In our district that has been an initiative to use more technology in the classroom and lately there has been specific training on how to to flip a classroom. With this in mind, I thought I would chime in with a quick three things on this subject matter.

  1. Students are Connected – So why aren’t we? Students have been raised in a generation where technology is so readily available and often times we in education make the decision to take technology out of their hands. I don’t see technology as an education tool as much as I see it as an engagement tool. We are always preaching about how we want to have students actively engaged in the classroom but often times technology isn’t being utilized the way it should be. Using methods, such as “Flipping the Classroom”, is a great way to differentiate instruction for students and keep them engaged in the lesson. Teachers should be welcoming such ideas and tools with open arms.
  2. Practice – Using this method is a great way to provide instructional practice for students at home. When I was a classroom teacher, I felt like giving homework as a losing battle because I could not explain the work to the parents or the student when they are at home. However, by utilizing YouTube students can not be given that practice and instruction at home as well as in the classroom.
  3. Learning Curve –  I don’t like to hear people say that they are “not technological savvy”. The whole point of technology is to make our job/life easier and so many of these tools that we can use in the classroom at very simple. You would never want to hear a student dismiss their abilities before trying a challenge so why do we do it so much? I truly believe that the learning curve is not that drastic and that Flipping the Classroom and other methods of technology integration are easy to understand. You just gotta give yourself a chance.

Mr. McClung

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