The Flipped Classroom!

 A flipped classroom refers to students learning the material outside of class time, freeing up that time in class for activities and higher-level learning. With the evolution of technology, it is now easier than ever to learn outside of class and have access to all of the materials to do so. Since most teachers never have enough time to get everything done in a short class period, it is now an option to learn outside of the classroom. If most of the class is spent on lectures and instruction, there is not enough time to dig deeper or apply the knowledge. Having a flipped class would allow for students to develop a better understanding of what they are learning because their class time could be spent on higher-level thinking and application. This is important because knowledge that cannot be used or applied is doing the students a disservice. Some other benefits of flipped classrooms are students being responsible for their learning, going at their own pace, having more opportunities in class, increased collaboration, and it can be flexible. There are some negatives to having a flipped classroom as well. Negatives could include students not pulling their weight, the class not being on the same level, struggling to find good material to use, no way to ensure all students are on the same page, one size of learning does not fit all students, and overworked and overloaded students. When implementing a flipped classroom, the teacher is putting a lot of trust in the students and relying on them to learn the material. If students do not pull their academic load the flipped class will not work. Even if one student does not participate it will be difficult because they will get left behind, On top of that, students are at school for over eight hours, and some have extra-curriculars or jobs. It could be hard for them to have leisure time and do their load of schoolwork. It would be difficult to keep all students on the same level and difficult to gauge where each student is. It would also be a challenge to find online material that fits each student's different needs. Flipped classrooms can be very beneficial if implemented correctly, but it depends on the students and the class. 

This shows online instructional learning at home and hands-on learning in class

The first flipped classroom I encountered was not until I was in college. All of the reading material and lecture was done outside of the class. The professor would use class time to ask us questions and clear up any confusion. This was difficult as a student because I already had so much other work from my other classes that I had no time for anything but homework. I could not have a job or go to any fun event on campus if I wanted to get everything done. It was also frustrating because I was paying a lot of money for this professor to educate me, and I felt like they were useless since I was having to learn the entire course on my own. Since class time was short, and we had a lot of material to cover I understand why having a flipped classroom would be beneficial, but it was very difficult as a full-time student. If implemented, balanced, and utilized better I feel like it could have gone better.