Flipped Classrooms A Summary and Analysis for the Christian School Administrator

What Is The Flipped Classroom?  “The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed” (Educause 2012, 1)

“The main goal in flipping a class is to cultivate deeper, richer active learning experiences for students” (University of Washington 2016)

Issues Driving the Flipped Classroom  Student retention  Personalized help and immediate feedback  Different learning paces

Can Flipped Classrooms Solve Our Educational Issues?

Pros of the Flipped Classroom  Pros for the Student  Pros for the Teacher  Pros for the Family  Pros for the Administrator

Benefits for the Student  Self-Paced Learning - Students who learn quickly can move ahead -Slower students have time to develop understanding  Mastery learning - Getting things right

Pros for the Teacher  Students come to class prepared  Students are engaged learners - Fewer behavioral problems

Pros for the Family  Children get expert help in completing their homework problems  In-class practice -Targeted, in-class opportunities for students to practice their skills with corrected teacher feedback is 4x as effective as homework (Beesley and Apthorp 2010)

Pros for the Administrator  Flipped classrooms may reduce class failure and lead to better student achievement  This can turn struggling schools (and at-risk students) around

Cons of Flipped Classrooms  Cons for the Student  Cons for the Teacher  Cons for the Family  Cons for the Administrator

Cons for the Student  Are flipped classrooms shortchanging a full foundation of knowledge?  Will a flipped classroom structure make it difficult for students to adapt to a conventional college class?

Cons for the Teacher  No guarantee students will cooperate -What if a student does not watch the video lecture?  Complexity of facilitating student classroom activity

Cons for the Family  Not all households have computer and Internet access  Do children need more screen time?

Cons for the Administrator  Difficulty marketing certain aspects of flipped classrooms  Difficulty evaluating teacher effectiveness

“ ” The flipped classroom model fundamentally redefines the role of the teacher, student, and knowledge Analysis

“ ” What inverted classrooms may really be flipping is not just the classroom, but the entire paradigm of teaching” (Goodwin and Miller 2013)

Flipped Classrooms Change the Role of the Student  Instead of students being learners of knowledge and truth, they become constructors in the learning process  Biblical View: “Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord” (Psalm 34:11, KJV)

The Role of Knowledge is Changed in the Flipped Classroom  Knowledge in the traditional, teacher-centered classroom is objective and acquired by students  Knowledge in the student-centered classroom is subjective and constructed  Biblical View: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and discipline” (Proverbs 1:5)

Philosophical Roots of the Flipped Classroom  The flipped classroom is a philosophical compilation of:  Jean Piaget’s developmental theory  Lev Vygotsky’s social constructivism  John Dewey’s social experience theory

-Intelligence develops in discrete stages in a child -Children develop naturally when ready -Discovery learning is key Jean Piaget’s Developmentalism

-Social context is the critical for cognitive development -Students should learn through discussions, collaboration, and group projects Lev Vygotsky’s Social Constructivism

-Schools are primarily social institutions -Learning should be concerned with the present John Dewey’s Progressivism

The Christian, Traditional Educator and the Flipped Classroom  Flipped classrooms are practical, reasonable, and justified  However, Christian, traditional educators must determine if our values can or should be aligned with the humanistic philosophical roots of the flipped classroom  A successful flipped classroom in the Christian school will only be achieved if and when a foundation of Biblical philosophy is integrated with practices that uphold these values

“ ” Prove all things; hold fast that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21, KJV)