Not too long ago, many teachers would have been horrified at the thought of their students watching them on YouTube. But in the world of “flipped” classrooms, students watching online videos of their teachers is a key part of their instruction. Tyler Johnstone, an algebra teacher in Folsom, CA, is one of the growing number of educators who have integrated the flipped model into their classrooms. Johnstone posts about four video lectures a week to YouTube. Students take notes while they watch the lectures and are usually assigned a few problems at home to reinforce the concept, but most of the actual work is done in the classroom, where Johnstone can help the students comprehend the material further.

Because their homework is often more engaging, Johnstone has found that almost all of his students are watching the assigned videos on a nightly basis. What’s more, Johnstone has found that his students often re-watch his videos, even getting their parents to view them as well.

“Even though I only teach 70 kids algebra, some of my YouTube videos have been viewed like 100, 150 times,” says Johnstone. “Obviously the kids are going back and watching it again, and I’ve even had some parents tell me they’re watching so they can help their kids at home and see what they’re learning.”

Source: What ‘Flipped’ Classrooms Can (and Can’t) Do for Education – NEA Today