Five Ways to Flip Your Classroom

By HOLLY EPSTEIN OJALVO and SHANNON DOYNE

An inverted teaching method, a flipped class swaps explanation and lecture, which are usually given in the classroom, with homework activities like math problem sets or writing practice activities. Homework becomes classwork and vice versa.

Usually, teachers flipping their classrooms convey content using technology tools like videos, podcasts or PowerPoint presentations, which students explore on their own time.

Sometimes teachers create lectures and other resources themselves using resources like Teacher Tube, the Show Me app or a voice recording tool. Or they might provide a link to an available resource, like a video from Vi Hart,Khan Academy, the Teaching Channel or YouTube EDU. They can even supplement student curriculum with material from an online course.

There are many resources online available for teachers who want to explore this format, like the Flipped Class Network.

Below are five ways to use The New York Times to “flip” your classroom.

‘Flip’ a Learning Network Lesson

Idea: Our lessons generally begin with a warm-up activity followed by a related Times article and reading comprehension questions. You can easily flip it by assigning students to read the article ahead of time, so they can come to class ready to delve into the activity.

Example: Our lesson on Shakespearean authorship has students doing a warm-up activity in which they interpret Times article excerpts that contain Shakespearean references, read a Times Magazine article about the movie “Anonymous” and then prepare for and hold a round-table discussion about Shakespearean authorship. But instead, students could read the article at home and come to class ready for the discussion.

Use Times Videos and Podcasts

Idea: Teachers often record themselves lecturing for the videos or podcasts students will use outside class, but a Times video or podcast on the topic may be a great substitute or supplement to a teacher-created one, particularly when the topic is current events.

Example: To begin a unit on the Middle East, assign a video about the regionfor all students to watch at home – or assign different videos to different groups of students, and have them explain to each other what they learned from the videos when they come to class. As they watch, students can take notes and write questions they have, perhaps using one of our graphic organizers.

Explore Multimedia

Idea: Lecture and long-form text aren’t the only ways to deliver complex content. The Times multimedia collection contains interactive infographics – timelines, maps and more – that explain complicated ideas in accessible ways. Students can use one of these at home and then come to class to explore it further.

Example: Multimedia like “Hazards of Storing Spent Fuel,” which explains what happens in a nuclear reactor meltdown, can stand in for a mini-lecture. But multimedia can also be used to prompt thinking: Math students can be assigned to try the rock-paper-scissors game and then discuss probability or artificial intelligence in class, and physics students can watch “How Mariano Rivera Dominates Hitters” at home, then run simulations together or analyze batting statistics.

Do a Times Topics Scavenger Hunt

Idea: Students explore an assigned Times Topics page to familiarize themselves with subject matter before coming to class to do an activity or even take a quiz. The teacher can provide a “scavenger hunt” activity to guide students through the material on the page and ensure that they view and read specific bits of content. (Please note that there are several different formats for Times Topics, so be sure to preview the page related to your topic before assigning it.)

Example: If the topic is, say, China, teachers can provide prompts to make sure that students use the Times Topics page to skim recent articles, peruse background information about the country and explore selected reliable resources elsewhere on the Web.

‘Flip’ the Teacher

Idea: As we suggest in our lesson on creating how-to scripts and demonstrations, students can incorporate Times content into explanatory videos on curricular topics, posting them on a class blog or on School Tube. After watching each other’s videos on their own time, they can practice the skills involved, or do a group project, when they come to class.

Example: Students creating presentations about how to use technology effectively and responsibly might draw on Times articles and blog posts like“12 Things You Didn’t Know Facebook Could Do” and “5 Ways to Fix a Slow PC.” In class, after watching their classmates’ videos, students can put selected suggestions into practice under the teacher’s guidance and reflect on the process. They can even put together a class  presentation that provides highlights from each video.