A New Article on Flipped Classrooms from Kathleen Fulton
In a recent article in THE Journal, Kathleen Fulton, the former Director of Reinventing Schools for the 21st Century at NCTAF, reports on a group of innovative teachers who are embracing technology in their classrooms with outstanding results. Ms. Fulton illustrates the power of teachers coming together to solve a common problem: how could they increase their students’ achievement levels with fewer resources? The district profiled in the piece, like many around the country, has been forced to make difficult decisions in the face of budget cuts in the last few years. What makes this Minnesota district’s story so unique is how the teachers, supported by district and school-level administrators, banded together to innovate their way out of a funding crunch. With no money for much-needed new math textbooks, the teachers at Byron High School ended up “flipping” their classrooms: teachers recorded lessons for the students to watch at home, allowing them to maximize face-to-face time in the classroom.
“All Byron High School teachers have participated in professional learning communities since 2008, with each department meeting for at least an hour each week, so the math department already was comfortable working as a team. So, starting in January 2010, the math team got together every Monday at 6:45 a.m., tearing apart the math curriculum and rebuilding it from scratch.”
To read the full article, click here.
