In the traditional classroom, knowledge is imparted by the teacher during class. Students then do practice exercises to review this concept at home. During the time when all of the students are in one room with a teacher, a large portion of time is spent with the students sitting still not interacting with each other. During the time when the student is alone at home, he/she is practicing these concepts, an activity often best done through interaction with other students and with assistance from a teacher. Seems sort of backwards, doesn't it?
How does reverse instruction help solve this problem?
Reverse instruction "flips" lecture and practice. Using the marvels of modern technology, students are able to watch 5-15 minute lectures at home the night before class as quickly or slowly as they would like, and to repeat them as many times as they would like. During class, teacher and students can work together to reinforce these concepts and practice them. This allows class time to be used more effectively to work on projects and practice the language collaboratively. We won't be "flipping" every day, but we will be using this as another tool to maximize learning. On reverse instruction days, it is critical that students view the lectures with the same attentiveness that is expected of them in class. This means taking notes, writing down questions, and doing the examples given during the lecture. When viewing a reverse lecture is given as homework, quizzes and other performance checks will be done at the beginning of class to hold students accountable.
For more information about Reverse Instruction, click here to read an article about the benefits of reverse instruction in a 21st century education blog. You can also email me at knorthrup@webbschool.com.
To view a sample lecture, click here.