I’ve mentioned Khan Academy lots of times before, and other resources that allow teachers (math teachers in particular) to “flip the classroom.” Here’s a nice graphic that summarizes the model and provides a bit of research in favor of it. I haven’t been bold enough to try it, but I’d like to experiment in the next few years. It seems like you wouldn’t have to buy into the model 100%; you could use the flipped classroom model sometimes, and the traditional model other times.

Also, it occurs to me that this discussion is most relevant and most revolutionary in the math classroom. English and History classes have always used this flipped classroom model, to some extent–you read outside of class, then come to class to discuss the material. Historically, it’s math teaching that has been  lecture-based. So maybe we’re just catching on to something that English and History teachers have known all along: the real thinking and learning happens when the student is involved–talking, speaking, doing, practicing, experimenting.