How we can Flip the Learning Process on its Head - A Practical Application of Blended Learning

Case Study Introduction

• Clinton Dale High School flipped the traditional model by having students watch lessons at home and do homework in class. This approach was aimed at reversing declining performance and addressing issues like tight budgets and low enrollment.

Challenges at Clinton Dale (00:39-00:54)

• Three years prior to the flip, nearly half of Clinton Dale's ninth graders were failing key subjects like math, science, and English, placing the school in the lowest 5% of Michigan's rankings.

Principal Greg Green’s Inspiration (00:54-01:19)

• Principal Greg Green was inspired to flip the classroom after coaching his son's baseball team, where he used instructional videos to provide more individualized practice time. He realized this approach could work with high school students.

How Flipped Classroom works:

• Flipped learning reverses the traditional classroom structure by switching the roles of the group and individual spaces.
  • In a standard classroom, students passively receive lectures in class and work on assignments alone at home.
  • In a flipped classroom, students review material independently before class and then engage in collaborative learning during class time (00:01 - 01:09).
• The core idea is that by moving lectures or direct instruction into the individual space, class time can be used for more interactive, hands-on learning, allowing students to engage with the content and receive help from their teacher during the harder parts of their learning (01:09 - 01:47).

Implementation of Video Lessons

• Teachers record and post lectures online, often using external resources like Khan Academy and TED Talks. These videos are assigned as homework, allowing class time to focus on one-on-one support and collaborative problem-solving.

Teacher Reactions and Adjustments (02:33-03:04)

• Some teachers were initially resistant to the flipped model, especially those with decades of experience. However, they later recognized the benefits of real-time problem-solving and addressing student misunderstandings in class.

Technology Access and Equity (03:04-03:34)

• Clinton Dale addressed the challenge of students without home internet access by providing additional time in the school's media lab to ensure all students could complete video-based homework.

Positive Results and Student Impact (04:07-04:46)

• The flipped classroom has led to notable improvements, including higher ACT scores, a graduation rate nearing 90%, and college acceptance rates of 80%. Students like Darrell Wallace Jr. credit the model with helping them balance schoolwork and personal responsibilities.

Benefits of Flipped Learning:

• One major advantage of flipped learning is that students get help from the teacher during class on the most challenging parts of their work, rather than struggling alone with difficult concepts at home. This makes the learning process more effective, as the teacher is present when students need support the most.

• The flipped model addresses a key limitation of traditional classrooms where students often struggle with complex tasks at home without the necessary guidance, which can hinder their learning progress.

Bloom's Taxonomy and Flipped Learning:

• Flipped learning transforms how Bloom's Taxonomy is applied in the classroom. In a traditional setting, much of the class time is spent on lower-level thinking tasks, like remembering and understanding. Flipped learning allows teachers to focus more on higher-order skills such as application, analysis, and evaluation during class.

• The flipped model encourages a "diamond" shape approach to Bloom's Taxonomy, suggesting that most class time should be dedicated to mid-level thinking tasks, such as application and analysis, rather than spending too much time on basic knowledge or full creative tasks.

Practical Application

Flexibility in the Flipped Model:

• A common misconception is that flipped learning always involves homework. In reality, flipped learning can happen entirely within the classroom, where students watch instructional videos or complete individual tasks during class time rather than at home.

• The "in-flip" model is a popular variation, where students alternate between working individually on video lessons in class and collaborating with the teacher on more challenging concepts. This approach eliminates homework entirely and ensures that all learning takes place within the classroom.

Group vs. Individual Spaces:

• The essence of flipped learning lies in rethinking the roles of group and individual spaces. By flipping the traditional model, the hardest tasks are moved into the group space where the teacher can provide real-time support, enhancing student success and engagement.

• The goal is to optimize classroom time by ensuring that direct instruction (lectures) happens in the individual space, allowing the group space to focus on interactive, problem-solving tasks that benefit from the teacher's presence and guidance.

Course Forward

• We've also learned how to adapt the Flipped Classroom model and make it flexible so that lessons are not like homework.
• So we build workshops in which we watch lessons together, individually or in small groups, we do group Simulation exercises, and then we go and do the work in real life!  
• For example, check out our Strategic Planning Workshop, linked here:  https://www.beltcourse.com/strategic-planning-workshop
• Or our Kaizen Event Workshop, linked here:  https://www.beltcourse.com/kaizen-leader-course-page

 Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_p63W_2F_4&list=PLyVgVZd7jUlorOBbGy9BmStxP283RINpI&index=152

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hwu3xqbMKw&list=PLyVgVZd7jUlorOBbGy9BmStxP283RINpI&index=153