It’s a new way of running a classroom that eliminates traditional teacher lectures.
It’s called “flipped learning” and it’s happening in many schools throughout Iowa, including a district in our area.
We’re looking into how both students and teachers are responding to the new method.
Deb Day has been a teacher for nearly 3 decades, but it wasn’t until this past school year, that she “flipped” her teaching methods.
“Writing is hard, writing is one of those things everybody does at a different pace,” explains Day.
Her new flipped classroom allows students to have more time in class by getting rid of teacher lectures.
Instead, her students at CrescoHigh School get a video lecture they can watch on their own time and come to class ready to apply what they learned.
“She gives us videos, puts things on “schoology” for us and everything we do is just on the computer we can work at our own pace and she just let’s us know when we need to have things done,” says 11th grader, Emi Frohn.
It was a fairly easy transition for this veteran teacher.
“My goal as a teacher was always to get kids to think and to take charge of learning; I really have always been like that,” adds Day.
Spanish teacher Libby Schwade also eliminated lengthy lectures in her classrooms.
She says the flipped classroom let’s her build a stronger relationship with her students.
“Then me circulating everyday, checking in with my students, gauging their process, gauging their progress answering their questions, trouble shooting, getting to know them as learners better,” says Schwade.
“You can take it home and watch it and if you have any questions you can go up to the teacher later the next day,” says 9th grader, Sydney Ferrie.
“If you’re sick at home you could do it at home and you don’t need a teacher to do it with you,” adds 9th grader, Carter Dull.
While not every teacher in the Howard-Winneshiek school district has made the switch, those who have say they couldn’t see themselves going back to a “normal” classroom.