MANSFIELD, Ohio – A teacher from Richland Academy School of Excellence is being recognized nationally for his unique teaching method, thanks to a newly published book.
Dan Jones’ social studies classroom is featured in a new book “Flipped Learning for Social Studies Instruction,” by Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams, the creators of the flipped classroom model. The authors contacted Jones after learning of his use of the flipped classroom on the professional networking website LinkedIn.
“They liked what they saw when I posted on LinkedIn about the class and the different projects we’d been working on and the different ways of setting up a flipped classroom,” said Jones. “That was huge validation for me to have them acknowledge our work, that we’re on the right track with doing things. It’s not every day you get an email from the founder of the philosophy you use for instruction.”
The first chapter details Jones’ journey in education and how the flipped model of instruction helped to revive his passion for teaching. The last chapter is about the importance of project-based learning in a flipped classroom. A student’s project is also featured in the book, along with a picture of the project.
Jones explained flipped learning flips where learning and homework traditionally takes place. Through Jones’ flipped classroom method, his students watch lectures, complete reading assignments and take notes while at home. They come to class ready to work on their homework assignments.
“Typically students need the most help on homework, and when that’s being done at home and they don’t have access to their teachers it becomes a point of frustration, and parents are frustrated because they don’t always know how to help their child best,” said Jones. “But if the teacher was right there and could help them, the child could become far more successful at knowing how to apply what they learned.”
By working on assignments in the classroom, Jones said his students are able to dive into deeper discussions about material and have a better understanding of the content. It also helps students to learn 21st century skills like time management, collaborating with peers and articulating themselves in class.
The flipped learning method allows Jones to integrate distance learning through Skyping into the classroom.
“You wouldn’t normally think you’d have time to do fun stuff, but this structure allows for far more engaging activities,” said Jones. “The Skyping we do just enhances their understanding of the content and the kids are so excited about learning.”
Jones has organized roughly 10 different Skype sessions in his classroom within the last year. Most recently, his students Skyped with the Benjamin Franklin House in London, England, the only remaining house where Ben Franklin lived, and with George Washington’s home at Mount Vernon.
The distance learning program was also featured in the American Middle Level Education magazine as well as on the White House Historical Association’s blog, The Inkwell.
Jones has been teaching for 11 years, and switched to the flipped classroom method approximately three years ago after becoming frustrated with his current approach.
“I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere with the kids; I couldn’t excite anyone about the content and they disengaged entirely. I felt really defeated,” he said. “I went from being frustrated to energized – it started out from a flicker of hope to a roaring fire of this is the way I feel it needs to be done to best meet the needs of kids.”
The flipped classroom method has not only energized Jones, but his students as well. He said his students realize their work is making an impact beyond the classroom.
“We have more of a responsibility than just trying to do a project well for a grade, it’s about what change they can make in education,” said Jones. “We also have that standard of excellence in doing things because you don’t know who this project could impact.
“You get a sense of the way things can be done, and you don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done.”
