My Chosen Resource Article Analyzed

As most who are reading this blog are already aware, (Hello fellow classmates!) the second assignment in my composition class was to choose an article related to the topic, the flipped classroom, as a resource for our second paper.  Now, with this post, I am analyzing the article and giving my opinion on the success of the writer, Scott LaFee, to handle his reader and thesis.  I thought this would be an easy assignment.  After all, I had watched the professor's video, read, and really enjoyed reading, the assigned pages in the book, and completely read every topic on the website link the professor gave, not just the parts he said to make sure to read.  I figured, no big deal, right?  Until I sat in front of the computer.  I had already read the article several times, and normally at this point in the weekly assignment I would already have ideas or at least the beginning of something that could get me started.....but nothing!  So I read the article again.  Okay, now what? Not a whole lot happening upstairs at this point, if you know what I mean.....it's not often that I get like that.  A form of writer's block, I suppose.  This paragraph has gotten me through that, I hope! 

So I started to think about the "audience" part of everything I had been reading in our assignment and I decided that the first step would be to decide who was intended to be the audience of Scott LaFee's article, Flipped Learning.  This article was published in The School Administrator, a professional magazine published by the School Superintendents Association (AASA) in March of 2013. (Make sure I give proper credit!!) 

I think it would be safe to assume the audience of this particular article would be school superintendents.  That also says to me that I should be aware of a possible bias that would be good for school superintendents in some way, and I should also think about any personal bias's that I may bring to my judgment of Mr. LaFee's success handling his reader and thesis, be they good or bad.  Personally, I'm adjusting well to the schedule of the class, and my initial fear that it would have the feel of an online course has not, thus far, come true.  I enjoy the flexibility of the flipped class and the quick, concise course instruction.  Since I am aware that I have slightly favorable feelings towards the flipped class technique, I will strive to disregard that in my judgment of the article.
I also have many positive, and negative, opinions regarding the public school system as a whole because it's personal to me.  My children attend public school, so I want to know what's happening with our school system.  I feel, though, that most school employees really care and they have the children's best interests at heart.  I realize that the people that work for the public school system that my children and I have contact with, are the ground troops.  They're in the trenches doing the best they can.  So I don't have any negative feelings towards either the writer, nor the audience, of this particular article.

In regards to a possible bias that could be shown by the printer's of the article, I can't really think of too many things that could really sway a school superintendent considering the fact that the public school system is a government funded program.  After I did a quick glance over the major topics of the last twelve issues listed in the archive on the AASA website, I decided that it appears to be a highly specialized (school superintendents) trade magazine that delves into topics that are directly relevant to the public school system and some topics that are also related to the current events of the time period that the issue was published.  With all of that said, I don't see where if a teacher, school, or even an entire district were to begin to use the flipped classroom method, the AASA would benefit in any way, other than credit for giving good advice.  If the method worked, they gave good advice and if it doesn't then they were introducing it as a new trend, but possible fad........

Which, by the way, is the thesis of the article as stated by the following title, and first two sentences, which were visually emphasized, in the magazine.  The emphasis made it fairly clear what the author of the article was preparing to cover in the text that followed.  And I quote:

"Flipped Learning. Whether it becomes a fix or is just a fad remains to be determined as educators reverse the use of students' time in school and at home.  FLIPPING OUT IS IN."

So far I've covered the audience, my personal bias's, and the thesis, and it's now time to decide whether or not I feel that Scott LaFee handled his reader and thesis.  The text of the article describes the basic idea of what the flipped learning technique is, lists common doubts expressed by skeptics, and then answers through quotes from teachers that have used the technique, shows statistics of improvements in student's scores after the flipped class had been implemented in their school, briefly describes a possible drawback during the implementation of technique, and goes on to include additional resources about flipped learning.  Also included within the pages of the article, is a small article written by the principal of a Title I school who successfully implemented the technique.  I've concluded that Mr. LaFee handled his reader and thesis well.  It is informative, lists pros and cons of the topic, and gives personal accounts from teachers and administrators who have experienced the topic.  The article does a great job informing it's targeted audience of topic and made the information relatable to the audience, school administrators.