Jonathan Bergmann Aaron Sams EUGENE, OREGON • WASHINGTON, DC AlExANDRIA, VIRGINIA Flip Classroom YOUR Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams © 2012 International Society for Technology in Education World rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system—without prior written permission from the publisher. Contact Permissions Editor: www.iste.org/learn/publications/permissions-and- reprints.aspx; [email protected]; fax: 1.541.302.3780. Director of Book Publishing: Courtney Burkholder Acquisitions Editor: Jeff V. Bolkan Production Editors: Lynda Gansel, Tina Wells Production Coordinator: Emily Reed Graphic Designer: Signe Landin Copy Editor: Kristin Landon Proofreader: Ann Skaugset Cover Design, Book Design, and Production: Kim McGovern Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bergmann, Jonathan. Flip your classroom : reach every student in every class every day / Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-56484-315-9 (pbk.) 1. Video tapes in education. 2. Individualized instruction. 3. Teachers—Time management. 4. Homework. I. Sams, Aaron. II. Title. LB1044.75.B47 2012 371.33'52—dc23 2011052647 First Edition ISBN: 978-1-56484-315-9 Printed in the United States of America Cover art: © Dreamstime.com/Tiplyashina ISTE® is a registered trademark of the International Society for Technology in Education. ASCD® is a registered trademark of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. ASCD® product #112060 About ISTE The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy, and leadership for innovation. ISTE is the premier member- ship association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education. Home to ISTE’s annual conference and exposition, the ISTE leader- ship conference, and the widely adopted NETS, ISTE represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of transforming education. To find out more about these and other ISTE initiatives, visit our website at www.iste.org. To learn more, go to www.iste.org or call (toll-free in the United States and Canada) 1.800.336.5191. About ASCD Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. Our 150,000 members in more than 145 countries are professional educators from all levels and subject areas—superinten- dents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members. Our nonprofit, nonpartisan membership association provides expert and innovative solutions in professional development, capacity building, and educational leadership essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead. To learn more, go to www.ascd.org/learnmore or call (toll-free in the United States and Canada) 1.800.933.ASCD (2723) or 1.703.578.0600. Flip Your Classroom iii About the Authors Jonathan Bergmann believes educators should ask one guiding question: What is best for my students in my classroom? To the best of his abilities he has done this in his 25 years as a high school science teacher. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence for Math and Science Teaching in 2002 and was named semi- finalist for the Colorado Teacher of the Year in 2010. He is currently the lead technology facilitator for the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, Illinois. He is the father of three teenagers and is happily married to the love of his life. Aaron Sams has been an educator since 2000. He received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching in 2009 and cochaired the committee to revise the Colorado Science Academic Standards. He regularly turns off all his electronic devices to spend time with his wife and three children, and he highly recommends implementing “unplugged Sundays” for those who struggle to power down and spend time with the ones who matter most. Aaron holds a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry and a master of arts in education, both from Biola University, Colorado. He is currently a classroom science teacher in Woodland Park, Colorado. Acknowledgment Thanks to The Morgridge Family Foundation and Techsmith Corporation. Dedication For Kris and Kelsey iv Flip Your Classroom Contents Foreword by Karl Fisch ..........................................................vii Chapter 1 Our Story: Creating The Flipped Classroom ..................... 1 Chapter 2 The Flipped Classroom ......................................................13 Chapter 3 Why You Should Flip Your Classroom ..............................19 Chapter 4 How to Implement the Flipped Classroom ......................35 Chapter 5 The Flipped-Mastery Classroom .......................................51 Chapter 6 The Case for the Flipped-Mastery Model ........................59 Chapter 7 How to Implement the Flipped-Mastery Model .............77 Chapter 8 Answering Your Questions (FAQs) ....................................95 Chapter 9 Conclusion .......................................................................109 Flip Your Classroom v Foreword One cool, crisp, typically gorgeous Colorado morning in the fall of 2010, I found myself driving into Woodland Park at the base of Pikes Peak. I was on my way to observe two teachers at Woodland Park High School whom I already “knew” online but hadn’t ever had a chance to meet in person. I first “met” Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams online sometime in 2007. I don’t recall exactly when and in what context anymore, but I began to read about the “flipped” approach they were using in their chemistry classes. As a former math teacher and current director of technology for my high school, this fit in nicely with my ongoing efforts to try to figure out how to best use tech- nology to meet the needs of our teachers and students. I began to read (and watch) more about this model and conversed with Jon and Aaron in various online settings trying to learn more about the advantages—and disadvantages—of this approach. Right from the start, it was clear that they didn’t think they had all the answers. They were very upfront about what was working, and what wasn’t working; about which aspects of their approach they thought were rock solid, and which aspects were weak (and they were constantly asking questions to try to improve these). In an age of “silver bullets” in education, this was refreshing. Eventually Brian Hatak, one of the chemistry teachers at my high school, decided to try to implement a flipped classroom approach, and we began to try to figure out together—with lots of help from Jon and Aaron from afar—how best to do this. (Oh, how I wish we’d had this book then.) Much like Jon and Aaron’s experience, we learned tremendously from both our successes and our challenges. When in the fall of 2010 I returned to the classroom to pick up one section of algebra in addition to my tech director duties (a result of budget cuts), I knew I wanted to try to learn from their Flip Your Classroom vii Foreword experiences to try to implement my own version of a flipped classroom approach. I asked if I could come down and visit their classrooms. Although no book is as good as visiting their classrooms, not everyone lives close enough to just drive down and visit. This book is the next best thing. It provides a window into a flipped classroom led by two educators who were driven by a simple question: “What is best for the students in my classroom?” Although they felt pretty good about their “traditional” teaching, they knew they could do better. The flipped classroom approach, like all good educational ideas, stemmed from the needs of their students. This book chronicles their journey from their first shaky steps at trying to “flip” their classrooms to their current “best practice so far” flipped-mastery classroom model. This book shows you the evolution of their thinking. They share not only what went well, but what they also ultimately decided was not good practice. They want you to learn from their mistakes so that you can make new mistakes and then share what you’ve learned to improve the model for all. It’s both a philosophical look at why they believe the flipped approach is good for learners, and a very practical book describing step-by- step how to get started and what questions you need to consider. Jon and Aaron describe how their flipped-mastery approach helps their students learn the content better, as well as helps them become better learners. Not only do they score well on tests, but they truly understand chemistry at a much deeper level. Jon and Aaron also describe how it has allowed them to interact more often with their students, how they develop better and more personal relationships with their students, and how students can better personalize their own learning. For anyone interested in learning more about flipping their classroom, Jon and Aaron have provided a book that helps answer both the “why” and the “how-to.” They will help you decide viii Flip Your Classroom Foreword whether you want to flip your classroom (not everyone will). And, if you do decide to flip, they will save you (and your students) countless hours. Not that it will be easy—teaching never is. However, this book quickly gets you up to speed on the potential and the pitfalls of the flipped approach. Is the flipped approach best for your students? Only you can decide that. But this book is an invaluable aid in helping you do that. Read it. Question it. Try it. Improve on it. Share what you’ve learned. That’s what Jon and Aaron have done with this book. Karl Fisch September 2011 Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA Flip Your Classroom ix