Technology
Differentiating Instruction by Flipping the Classroom
Abstract: Flipping the classroom can be an effective
instructional strategy for differentiating instruction for gifted
and talented students. The author presents a rationale for
using the strategy with gifted students, possible problems
educators might encounter, and practical tips for beginning
the process of flipping the classroom.
Flipping the classroom is an easy model to get wrong.
Choice is an essential component of a flipped classroom. The
focus is on students’ needs. As one science teacher noted,
“Students are encouraged to make decisions, question, succeed
and fail in a supportive, dynamic learning environment . . .
Students are given an opportunity to defend their choices as a
partner in learning rather than a subordinate” (Blair, 2012, pp.
2-3). Flipping the classroom can be an effective instructional
strategy for differentiating instruction for gifted and talented
students. The strategy is not for every teacher or every
classroom, but it a viable option for many educators who wish
to differentiate gifted students’ learning experience to maximize
talent development.