Flipped learning is a new way of teaching that makes learning more personal and fun for students. Imagine being able to learn anytime and anywhere! That’s what flipped learning is all about. Instead of everyone learning the same thing at the same time, students can learn at their own pace.
In a traditional classroom, the teacher stands at the front and teaches everyone the same lesson. But with flipped learning, students can watch short videos at home or in class. These videos cover important topics they need to know. For example, in my writing class, students often mix up “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” By watching a video, they can learn the differences and then do an activity to practice.
To start flipping your classroom, find or create a video that matches what you’re learning. Have students watch it and then discuss it together. This way, they come to class with some knowledge already. You can make your own videos or use ones you find online.
In my school, teachers made screencasts, which are videos of their computer screens, to help students and parents. These videos are available all the time, so students can watch them whenever they need.
One challenge is making sure students watch the videos. You can give them an activity to do after watching to check their understanding. Some students might not have internet at home, so I let them use the classroom computers before or after school. It’s important to make sure videos work on phones and tablets, too, since many students have these devices.
Another challenge is keeping the videos interesting. Instead of just reading from a presentation, teachers should try to be lively and engaging. This makes the videos more fun to watch!
Flipped learning helps teachers get to know their students better. It allows for more one-on-one time, so teachers can help students with their specific needs. Even though it might seem a bit chaotic at first, it’s actually a great way to make learning more personal and effective.
Give flipped learning a try! You might be surprised at how much your students enjoy it and how well they learn.
Create Your Own Mini-Lesson: Think of a topic you enjoy or something you recently learned. With the help of a parent or teacher, create a short video explaining it. Use drawings, toys, or even act it out! Share your video with a friend or family member and see if they can learn from it. This will help you understand how teaching can be fun and how flipped learning works.
Video Scavenger Hunt: Watch a short educational video on a topic you like. As you watch, write down three interesting facts or things you learned. Then, find a way to show these facts creatively, like drawing a picture, making a mini-poster, or even building something with blocks. Share your creation with your class or family and explain what you learned.
Observation Challenge: Pick a simple topic you learned about in a video, like the weather or animals. Spend a week observing this topic in your everyday life. For example, if you chose weather, note the different types of weather you see each day. At the end of the week, create a simple chart or diary of your observations. Discuss with your class or family how watching the video helped you notice new things.
Here’s a sanitized version of the provided YouTube transcript:
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Flipped learning is transforming teaching and learning by personalizing the experience for students. To me, flipped learning means anytime, anywhere learning, where you can provide resources or lessons that students may need. In my classroom, all students come in at different points in their learning, yet when I was teaching at the front, everyone was learning the same thing on the same day.
With flipped learning, I can organize my students into smaller groups. Instead of delivering direct instruction to the entire class simultaneously, I can create individual learning moments. My teammates and I decided to produce three to four-minute videos on key standards that we knew students needed to understand for each unit. For example, in my fifth-grade writing class, my students struggled with the differences between “there,” “their,” and “they’re.”
In the past, I would correct their papers and return them, but there was no guarantee they would remember the correct usage next time. I realized that by creating a short video lesson, students could watch it and then engage in an activity afterward, allowing me to assess their understanding. This approach allows students to learn at their own pace; they can pause or rewind the video as needed.
To start flipping your classroom, find a video that aligns with your curriculum or standards, have students review it, and discuss it afterward. Pre-teaching is a great strategy, as it prepares students with foundational knowledge before they come to class. You can create your own videos or utilize existing educational content available online.
In my school district, we compiled a collection of screencasts made by teachers, accessible to parents and students 24/7. A common concern among teachers is how to ensure students watch the videos. Providing an activity or feedback can help gauge their understanding after viewing the content.
Some students may lack internet access at home, so I made my classroom available for them to come in early or stay late to complete assignments. It’s essential to ensure that videos are accessible on mobile devices, as many students and families have digital devices but may not have internet access at home.
One challenge of flipping the classroom is that videos can become monotonous if teachers simply read bullet points from a presentation. To avoid this, we encouraged teachers to be engaging and personable in their videos, making them feel less robotic.
In a traditional classroom, you might not know each student as well as you would in a flipped environment. Flipped learning allows for a more individualized approach, where you can identify specific needs and provide targeted support.
While it may appear messier to an outsider, this method is more personalized and meets students where they are in their learning journey. I encourage you to try it out in your classroom—you may be pleasantly surprised by how well your students can learn.
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This version maintains the core ideas while removing informal language and ensuring clarity.
