Watch CBS News

The Flipped Class: Homework At School, Lessons At Home

NEW MILFORD, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Across the country, teachers have turned the education process upside-down, in a new teaching trend where lessons are taught at home and students complete their homework at school.

As CBS 2's Cindy Hsu reported, students have been complaining about too much homework as long as homework has existed. But at New Milford High School in Bergen County, N.J., there are no such complaints.

In pre-calculus class at the school, they have flipped the class. All homework that used to be completed at home is now instead done in class with the teacher. Meanwhile at home, students watch at 5- to 10-minute video designed by the teacher about what will be taught the following day.

New Milford junior Sydney Borner said the change was much welcome.

"I use to spend hours on homework," she said. "Like, I would have textbooks, notebooks -- it was, like, ridiculous."

With the flipped class, students said homework at home is now done in under an hour, and class time is where they actually get to work with teachers to get their questions answered.

"When I get into class, I understand it so much better because I'm working, and she's always there when I have questions -- whereas at home, I couldn't have those questions answered for me," said New Milford senior Erin Bigger.

Math teacher Kanchan Chellani said students love the high-tech approach.

"They get to use their phones, they get to use their computers, they get to work with each other," Chellani said. "I don't want silence in the classroom."

Added teacher Jeff Fascina, "Just the interactiveness in class -- more kids are engaged in doing their work as opposed to if I was just teaching them, you know, you have kids who look out the window; you have kids who daydream."

The videos use the teachers voice, and creativity. Students are also able to text or email questions while they're watching the videos at home.

It's up to the individual teachers whether they want to flip their classrooms. So far at New Milford, about 10 percent of the teachers have been doing it consistently, and about 30 percent are trying it out here and there.

While flipping the class is relatively new, many at the school said it's likely the wave of the future.

Teachers said with flipped classes, students can work ahead, and those who are struggling can get extra help so everyone can learn at their own pace.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories:

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.