Where to Flip?

This is Part II of What to Flip, in which we had described how teachers can identify the content to flip. In this article we describe how flipping differs in the different school levels and when you can flip.

Flipping a lesson looks different in an elementary school than in a middle school, high school, or college. Elementary students are more dependent on their teacher, but this does not mean that flipped learning will not work with them. You simply need to alter when and how flipped learning takes place.

Flipped learning for elementary students is often embedded into the classroom through workstations. Begin with an area where students struggle or you feel like you have to repeat often. Make a short two to three minute video of yourself explaining the topic. You can also create a short interactive lesson if you can find one or know how to create one. Make sure that the flipped presentation is no more than 10 minutes long. Most teachers create learning centers where groups of students watch a video or work on a computer while the teacher is working with other students. Require the students to take notes or recall what they learned. This direct instruction can also be placed on the web for students and parents to access from home, but do not assign it as mandatory homework. Some students may not have access to the internet at home or their parents may not let them on sites like YouTube. Often these flipped lessons take place in the middle, rather than the beginning, of a lesson with elementary students. This allows the teacher to connect with the students and prepare them for the flipped experience.

Older learners can work on a flipped learning experience outside of the classroom. Flipped instruction for older learners is usually front-loaded at the beginning of a lesson. More mature students can complete more work on their own before coming to class. With older learners, direct instruction and lower level critical thinking skills can be performed outside of the classroom to create more time for higher level thinking activities once the students arrive. These higher level critical thinking skills are more appropriate for practicing with an instructor present:

Application	Analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation
Apply Change Choose Compute Demonstrate Illustrate Interpret Modify Predict Produce Show Solve Write	Analyze Calculate Categorize Compare Contrast Criticize Diagram Differentiate Experiment Model Question Separate Test	Assemble Collect Combine Compose Create Design Develop Formulate Plan Rearrange Revise Rewrite Summarize	Argue Assess Conclude Defend Discriminate Estimate Evaluate Judge Justify Support Value

When to Flip?

There are several options for flipping direct instruction. The easiest way is to videotape yourself presenting the information. You can draw on the board or record something on a document camera. If you are skilled with technology, you can narrate a PowerPoint, capture your movements on your computer through screen shots, or even create interactive flash video using authoring software such as Captivate or Articulate. Completed lessons can be loaded onto a DVD and sent home with students, placed onto a class website, or more public sites such as YouTube. Interactive lessons can be saved as executable or uploaded to learning management systems such as MOODLE.