class. On the

other hand, stronger students will finish the material quickly and
move on to the next issue at hand. This also improves the student
behavior- since they will find themselves working harder in class.
2. It promotes student-centered learning and collaboration
Students are free to study whatever way they see fit- without having
to adapt to the way the material is taught in class. Once the
students understand the best way to study at home- class time be
used to master skills through collaborative projects and discussions.
By allowing students to develop in their own learning, they are able
to own the knowledge they achieve, which will build confidence.
Teachers can help the students understand the best ways fro them
to study- by identifying issues in their study technique in class.
3. Lessons and content are more accessible (provided there
is tech access)
Students, who are forced to miss class due to illness, sports,
vacations or emergencies, reach the material wherever and
whenever they need to. The access to information at all times
teaches how to navigate information in the "real world"- where the
information is available but needs to be processed correctly.
4. Access = easier for parents to see whats going on
Parent collaboration can be a very positive element in the students
life and learning experience, and the flipped classroom provides the
parents with access to all the material learned in class- which in turn
will allow the parents to assist the students (and possibly the
teacher and class) whenever they can- since they are constantly
aware of the happenings in the class.
5. Efficiency

Time wise and study wise. Not only will the students have
discovered the best way to study on their own and discover their
learning habits- the flipped classroom provides them with more free
time to engaged in other school related activities or extracurricular
programs that they will approach differently since they have
.discovered the best way for themselves to study
However, there has predictably been some criticism to this bold new
model of teaching and learning.
Cons
1. It can create or exacerbate a digital divide
Those who claim the reliance on digital devices sidetracks a
student's learning abilities will point out that this system does not
give the students the option to study without a computer (and for
religious Jewish students- there is no way to study on Shabbat!). it
does also not consider the socioeconomic divides- and assumes
that everyone has access to the internet at home.
2. It relies on preparation and trust
Teachers need to spend more time preparing the classes; students
spend more time preparing for the class- and each side need to trust
that the other one is doing his work.
3. There is significant work on the front-end
Taping and uploading condensed lectures, introducing activities in
the classroom that will enhance the subject matter as well as
motivate students to participate and prepare for class- all these time
and skill. The system will require additional time and effort from
teachers at all stages.
4. Not naturally a test-prep form of learning

This needs to be addressed when considering standard testing

(within counties or countries) testing which will interrupt the flow
of the flipped class. It also forces the school to find alternative
evaluation for the classrooms.
5. Time in front of screensinstead of people and placesis
increased
Once again, we might not be preparing out students for the real
world by teaching them to absorb material while sitting in front of a
computer.
So if after considering all these you would still like to teach in a
flipped classroom, you must adopt the listed below: (Flipped
Learning Network (FLN). (2014), The Four Pillars of F-L-I-P):

Flexible environment- while those classes should be panned as far

ahead as possible, there is still a need to exhibit flexibility and the
teacher should know that he has the ability to adapt as the year(s)
progresses.
Learning culture- since this will probably be new to most of the
students, the teacher needs to make sure that he can implement
the ideal learning culture- one that will provide his students with the
ability to study on their own and engaged in a positive learning
experience in class afterwards.
Intentional content- certain "benchmarks of content" should be set,
in order to make sure that the teaching is not sporadic and is
anchored in what needs to be taught within the curriculum.
Professional teacher- this is more of an administrative issue- but a
teacher should not develop a flipped classroom unless he or she can
handle the work that comes with it (see above). It would be difficult

to expect a teacher to understand that he cannot handle such a

class- and in this instance the principal needs to follow up on the
classes and decide.

Most importantly, as my class helped me understand, you need to

make sure that the flipped is not defined as "school work at home
and homework at school" a definition that might scare the
students (and staff, and parents) away. The system should be
implemented slowly, while making it a point to collaborate with
students, teachers and parents.
When considering how a flipped classroom promotes differentiated
instruction, the answer should be quite obvious. I cannot currently
think of a better system for working with individual students.
Within the classroom, once the students have come to work, the
teacher now has the ability to work with individual students and
make sure that there are on par with the rest of the class. When
regarding the work at home- the teacher can offer different
materials for each of the students at their own personal level.
However, as we said, this demands great attention and work from
the teacher, which begs the final question: do you think you can
handle a flipped classroom?