What is a flipped classroom???

Well, I got some things off my chest in my first post but after rereading a thousand times I discovered that I forgot to do something pretty important...explain what in the world I was going to do that was so different...

Traditionally in my AP US History classroom much of the time is me throwing up content all over my students.  Now...I am witty, funny, and engaging, but for the last year or so it has become increasingly difficult to keep students attention.  Along came the idea of the flipped classroom.

Students will still get my glowing lectures, but they will be able to watch them at their computers.  I will vodcast...screencast...whatever you want to call it my PowerPoint notes/lectures.  It will include my face, the notes, and all the content my students have historically received in class (maybe more).  

What if they don't watch it???  Do all kids listen in class???

What will you do in class??  Basically all the stuff I want to do but never do because of time and pressure of the CB test.  Discussions, debates, documents, group work, research...I never do these things that way I want because I always felt compelled to the content and the time it took to digest that content.