Local teacher is recognized for her “flipped classroom”


SHAWNEE, Kan. -- A Shawnee art teacher was recently recognized by an online magazine, "The Art of Education," as a teacher using technology as a technique to transform her classroom.

The Ray Marsh teachers use a new innovative teaching method to create more hands on time in the classroom.

"A flipped classroom is where the teacher will show a video of the instruction so that more teacher time is spent actually helping the students," said Beth Koon, the art teacher for grades K-6 at Ray Marsh elementary in Shawnee

Koon was recently recognized for her "flipped" classroom.

"I'll take a project that may take me 20 or 30 minutes to actually create from beginning to end," said Koon. "Through the power of video editing, I'm able to compress that down into a five minute instruction video, taking that student all the way from the very beginning brain storming part all the way to the finished product. So they`re able to see what it looks like throughout the entire process."

She's now made about 200 videos. She shows the five minute video at the beginning of class, allowing her to engage with students while working on the actual project.

"When I watch it on a screen and I see it zoomed in, I can find all the details and do it correctly on my paper," said one of Koon's students, Erin Moody.

"If I didn't fully get it in class, I can just go home and watch it then," said another student, Micah Reeves.

Her students say this method is really changing the way they learn.

"It`s so entertaining with the music in the background, and I get to see what she`s doing, and I think that would help a lot if that would happen in other classrooms," said Moody.

"You can look back, rewind it, and you can see that exact part again, exactly how she did it," said Reeves.

Koon says you can zoom in, fast forward and save transition time.

"It`s all very clear and concise, and all my students get all the same instruction," said Koon.

She says this is a fast and effective learning tool, making her more attentive during class time.

"My time is extremely limited with my students, and I want to spend every minute I can working with them, talking with them," said Koon.

Not only are her videos being viewed here in Kansas, but in classrooms all over the world.

Koon says this teaching method helps maximize her time, as she has more than 500 students who she sees for only one hour, once a week.