Recently there has been a lot of discussion in the world of education regarding the concept of "Flipping the Classroom". Essentially, the idea is that instead of students practicing that which they've learned as part of a homework assignment, they do the practice in class under the tutelage of the teacher, and use time outside of the classroom to investigate concepts either through video, text or web based resources. This idea is analogous to the coach of an athletic team who has his players study the playbook on their own time, but uses practice to actually perfect their work. While I'm not sold on the concept as a wholesale change from the way we use class time now, there are certainly some possibilities for this approach.
The Khan Academy (http://www.khanacademy.org) is dedicated to providing a free education to anyone, anywhere in the world. The website offers thousands of videos on a wide variety of topics - especially mathematics - that can be used as the presentation of new material, or as reinforcement of lessons introduced in the classroom. In some schools which have adopted the "Flipped Classroom" teachers from the school are creating videos and podcasts to deliver instruction, and using class time to practice what was presented.
Students and parents will experience some lessons where teachers experiment with this approach, and we would love to hear feedback. In the meantime, visit the Khan Academy site for resources to augment instruction here at North. For more on the Khan Academy approach view this clip.
The Principal's Office is a blog created by Tim Bearden, Chief Academic Officer and Upper School Director at Detroit Country Day School, an independent school in Beverly Hills, MI. While content will sometimes be specific to Country Day, the majority of posts are specific in scope to issues concerning teaching and learning in the 21st century.
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