Flipped Learning - Why You Must!

Flipped learning is the act of moving instruction from the group space into the individual space according to Dr Ramsey Musallam, a chemistry teacher from the USA.  The founders of flipped learning in schools, Aaron Sams and Jon Bergmann, are quite happy with this re-definition, even though the model has evolved over the years since they first started videoing their science lessons for their students, who were missing school through sport or sickness.  When they started out, they would video their whole lesson.  Now we know that videos of less than 10 minutes are so much more engaging and effective.

Like all good pedagogies, flipped learning is one that you can adapt and polish to suit your own circumstances.   I am leading a couple of workshops on flipped learning in Wellington this June and so thought it was timely to revisit some of the tenets that I believe are upheld by flipping.

• Firstly, it allows you to leverage the power of digital technologies to support learning.  Never before have learners had so many videos to teach them how to do all manner of things.  They do not have to rely on the teacher to tell them how to do things in real time.
• Secondly, it allows you to take advantage of the relationship you have with your learners - the videos you make will be so much more powerful than those which can be found on youtube. Why?  Because you are the person they trust, you are the one they know with the responsibility of teaching them, so they will pay more attention to you.  You will lessen the distance that their understanding needs to travel in the zone of proximal development.
• Thirdly, it allows learners to advance at their own pace, along the pathways that they choose, thus personalising their learning.  

Flipping requires a lot of preparatory work on behalf of the teachers.   There are videos to make, and don't think that you can make them all at once.  Start flipping slowly and build your video resources. The "flip" side of this extra work is that it is offset by much more enjoyable class time.  Less stressful, more engagement, more exploration of concepts and deeper understanding.  Peers feel much more confident to lead and share the learning, have discussions and delve further than they ever would before.

Want to know more?  Well, join me at Wellington, at Samuel Marsden College.  Details in this image below along with a 15% discount if you use my code.

Here are my introductory videos which I hope will whet your appetite: