Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day

123 Pages·2012·0.72 MB·English

by  Jonathan Bergmann

Jonathan Bergmann
Aaron Sams
EUGENE, OREGON • WASHINGTON, DC AlExANDRIA, VIRGINIA
Flip Classroom
YOUR
Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day
Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams
© 2012 International Society for Technology in Education
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bergmann, Jonathan.
Flip your classroom : reach every student in every class every day /
Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-56484-315-9 (pbk.)
1. Video tapes in education. 2. Individualized instruction. 3.
Teachers—Time management. 4. Homework. I. Sams, Aaron. II. Title.
LB1044.75.B47 2012
371.33'52—dc23
2011052647
First Edition
ISBN: 978-1-56484-315-9
Printed in the United States of America
Cover art: © Dreamstime.com/Tiplyashina
ISTE® is a registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in Education.
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Flip Your Classroom iii
About the Authors
Jonathan Bergmann believes educators
should ask one guiding question: What is
best for my students in my classroom? To
the best of his abilities he has done this
in his 25 years as a high school science
teacher. He received the Presidential
Award for Excellence for Math and Science
Teaching in 2002 and was named semi-
finalist for the Colorado Teacher of the
Year in 2010. He is currently the lead technology facilitator for
the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. He is the father of
three teenagers and is happily married to the love of his life.
Aaron Sams has been an educator since
2000. He received the Presidential Award
for Excellence in Math and Science
Teaching in 2009 and cochaired the
committee to revise the Colorado Science
Academic Standards. He regularly turns
off all his electronic devices to spend time
with his wife and three children, and
he highly recommends implementing
“unplugged Sundays” for those who struggle to power down
and spend time with the ones who matter most. Aaron holds a
bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and a master of arts in
education, both from Biola University, Colorado. He is currently a
classroom science teacher in Woodland Park, Colorado.
Acknowledgment
Thanks to The Morgridge Family Foundation and Techsmith
Corporation.
Dedication
For Kris and Kelsey
iv Flip Your Classroom
Contents
Foreword by Karl Fisch ..........................................................vii
Chapter 1
Our Story: Creating The Flipped Classroom ..................... 1
Chapter 2
The Flipped Classroom ......................................................13
Chapter 3
Why You Should Flip Your Classroom ..............................19
Chapter 4
How to Implement the Flipped Classroom ......................35
Chapter 5
The Flipped-Mastery Classroom .......................................51
Chapter 6
The Case for the Flipped-Mastery Model ........................59
Chapter 7
How to Implement the Flipped-Mastery Model .............77
Chapter 8
Answering Your Questions (FAQs) ....................................95
Chapter 9
Conclusion .......................................................................109
Flip Your Classroom v

Foreword
One cool, crisp, typically gorgeous Colorado morning in the fall
of 2010, I found myself driving into Woodland Park at the base of
Pikes Peak. I was on my way to observe two teachers at Woodland
Park High School whom I already “knew” online but hadn’t ever
had a chance to meet in person.
I first “met” Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams online sometime in
2007. I don’t recall exactly when and in what context anymore,
but I began to read about the “flipped” approach they were using
in their chemistry classes. As a former math teacher and current
director of technology for my high school, this fit in nicely with
my ongoing efforts to try to figure out how to best use tech-
nology to meet the needs of our teachers and students.
I began to read (and watch) more about this model and conversed
with Jon and Aaron in various online settings trying to learn
more about the advantages—and disadvantages—of this
approach. Right from the start, it was clear that they didn’t think
they had all the answers. They were very upfront about what
was working, and what wasn’t working; about which aspects of
their approach they thought were rock solid, and which aspects
were weak (and they were constantly asking questions to try to
improve these). In an age of “silver bullets” in education, this was
refreshing.
Eventually Brian Hatak, one of the chemistry teachers at my
high school, decided to try to implement a flipped classroom
approach, and we began to try to figure out together—with lots
of help from Jon and Aaron from afar—how best to do this. (Oh,
how I wish we’d had this book then.) Much like Jon and Aaron’s
experience, we learned tremendously from both our successes
and our challenges.
When in the fall of 2010 I returned to the classroom to pick up
one section of algebra in addition to my tech director duties (a
result of budget cuts), I knew I wanted to try to learn from their
Flip Your Classroom vii
Foreword
experiences to try to implement my own version of a flipped
classroom approach. I asked if I could come down and visit their
classrooms.
Although no book is as good as visiting their classrooms, not
everyone lives close enough to just drive down and visit. This
book is the next best thing. It provides a window into a flipped
classroom led by two educators who were driven by a simple
question: “What is best for the students in my classroom?”
Although they felt pretty good about their “traditional” teaching,
they knew they could do better. The flipped classroom approach,
like all good educational ideas, stemmed from the needs of their
students. This book chronicles their journey from their first
shaky steps at trying to “flip” their classrooms to their current
“best practice so far” flipped-mastery classroom model.
This book shows you the evolution of their thinking. They
share not only what went well, but what they also ultimately
decided was not good practice. They want you to learn from
their mistakes so that you can make new mistakes and then
share what you’ve learned to improve the model for all. It’s both
a philosophical look at why they believe the flipped approach is
good for learners, and a very practical book describing step-by-
step how to get started and what questions you need to consider.
Jon and Aaron describe how their flipped-mastery approach helps
their students learn the content better, as well as helps them
become better learners. Not only do they score well on tests, but
they truly understand chemistry at a much deeper level. Jon and
Aaron also describe how it has allowed them to interact more
often with their students, how they develop better and more
personal relationships with their students, and how students can
better personalize their own learning.
For anyone interested in learning more about flipping their
classroom, Jon and Aaron have provided a book that helps answer
both the “why” and the “how-to.” They will help you decide
viii Flip Your Classroom
Foreword
whether you want to flip your classroom (not everyone will). And,
if you do decide to flip, they will save you (and your students)
countless hours. Not that it will be easy—teaching never is.
However, this book quickly gets you up to speed on the potential
and the pitfalls of the flipped approach.
Is the flipped approach best for your students? Only you can
decide that. But this book is an invaluable aid in helping you do
that. Read it. Question it. Try it. Improve on it. Share what you’ve
learned. That’s what Jon and Aaron have done with this book.
Karl Fisch
September 2011
Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA
Flip Your Classroom ix