Flipped teaching encourages students to learn independently

Every Monday, Biology and Anatomy teacher Kristofer Orre’s classes seem to work at a quicker, more consistent pace than others. From first to seventh period, Orre’s room is active as students busily type, write and do research for their “20 Time Project”: a new teaching development Orre introduced to Anatomy in 2014-2015 and Biology during this year.  

Orre’s implementation of the “flipped classroom” and the “20 Time Project”  has changed the atmosphere of the class. Students spend every Monday class, or 20 percent of a weekly class schedule, researching and working on a project about an issue relevant to the class that they find interesting.

“Much of a student’s academic career is spent being told  what to learn, when to learn it and how to learn it,” Orre said. “Projects like this teach kids how to take an idea [from] start [to] finish, manage time and tasks, respond to setbacks, think creatively and, frankly, just do what they like.”

For freshman Joseph Li, his interest in the durability of biodegradable plastics led him to pursue a project that tests which plastics would improve conditions in modern landfills.

“By having us tackle any type of problem in life, [Orre] is helping us not only to improve our own abilities, but also to aspire to make a difference in the world,” Li said.

The project spans from January to late May and after the time period, students are asked to present their findings and illustrate their data in the form of a TED Talk, a detailed presentation accompanied by a riveting speech.

This project, however, was not Orre’s idea nor a project originally intended for school use.

“The idea is inspired by tech companies like Google that give their employees 20 percent of their work time to work on their own interest,” Orre said. “The only stipulation is that they have to produce something that benefits the company.”

In addition to this project, Orre’s class is innovative in that students are encouraged to learn independently through the “flipped classroom” format. Rather than lecturing in class, Orre records his lectures and posts vodcasts on the Canvas learning management system. Students then watch and take notes for homework. Orre said the method frees up classroom time for discussions, labs and exercises.

For many students, the flipped environment has helped reduce the workload of classes.

“Learning at home is helpful because I enjoy having more time in class to work on labs and the project to further my interest in the subject,” Li said.

Although this system of teaching is convenient for students, Orre thinks it has even more benefits.

“[The “20 Time Project” and flipped teaching] allow me to shift the emphasis away from content towards important process skills that I think will really serve kids best later,” Orre said.