Dear Standard Level Yr12 Physics Parents,

I am writing this short note to introduce myself and to provide an insight into how teaching and learning will take place. As you may well know my name is Neil Commons and this is the start of my 6th year teaching Science with a diploma Physics specialism at NIST. As a result I have actually met many of you at past three-way conferences or at other school events.

I mention my prior experience so as to reassure you that there may well be a reason as to why the feedback you receive about my lessons may well be different to that of other classes. I have decided that to best support this year’s new standard level physics class, I will employ what is known as reverse instruction or, more colloquially, the flipped classroom technique.

The premise of reverse instruction is that students are given a concept to learn at home so they can be prepared to do problems with their newly found knowledge in class. It is the reverse of most current practices where students are taught the concept in class (in a way determined by the teacher) and then do the problems, often in isolation, at home. Ironically, the use of technology in Reverse Instruction may actually humanize education in that it will encourage kids to interact with their teacher and peers once concepts have been mastered instead of just listening quietly to lectures which are supposed to teach them the concepts. This is covered very eloquently my Salman Khan in his recent TED talk – Let’s use video to reinvent education. I identify a number of different paths using our class portal which I hope will best suite their own learning style. As we move forward, I hope to have a better understanding of the paths which best fit each member of my class.

I am also expecting mastery from my students. To achieve this, my students are presently expected to complete levels using the Mind On Physics website. Once a sub-level has been completed an individual code is produced that is then entered to a class record page which allows me to keep track of students’ progression, and provide additional support when required, and also for students to keep pace with the other class members and also identify peer experts.

As I mentioned at the beginning, my purpose in writing to you today is to reassure you that I am working hard to help your child achieve the best possible results in Physics. However, I would also like to highlight that success with reverse instruction does require the student to recognise that they must manage their time effectively to give themselves the best opportunity to make the most progress. Furthermore, mastery requires persistence and a willingness to ask further questions when required.

Please do let me know if you have any questions relating to the Physics course as a whole or the reverse instruction method.

Regards,

Neil CommonsPhysics Teacher