The flipped classroom

I first heard about "Flipping the Classroom" a little bit over a year ago. When I heard the concept I thought it was a fantastic idea and could not believe I had not thought about it before.

Anyway, another teacher and I decided to start flipping our classes and, by the end of the first semester, my Algebra 2 classes were 100% flipped.

Pros:

• Students take responsibility of their own learning.
• They can always go back and review videos if they have questions.
• A lot of time in class to practice content and to ask questions.
• Parents know exactly what I am teaching and how it is being taught.
• The ability to rewind, pause, and even fast forward videos.
• Students do not fall behind even if they are absent due to personal issues, illness, or extracurricular activities.

Cons:

• Not all students watch videos.
• Some students watch them, but don't listen to them.
• Some listen to them, but do not watch them.
• YouTube access used to be blocked in school. Students needed to access the videos from home or libraries. (As of this school year this is no longer the case. The district has decided to give students access to YouTube. Some channels will still be blocked).

If you notice, the list of cons is related to students responsibility. If students follow instructions, the flipped classroom is an amazing way to deliver content and to take advantage of the extra time in class.