The Flipped Class

In the articles, Why it’s time to Rethink (and Question)Homework by Katie Lepi and 7 Things You Should Know about …Flipped Classrooms, the concept of a typical classroom work and homework are flipped on their head.

            I really like the idea of having kids come prepared with the knowledge they need for the class rather than having to lecture about the information.  Then all class activity is about reinforcing the concepts, answering question, and filling in the gaps that pre-class work was not able to fill.  Though as a teacher one would really have to know the capabilities of the class and the commitment of the students to truly make this flipped classroom work.  Without that commitment the students may fall behind. If the students are not prepared for class with the material and knowledge they need to be in class and really take advantage of that time the flipped classroom idea becomes harder to control.

            Homework plays several different roles and depending on the students level of development with the topic at hand it really could  help or disenfranchise the student.  Too hard and the student may give up, to easy and the student get bored.  A teacher may want to reinforce a concept or show it in a different way with different assignments but with each student and class different materials can be provided.  Having students do different assignments could become confusing but it could be very helpful to the student and possible the class.  If students are doing different assignments they could present what they learned to the class.  Even if it’s a quick five minute presentation they can share the learned knowledge with the whole class.