Some pros that are absent:
- Students must claim responsibility and ownership of their own learning
- There is theoretically no down time, as students are to come to class prepared and ready to continue learning.
- An educator has the ability to provide links to articles and videos for further learning to students who are interested
Some cons that are excluded:
- How do teachers handle students who do not watch or listen to the videos/lectures
- Technology issues
- Students can not ask questions or clarification during a recorded lesson
Regarding the infographic critics section I personally feel there are some views that need a further discussion beginning with the first critique. Do children need more screen time? This I believe is up for debate students may learn best from the screen, it is a format and platform they are familiar and comfortable with. Some like the Forbes.com article ask would you rather your child spends time watching lectures or cartoons? It is a fair question to ask personally I think it does not matter if the student has to spend time watching lectures if there is a show they like they will make the time to watch that too. Due to this I almost feel like this whole critique is a moot point. Another moot point in the critique of flipping the classroom who is getting rich? It is true that when employing youtube videos students may have to watch an advertisement, however youtube is not the only way to give a lecture to students. Teachers can create podcasts that do not advertisements. Furthermore, education has become a huge business, the subject of social studies alone is over a 4 billion dollar (a year) industry. There are always people making money off education from textbooks, maps, posters, videos, professional journals, to standardized tests. Just because someone is making money off of it does not always mean it is a bad thing.
The second critique is correct in homework does not always help students learn. Technically the flipped classroom designed to get rid of homework, however, watching the lecture becomes a homework replacement, so is it really addressing the problem? Furthermore if a school has mandated all teachers use the flipped model, that can leave students with hours of lecture to watch and/or listen too, and this is after they have already spent eight hours in school. Is that really fair to students are the lectures taking more time than the homework assignments of the past? It is said to keep lecture videos short, but for subjects, such as social studies, lectures can get quite complex and lengthy. Additionally as I pointed out in some cons that were not included what happens if a student does not watch the video because they have technology issues or simply don't want to do it. How are they to work together with others to complete classroom activities without hindering their peers? This also leads into the next point does flipping the classroom increase the digital divide? The answer, as of right now, yes it does increase the digital divide. Not all students are going to have access to computers and the internet. It comes down to understanding your students and their academic needs.
The last issue is correct to a point, the flipped classroom is based on an expository model and that is not always the best way to teach or to achieve student learning. However lecture is only one part of the students studies, the other half of learning takes place the next day in the classroom. Analyzing and critiquing of resources could and should (at least to me) happen when students are working together to complete planned activities. Research projects can also be given to students to provide them with opportunities to find and evaluate their own resources.
I personally I am open to and would like to try the flip model for at least for one unit or mini unit, because of all the pros that come along with the method. I like that it allows for students to learn at their own pace, focuses on more mastery and cooperative learning, and provides the educator more personal encounters and interactions with students. Additionally it alleviates time in the classroom to do project based/discovery learning or activities that focus on higher order thinking, which can be more intensive and lengthy.