I like the idea behind flipped learning and I think there is value to it. The two biggest things, however, that stop me from supporting it wholeheartedly are the inequity in access to technology in American schools and my belief that schools should minimize the amount of homework assigned.

There should be time after school for students to pursue their interests and hobbies, spend time with families, and relax. A reasonable amount of homework is fair. For example, I often ask my students to read or finish an assignment that we did not have time to complete in class. If I do assign a larger assignment, I like to give them a few days to get it done so that the student takes ownership over its completion.

My fear with flipped classroom is that the actual delivery of content is uniform and simplistic. Yes, the teacher can spend the next day in class reviewing with the student based on that child's need, but the student may feel discouraged or despondent from the very beginning if they did not understand the lesson in the first place at home. It is really hard to assure a student that they can do something once they are convinced that they cannot.

I am a firm believer in diversifying the way we teach and the way students learn. At the same time, I truly believe that teachers need to respect the time of students and families, which is why I would ultimately oppose Flipped Classroom. I think it asks too much of students and families, and it will make learning burdensome. Many students will feel like the amount of class time has doubled, and they will be resistant from the start.

Andrew Avallone

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