Reflection

In module 5, I learned more about the flipped classroom model. In high school, I actually took a physics class that was flipped and it worked out great to watch the lessons outside of the classroom but then complete assignments in class. This freed up my teacher's time to help us and connect with what we learned. The positives for flipping a classroom are huge because the teacher ultimately becomes a coach to help students in their learning. I teach second grade and although I do not seeing a traditional flipped classroom working with my population, I can see how pieces could fit in. I do not assign homework (besides reading) because families of young children are very busy with activities after school.

Transformation

After all the research I read on flipped classrooms, there are areas where I could see it working in my classroom and areas where it would be a challenge. The main setback with this strategy was access to technology. My students all receive their own iPads at the start of the year so we would not have an issue with connecting them to a device. However, homework is not a priority for my teaching philosophy and neither are the parents interested to sit down to work on school work. I could see this model working for specific flipped lesson but not a complete classroom flip. Second graders might not grasp the content as well outside of the classroom because of the multiple distractions they have at home, too.

Implementation

If I continue to focus on a student-centered approach to learning, I could use this model to flip occasional lessons. This last year with hybrid, I did give my students videos to watch for each subject. However, they had a whole two or three days outside of the classroom to work on them. I found many great resources to share with them like Khan Academy, read alouds on YouTube, BrainPOP, and community activities on Seesaw. I plan to implement SEL lessons as an occasional flipped learning strategy for next year. We have circle everyday where we focus on creating an open environment to share and be present with one another. I also have us work on a skill centered around behavior (growth mindset, grit, perseverance, etc.). Students would be able to watch a video I send through Seesaw and can even share with families. This way they know what we are working on, too! My next task would be to bring what they learning into circle to discuss and ask questions. We would also be able to practice with activities to bring our community together.