What is a Flipped Classroom?

The so-called “Flipped Classroom” is aptly named.  It’s exactly what is sounds like.

The traditional way of running a course is to cover content in class and assign questions and problems for students to work on at home.  A flipped classroom has students learn course content for homework through blended learning platforms and then tackle questions and solve problems in class.

	Course Content	Homework Questions
Traditional Classroom	In class	At home
Flipped Classroom	At home	In class

The flipped classroom shifts the role of the teacher from lecturer and conveyor of content to facilitator and coach.  Rather than delivering knowledge, the teacher helps students to construct their own knowledge.

Pros of the Flipped Classroom:

• Works well with problem-based learning and differentiated instruction.
• Allows the teacher to give students more individualized attention.
• Is typically more engaging for students.

Cons of the Flipped Classroom:

• Students may not view or review content at home as instructed; as a result, the students are unprepared for the problem-based, interactive activity that the teacher has planned.
• Flipped Classrooms almost invariably require a computer and internet access, which can make the class more difficult for students who don’t have access to these things at home.
   
  Sample Flipped Lesson:
  Plan a Trip to Québec!
  FSF 1D - Core French, Grade 9 Academic
  
  
  Curriculum Expectations (Overall)
  Reading
• Read and demonstrate an understanding of a variety of materials intended for a French-speaking audience.

Oral Communication

• Express ideas and opinions arising from class discussions, individual research, and personal interests.

At home:

Reading Comprehension Activity

Students are to research places in Québec using the website below, and then plan a trip to one of these places.  Students must answer the following questions about their trip using le futur proche:

1. Où allez-vous (À quelle région) ? (Where are you going (To what region)?)*
2. Avec qui est-ce que vous allez voyager au Québec ? (With whom are you going to travel to Quebec?)
3. Comment est-ce que vous allez voyager au Québec (deux moyens) ? (How are you going to travel to Quebec (two ways)?)
4. Qu’est-ce que vous allez faire quand vous arriverez (trois choses) ? (What are you going to do when you arrive in Quebec?).

*Do not provide English translations to students.  Give all directions in French.

Here's the link...

Also watch this video.  Don't panic about understanding everything!  Just enjoy it and we'll discuss it further in class.

Assessment: Student’s ability to answer these questions will show that they have understood a text intended for a French-speaking audience (tourist website).

In class:

Oral Communication Activity

• Divide the students into pairs.
• Ask each pair to choose who will be Person A and who will be Person B.
• In French, Person A poses the above questions to Person B.  Person B answers the questions in French using complete sentences (5 minutes total).
• Person A and Person B switch roles (5 minutes).
• Ask each pair to find another pair to make groups of four.  Person A from Group 1 has to relate Person B’s answers to Group 2, then Person B has to relate Person A’s answers to Group 2 (10 minutes).
• Group 1 and Group 2 switch roles (10 minutes).

Assessment: Teacher must circulate during this activity to ensure that students are speaking French and to assess their ability to do so.

Whole-Class Discussion

• They youngest (or oldest) student from each group of four must share a few interesting details with the class about where the other people in his or her group are going (10-15 min).  Other options include discussing the tourism video about Québec and perhaps watching it again in class, since students at this level of French are not expected to have understood the whole thing.

Taking it further…

This activity can become the diagnostic or formative assessment for a summative project on Québec; for example, students are to create a brochure in French to help tourists choose where to go in Québec (or another French-speaking part of the world).