Having read all the benefits of the flipped classroom and enjoy reading about its success in many classroom, I still find that this model will not effectively meet the needs of students in rural and urban communities. Though there are many reasons educators are opposed to the flipped classroom model, my stance is solely based on the lack of access many students and teachers still face in rural and urban communities. As mentioned in the Nielsen article, there is still a digital divide in some school communities. Not every student has the access to resources needed to effectively implement a flipped classroom. This digital divide is not just occurring at home, but in schools as well. There are still schools that do not have some of the most basic education technology tools such as a projector or document camera. When discussing what it takes to create a flipped classroom, we must also examine how well equipped a classroom is before this model is adopted.

Next, the discussion around the digital divide must also include a lack of access to information. Do school leaders and teachers working in Title 1 schools even know what a flipped classroom is? Or how it should be implemented? Are there enough professional development workshops on the flipped classroom model teachers have access to? I know I first learned about the flipped classroom model, just a year ago, thanks to a course I took within the SOE. But prior to that, I had no clue what a flipped classroom was, and the articles we read this week go as far back as 2011, showing that this is not a brand-new idea, yet there are still many educators that do not know about the flipped classroom model.

Though I believe it will take a bit more time for the flipped model to be more mainstream, I think it is important that as new ideas and instructional approaches evolve, the core issues in education such as more access and equity in education still need to be addressed.

Nielsen, L. (2011, October 8). Five Reasons I'm Not Flipping Over The Flipped Classroom. Retrieved July 8, 2018, from https://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.com/2011/ 10/five-reasons-im-not-flipping-over.html

Victoria Cayard

ED.893.645.91.SU18

Hi Samantha,

You bring up important key points on why the flipped classroom model does not work for all students. You are right, a flipped classroom is most ideal for a classroom in which students have access to technology and other resources both at home and at school. It is also most ideal for students that have the self discipline and motivation to complete the at home components of a flipped classroom, provided that they have the time to complete these activities. The reality is that many students living in rural and urban communities are faced with external factors such as working after school to assist their families or taking care of siblings and family members. In these cases, a flipped classroom could potentially cause these students to fall behind. I'm curious to hear anyone's thoughts on if a flipped classroom will close or widen the education achievement gap.

Victoria Cayard

ED.893.645.91.SU18

Hi Stephanie!

Though I am in support of a flipped classroom, you bring up very good points on the importance of access. In order for a flipped classroom to work efficiently, resources especially technology is needed. If students do not have access to the resources at home they are unable to apply the knowledge once they need to complete the corresponding activity.

I like your solution of creating centers. Though I am not sure it will still be considered a flipped classroom, I can see the benefits of teaching a 10-15 mini lesson and disbursing the class into small groups to apply the skills they have just learned. This approach fosters a sense of collaboration and provides differentiated instruction based on student groupings.

Another possible solution is for students to receive instruction on one day and the next day they are working on a project or assignment applying the skills that were taught the previous day. I'm still not sure if this approach meets the criteria of a flipped classroom. What are your thoughts?

Victoria Cayard

ED.893.645.91