Is Flipped Learning for Primary School Students?

Yes it is!

Do you set homework for your primary students?

Does the homework get done? (It would be fairly typical for most to get it done and some not).

Who does the homework? The student? The student and the parents? The parents?

Does the homework call for higher order thinking and learning skills that students could struggle with, forcing them to rely on significant input from parents to get the work completed and turned in?

Arguably all of the above questions are “real” questions for primary school teachers and primary school students. They also resonate with very frustrated parents of primary school students.

We know that parents of primary school students often do the homework or a significant part of it.

What if you could turn this situation right around?

What if you could flip it?

Flipping the homework looks like this. 

Homework is made easier.

Homework takes less time.

Homework is where a student engages with the content that a teacher would have delivered to the whole class during precious class time. (In flipped learning homework, this content is typically provided on a video for the student to watch and interact with at home in preparation for the next day’s class). That’s all – much easier than those complex homework problems that Mum and Dad often do. And yes you will need to learn how to make videos!

In the next day’s classroom the teacher no longer gives the “lesson/lecture” to the whole class. The student attended to that by watching the video for homework the night before.

The teacher has freed up time to work with students one on one, assisting all students to apply, analyse, evaluate and create – using all the professional teaching skills that they trained for.

Flipped learning is ideal for primary students, so why not give it a go?

Of course there is a lot more to it. However, delving deeper into flipped learning is worthwhile, satisfying and very smart professional learning.

To find out more about Flipped Learning and its possibilities for primary school students, meet Jon Bergmann one of the pioneers of flipped learning in person @ FlipCon Australia at the Inaburra School in Sydney on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 October 2017.

Here is a snapshot of a few of the exciting sessions, ideal for primary school teachers:

For more information about FlipCon Australia, to see many more sessions and to register go to: www.ereg.me/flipconaus