When we think of the word flip, we might picture our favorite summertime shoe, doing front and backflips off a diving board, or ‘flipping’ a house for an investment. But what is flipped learning? And why is it being discussed at Williamsburg Christian Academy?

More than a decade ago, high school teachers, Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams, pioneered the flipped learning model which uses technology to provide the initial exposure of new concepts in video form for homework and reserves the higher level of cognitive work for the classroom with teacher and peer support.  In the traditional classroom, teachers introduce concepts through a lecture format that consumes classroom time, leaving students to work on the high levels of cognitive and difficult tasks at home without teacher support.  Bergman and Sams identified difficulties with the traditional model citing low student engagement and productivity, along with limited time with students.  Students absent for illness and extracurricular activities added to the frustration.  These students lag behind others, missing the lecture portion of the instruction. Not ones to continue the status quo, Bergmann and Sams developed the flipped classroom. Positive results were quickly observed as students embraced this method, growing confident and successful. They were motivated to apply, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize knowledge when working in the classroom with teachers and peers.  This evidence-based approach is fully accepted by educational experts worldwide.

Consider these reasons why Williamsburg Christian Academy parents are excited about flipped learning:

• The flipped classroom cultivates relationships; each child is known and taught more strategically. With the added interaction with each student and small groups, teachers have a clear understanding of what each student knows and doesn’t know. Teachers intentionally observe the process of learning to identify obstacles and misconceptions. This learning model prioritizes evidence-based practice that replaces meaningless busywork and teaching to the test.
• Flipped learning decreases student anxiety and minimizes the struggle over homework. Viewing a lesson is easy and the accountability and expectations for completion are clear and not complicated.  Students are no longer overloaded with homework as teachers know exactly how long it will take for the student to view the video lesson.
• Flipped learning minimizes homework battles. How often have you attempted to help your child with homework to have them respond, “That’s not how my teacher taught me.”  With flipped learning, parents partner with teachers by viewing the actual material and learn how the concept was taught. This provides better support for students without feeling the pressure to be the teacher at home.
• The flipped learning model is a gateway for individualized and mastery learning in which students can work at their own pace. Students are able to pause and rewind lessons as many times as needed without embarrassment. This decreases stress and anxiety for students when lessons are delivered too quickly.

During the pandemic season, Williamsburg Christian Academy educators extensively used technology and refined their instructional skills to heighten learning for students.  This dedicated work easily springboards into the flipped learning model.  Recently Williamsburg Christian Academy invested in a learning management software called Brightspace which makes video creation simple for teachers and viewing lessons easy for students.  This model is highly appropriate for K4-12th grade students and reflects the developmental needs of all learners.

We’ve included a video below where Marketing and Admissions Ambassador Michelle Flanagan describes Flipped Learning.

WCA is accepting applications for all grades at this time for the 2020/2021 school year, and interested families can reach their Admissions Department to talk through options for enrollment, discounts, and scholarships, as well as offering a live virtual or social distanced tour of the school. Families interested in potentially enrolling at WCA, or who would like to get more information about the school should contact admissions at admissions@williamsburgchristian.org or visit our website and fill out our Interest form (click to be taken directly to either site).