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Cameron throws his paper airplane, and watches with glee as it sails past his
classmates. Despite how that sounds, he isnt acting up instead, he is
following his teachers instructions. The 12-year-old American student,
enrolled in Year 7 at Dulwich College Beijing (DCB), designed the airplane as
one of his mathematics class projects.
And thats not the only revolutionary aspect of the course. In fact, its entire
curriculum has been turned inside out in a new flipped classroom model that
is designed to put the onus on students, rather than have them sitting and
listening for too long.
The best thing about this is that its independent learning. They are
completely in charge of their own progress, says Bernard DSouza, who hails
from England and teaches Year 5-13 mathematics at DCB, of the schools
flipped classroom approach. He goes on to describe how the model works:
teachers don't lecture in class, but instead make instructional videos during
their prep time with clear, eye catching graphics and animations. Students are
tasked with watching these videos at home, so that they arrive in class ready
to work on exercises that test their comprehension, before being permitted to
move on to fun, hands-on projects like designing paper airplanes, or models
of bridges and buildings.
Below DSouza and his colleagues Chris Stanley, who is also British and
works as the schools head of mathematics, and Katrijn Ganne, a Flemish
DCB mathematics teacher for Years 7-12 tell us more about why flipped
classrooms may be the way of the future. Well also hear from the DCB
students, like Cameron, who are relishing this opportunity to take more
ownership of their learning.
Chris Stanley plays one of the instructional videos that he and his colleagues
made for their students
Chris Stanley
In a flipped classroom the teacher is a facilitator, rather than a sage on the
stage. We spend the class going around helping students with the work. By
having the instruction happen at home, as the students watch the videos,
youll have a lesson of 55 minutes with real learning at school, where students
move around and talk about the work.
This new system makes the students work harder, because they dont
want to see their friends get too far ahead of them. Thats more motivating
than anything I can tell them. In such an environment, theres nothing to hold
you back but your efforts.
Its not only teaching them skills, but also independent learning and
organisation. Theres all these extra skills involved, so theyre taking real
responsibility for their education. These are skills that will not only help them
in school, but throughout life in all the things theyll do.
Katrijn Ganne poses with one of her student's creative scale maps
Katrijn Ganne
The biggest benefit is that the students can work at their own pace. I have
some students doing the final chapter right now, while others are taking the
time they need to understand the midway chapters. So they can take it steady
and slow when they have to. But, at same time, theyll see the others moving
along, and think: Ok, Ill do more work to keep up. We dont have to push
them.
The parents are amazed at how innovative this is, because the students
learn how to plan their own work. This approach is more student focused,
because many students are coming to class doing exercises at different
stages of the curriculum, depending on how quickly theyve gone through the
instructional videos at home. That means the teacher is constantly circulating
during class time, and is never at their own desk or standing at the front and
lecturing. Its more work for the teachers especially when you consider how
much time it takes to make the instructional videos, and how much individual
attention each student needs. But that means its more beneficial for the
students.
Flipped classrooms are also very good for English as an Additional
Language (EAL) students. Many of them are very shy initially, and afraid to
make a mistake when they speak, especially when the teacher spends all
their time at the front of the room, on high. But with this new setup, the
teacher is constantly approaching them, and the students are constantly
working with each other.
After they finish the videos at home, and work through the comprehension
exercises in class, the students are then freed up to do more hands-on
projects. One of my students made a scale map, and it was a great cross
curricular opportunity with art, because shed burned its edges to make it look
like an ancient treasure map. For another project, the students had to make a
miniature bridge, then determine how much weight it could sustain. They
really enjoyed measuring how much their models could take, and eventually
destroying them with too much weight. I think it blew their minds to have a
productive reason to do something as fun as destroy their work!
Bernard D'Souza, DCB mathematics teacher, and head of Alleyn house
Bernard DSouza
The projects like making airplanes, bridges and maps are hugely
motivating for the students. My students especially loved making paper
airplanes with straws, figuring out the aerodynamics and surface area that
would take their planes as far as possible. Theyre striving to finish the
instructional videos at home, and comprehension work in class, so that they
can get to those fun, hands-on projects.
This makes them more independent. Theyll need to know the work very
well, to progress at their own pace, and that compels them to come to the
teacher when they need help. So the environment is much friendlier, and
makes the students more confident to speak to the teacher and each other.
Thats what university is like: youre in charge of doing the work yourself.
You need to ensure you understand the lessons, and do the revision thats
required. Theyre tasked with watching the videos at home and coming
prepared to class to work. And if they choose to lag behind and watch the
videos in class, then theyre missing that face time that they could be using to
ask the teacher about questions that theyre stuck on. Every child pushes
back when an adult tells them to do something, so having them decide what
theyre going to do, and when, is a far bigger incentive.
DCB Year 7 student Tobias designed and built his own bridge for his
mathematics class
I just enjoyed making the bridge, because I always like constructing things.
I also learned a lot about tension and design by putting weights on the bridge
in class with the teacher, and seeing how much the bridge could sustain.
Maybe someday Ill become an engineer.