A number of different teachers at Manitou Springs High School are experimenting with new and creative ideas in their classrooms to better educate their students.

Mrs. Gardner, a math teacher here at Manitou Springs, is one of those teachers who is using one of these unique procedures which is best known as the “flipped or blended classroom”.

The “flipped classroom” is an academic strategy being used by teachers that switches the tasks of homework and class work.

So instead of students taking notes in class and doing problems at home as they would do in most classrooms, they are now doing problems in class and taking notes at home as homework under the “flipped classroom” strategy.

“It is meant to reorder the tasks so that students can have support on the problems which is the more difficult part,” Mrs. Gardner said about the new way of teaching.

Despite the reduced amount of homework the students are having mixed feelings about this method of teaching.

Sarthak Chopra, a junior in Mrs. Gardner’s Pre-Calculus class, likes the “flipped classroom” saying, “It needs some changes, but I like that there is less homework.”

Maddie Conarro, another junior in Mrs. Gardner’s Pre-Calculus class, disagrees with the method saying she learned best the traditional way where she actually learned the lesson instead of just copying notes down.

According to Mrs. Gardner the scores of the students vary between classes.

She said that one of her classes is doing really well while other classes are struggling.

”Flipped Learning” is one of many new and unique ideas that are being used by teachers to make Manitou Springs High School a more fun and educational experience.

By Drew Faloon