An Interview with Jon Bergmann

Author — Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day

On November 15, 2015, I interviewed Jon Bergmann while he was traveling in Korea. We spoke for nearly an hour via Skype. The interview was updated November 2016.

Jon Bergmann is a retired chemistry teacher and a pioneer of the Flipped Classroom Movement (along with fellow chemistry teacher Aaron Sams).

Bergmann defines flipping as a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter.

Another way to look at flipping — the use of modern technology to provide students with the ability to learn, while away from class, the very content that students were typically taught while in class . . . thereby providing the teacher with more and more freed-up class time (this freed-up class time to be used by the teacher to employ strategies that maximize engagement and increase students’ depth of knowledge.)

Bergmann first decided to flip midway through his teaching career and the flipping worked so well for Bergmann that he founded the Flipped Learning Network, a non-profit organization that provides resources and research about flipped learning.

Today Bergmann spends most of his time writing, speaking and otherwise promoting the concept of flipped learning.

His best known book, which he co-wrote with Aaron Sams, is entitled Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day.

Q&A

You’re flipped learning’s biggest fan. The chief evangelist of the flipped classroom, some would even say. What is the best thing that can be said about flipped learning?

“It works and it works well,” he said.

Q&A

Why do you think flipping works so well?

Jon thought that this was a great question and added that he’s in fact been thinking a lot about this question. “It’s like having a fast car in your driveway . . . you know it’s fast, but you don’t know why it’s fast . . . until you take a real close look at it.”

With flipping, that’s what he says he now wants to do and when he takes this close look he thinks he’s going to find that flipping works so well because it:

• Transfers ownership of learning to the students
• Enhances relationships (creates more personal intimate contacts between teachers and students), something that is needed to motivate students to do their best.
• Requires the students to acquire some background knowledge before coming to class (and we all know how important background knowledge is for learning)

Q&A
San Marino High School (where I teach) is often described as a high achieving, nationally acclaimed public high school located in San Marino, CA. Do you know of any high achieving, nationally acclaimed high schools that have developed a reputation for having explored the world of flipping?

“Yes,” he said. “Two in particular — Allen High School (Allen, Texas) and Brighton Secondary School (Adelaide, Australia).”

Q&A
At SMHS all of our classes are categorized in terms of various departments: Science, Math, Social Science, etc. Do you think flipped learning works better for some departments than for some other departments?

In response to this question, Jon said that flipping works well for any/all departments.

On the other hand it’s also true, he said, that 65% of all the flipping that takes place takes place in the math and science departments while 35% of the flipping that takes places takes place in all the other departments combined.

Jon thinks that this probably has more to do with the fact that “science and math are in the DNA of flipping.” In other words, Jon, as he explained, is a science teacher and that’s where flipping began, so maybe more flipping is taking place in science and math because science and math have been exposed to flipping for a longer period of time.

Q&A
To what extent, if any, would you encourage Advanced Placement teachers to experiment with flipped learning?

In response to this question Jon said he would strongly encourage AP teachers to experiment with flipping. Research has shown that flipping increases AP test scores, he said. He’s in fact surprised that not all AP teachers aren’t flipping, though he can understand and appreciate the hesitation. Flipping isn’t easy, he closed.

Q&A
What do you think the future holds for flipped learning?

In response to this question, Jon said he thinks flipping will become more widespread and this because Common Core, he summarized, is something that encourages students to demonstrate higher level thinking skills and flipping provides teachers with the class time needed to provide students with higher level thinking opportunities.

Q&A
What in your opinion is the single biggest criticism leveled at the proponents of flipped learning? What do you think is the best response to that criticism?

In response to this question, Jon said there are actually two criticisms commonly leveled at flipping:

1. Students won’t/don’t do the homework (though there are lots of things that a teacher can be done to deal with this issue, if the teacher is willing to work. In this regard, he pointed out that flipping does not mean less work for the teacher. it may even mean more.)
2. Students have limited access to internet at home (though a recent study he claims shows that more than 95% today of our country’s K-12 population have internet capability at home)

Q&A
What are some of the biggest misperceptions about flipping?

1. That flipping must feature a teacher produced video. Not true, he said. Any resource made available online can be used to flip (an audio clip, a website, a professionally produced video clip, even the textbook.)
2. That flipping means teachers will spend less time working outside of class. Not true, he says. With flipping, teachers will put in the same number of hours working outside of class; the work will just be different.

Q&A
Is there anything new and exciting on the horizon for flipped learning?

In response to this question, Jon said yes, many things, but above all else that flipping will be used for professional development.

He also pointed out the interest that Asians (Chinese, Koreans, and Japanese) have in flipping and then spent time wondering why this might be the case and what global impact this might have if Asians, in large numbers, actually take to flipping

Q&A

Is there anything you would like to add that I haven’t asked you about yet.

• That the single best question that teachers can ask themselves today is “What is the best use of in-class face to face time?”
• That’s he’s not real thrilled with the term “flipping” and that he wishes there would be a better term, though from the marketing standpoint it’s a good term. Still, when taken internationally, it’s a hard term to translate into other languages.
• That at a school in China, admissions to selective colleges went up from 10% to 20% after flipping was introduced
• That a recent Yale study found that flipping works best with underachieving students and females.
• That flipping should not be viewed as abandoning content. It should in fact be viewed as the middle point on the continuum between didactic learning and constructivist learning.
• That social science teachers generally have the best ideas when it comes to how to use flipping to provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate higher order thinking skills.
• That he would gladly speak to the SMHS faculty as a whole via video conference technology or in person.
• That any AP US Government and/or AP US History teacher interested in flipping should contact David Fouch David.fouch@gmail.com (a Michigan AP teacher who flips both classes in their entirety and with good results)
• That he has taught at all of the following: A school located in the inner city: a school located in a working class neighborhood; a school located in the suburbs of Denver; a school located in the mountains of Colorado; a high achieving school located in Chicago (this school recently having been declared the #1 school in Illinois.)

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Sidenote #1:
If you are interested in learning more about “flipped learning” and, at the same, would like to earn a certificate for the learning that takes place, click here.You will need to commit 5–10 hours of time to earn this certificate.

Sidenote #2:
On June 27th, Jon and his team launched the Flipped Learning Global Initiative. The aim of this initiative — to support the successful adoption of flipped learning worldwide. For more information, click here or see http://flglobal.org