You're invited: A chance to flip your perspective

Flipped classrooms, like a lot of tech driven learning initiatives, foster a lot of hesitation in the industry.

With many educators on the fence about its usefulness, FlipCon New Zealand is heading to Wellington with hopes to tempt a few teachers to make the leap.

For educators who haven't come across flipped learning before, Educause describes it as, "a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture homework elements of a course are reversed".

This means students engage with short video lectures before coming to class, leaving in-class time able to be wholly focused on exercises, projects and discussion.

Jon Bergmann, a pioneer of flipped learning, is inviting New Zealand educators to come and see for themselves what this type of change can offer. Then you can make an informed decision whether to flip your classroom, or start implementing flipped changes as school leadership.

Flipped learning is such a drastic shift in the way classes are traditionally delivered, that people take a little longer to understand whether it could be valuable or not.

FlipCon New Zealand will be the Kiwi leg of Bergmann's tour, after successful conferences in Australia, and he hopes he can dissuade some of the flipped learning doomsayers.

"Despite the pervasive fear of academic Armageddon, we are living in the most exciting times in the history of education. There are big changes on the road ahead for teachers, administrators and education leaders.

"Every educator's growth mindset is about to be tested.

Even with a tech focus, flipped learning proposes to be pedagogy focused, with the importance of learning outcomes placed at its centre.

Bergmann says it's time to at least learn about the possibilities flipped learning has to offer, or risk being left behind in what he describes as a global movement.

"I challenge you to come to this conference to join the movement. Because flipped learning is a movement, it's expanding across the globe.

"Come along and add to the conversation.

Whether it's a chance to learn about something new that you don't see yourself implementing, or a way for you to start flipping your own educational offerings, FlipCon NZ is something to head along to.

Friday 23 June and Saturday 24 June - Samuel Marsden Collegiate School, Wellington. Registrations are still open.