Flipping the classroom can be used in a blended online environment to improve the professional practices of education directors

"Flipping the classroom" typically involves reversing the traditional method of instruction. In http://www.readingrockets.org/article/55699/ the flipped classroom is defined as follows:

A flipped classroom flips, or reverses, traditional teaching methods. Traditionally, the teacher talks about a topic at school and assigns homework that reinforces that day's material. In a flipped classroom, the instruction is delivered online, outside of class. Video lectures may be online or may be provided on a DVD or a thumb drive. Some flipped models include communicating with classmates and the teacher via online discussions.


In a recent study funded by PELIE.org we found that the practice of flipping the classroom can be done in a totally blended online learning environment. 

We just completed two blended online learning courses in which we trained 30 education directors of Jewish complementary schools in the US and Mexico to create online Communities of Practice for their teachers and other members of the school community. The results of these two web courses demonstrate that flipping the classroom methods (i.e. video tutorials with online collaborative assignments ) can be used to improve the professional practices of school administrators and instructional leaders  in the delivery of staff development to their teachers.

Click on this link to see a sample assignment: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-uz8sOOT9pZWOmW1f-skw993VPMCtsS_bYZjIFgAZxE/edit

This study offers evidence to support these four propositions:

1. We can do staff development in-service training in a totally online learning environment.
2. We can flip the classroom in a blended online learning environment without the need for face to face in-service staff development. In no way, does this study negate or diminish the importance of onsite staff development. In an ideal situation online and onsite staff development reinforce each other.
3. We have the ability to e-mentor education directors and other educational leaders via the various tutorials and individualized tutoring we have provided.
4. We can use the training of trainers (i.e. ToT) model to empower education directors/leaders to train selected staff at their complementary and day schools.

If you wish to see the final report of the project, contact Richard Solomon at rdsolomonphd@gmail.com

How the Starbursting brainstorming diagram can be used to promote Jewish education and teacher training

When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices, and demonstrate how these best practices can be applied in the real (i.e. physical) and virtual (i.e. online) classroom for both teaching and teacher training. The combination of face to face instruction in a physical setting and online learning is called blended learning. In this section of the blog we will describe how the internet can serve as a supplemental resource for instruction and the mentoring of pre-service and in-service Jewish educators. In(i.e. physical) and virtual (i.e. online) classroom for both teaching and teacher training. The combination of face to face instruction in a physical setting and online learning is called blended learning. In this section of the blog we will describe how the internet can serve as a supplemental resource for instruction and the mentoring of pre-service and in-service Jewish educators. In this post we will discuss how the Starbursting brainstorming diagram can be used to promote instruction in the Judaic Studies classroom and for the training/mentoring of pre-service and in-service Jewish educators.

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has an interactive white board (i.e. SMART Board, Promethean, etc.), a Tablet PC (also called a Slate or Blade), a computer presenter or computer with internet access attached to an LCD projector in the classroom. It would be ideal if students or mentees had access to their own laptop computers or Ipads. Given parental and school approval, and the development of specific guidelines, smartphones can be used to enhance instruction as well.

Note: Although the Starbursting brainstorming diagram can be applied in the Judaic Studies blended learning classroom, it can be also be used for training pre-service and in-service Jewish educators for professional or staff development. It is our hope that Jewish educators around the globe will form an online community of practice, a CoP, a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession, to enhance the delivery of instruction and training of Jewish educators. For example, here is a CoP you might want to join. 

Note: The Starbursting thinking skills tool or construct can be used in a face to face and virtual classroom.

In previous blog posts we have defined thinking skills and processes, creative thinking, critical thinking and Benjamin Blooms taxonomy of educational objectives. We have also shared creative and critical thinking tools developed by Dr. Donald J. Treffinger. 

What is Starbursting?

According to http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm

Starbursting is a form of brainstorming that focuses on generating questions rather than answers. It can be used iteratively, with further layers of questioning about the answers to the initial set of questions.

For example, a colleague suggests a new design of ice skating boot. One question you ask might be "Who is the customer?" Answer: "Skaters." But you need to go further than this to ensure that you target your promotions accurately: "What kind of skaters?" Answer: "Those who do a lot of jumping, who need extra support," and so on. This would help focus the marketing, for example to competition ice dancers and figure skaters, rather than ice rinks that buy boots to hire out to the general public.

According to http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm there are the four steps involved in Starbursting and they are as follows:

1.            Download the Starbursting thinking skills diagram by clicking here. 

This is what the Starbursting  brainstorming diagram looks like:

If you wish to copy the above Starbursting diagram right click on the image or click here.

2.            Record the words "Who", "What", "Why", "Where", "When" and "How at the tip of each point of the star.

3.            Brainstorm questions about the idea or product starting with each of these words.

4.            Depending on the scope of the exercise, you may want to have further starbursting sessions to explore the answers to these initial questions further.

How the Starbursting diagram can be used to promote Jewish education and teacher training

Below you will find two examples demonstrating how the Starbursting diagram can be used to promote learning in the traditional and virtual Judaic Studies classroom and to mentor/train pre-service and in-service Jewish educators

Alternative Questions on a Tzedakah Project for a Class or School

1. What tzedakah project can our class or school implement?
2. Why should our class or school implement this tzedakah project?
3. Who in our class/school/community will help us implement this project?
4. How do we motivate people to participate in this tzedakah project? How do we implement this project?
5. When should our tzedakah project begin and end?
6. Where should our tzedakah project take place?

On the next post we will discuss the  Think-Trix thinking skills construct of Dr. Frank Lyman.

Introduction to the web-based thinking tool or construct called Starbursting

When mentoring our pre-service and in-service teachers we need to describe and model both research-based and clinically tested best practices, and demonstrate how these best practices can be applied in the real (i.e. physical) and virtual (i.e. online) classroom for both teaching and teacher training. The combination of face to face instruction in a physical setting and online learning is called blended learning. In this section of the blog we will describe how the internet can serve as a supplemental resource for instruction and the mentoring of pre-service and in-service Jewish educators. In(i.e. physical) and virtual (i.e. online) classroom for both teaching and teacher training. The combination of face to face instruction in a physical setting and online learning is called blended learning. In this section of the blog we will describe how the internet can serve as a supplemental resource for instruction and the mentoring of pre-service and in-service Jewish educators. In this post we will discuss how the Starbursting diagram can be used to promote skillful, creative and critical thinking in the Judaic Studies classroom.

Assumption: The teacher or mentor teacher has an interactive white board (i.e. SMART Board, Promethean, etc.), a Tablet PC (also called a Slate or Blade), a computer presenter or computer with internet access attached to an LCD projector in the classroom. It would be ideal if students or mentees had access to their own laptop computers or Ipads. Given parental and school approval, and the development of specific guidelines, smartphones can be used to enhance instruction as well.

Note: Although the Starbursting can be applied in the Judaic Studies blended learning classroom, it can be also be used for training pre-service and in-service Jewish educators for professional or staff development. It is our hope that Jewish educators around the globe will form an online community of practice, a CoP, a group of people who share an interest, a craft, and/or a profession, to enhance the delivery of instruction and training of Jewish educators. For example, here is a CoP you might want to join. 

Note: The Starbursting thinking skills tool or construct can be used in a face to face and virtual classroom.

In previous blog posts we have defined thinking skills and processes, creative thinking, critical thinking and Benjamin Blooms taxonomy of educational objectives. We have also shared creative and critical thinking tools developed by Dr. Donald J. Treffinger.  In this post we will share a web-based thinking tool or construct called “Starbursting”.

What is Starbursting?

According to http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm

Starbursting is a form of brainstorming that focuses on generating questions rather than answers. It can be used iteratively, with further layers of questioning about the answers to the initial set of questions.

For example, a colleague suggests a new design of ice skating boot. One question you ask might be "Who is the customer?" Answer: "Skaters." But you need to go further than this to ensure that you target your promotions accurately: "What kind of skaters?" Answer: "Those who do a lot of jumping, who need extra support," and so on. This would help focus the marketing, for example to competition ice dancers and figure skaters, rather than ice rinks that buy boots to hire out to the general public.

According to http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm there are the four steps involved in Starbursting and they are as follows:

1.    Download the Starbursting thinking skills diagram by clicking here. http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm.

This is what the Starbursting diagram looks like:

 If you wish to copy the above Starbursting diagram right click on the image or click here.

2.           Record the words "Who", "What", "Why", "Where", "When" and "How at the tip of each point of the star.

3.            Brainstorm questions about the idea or product starting with each of these words.

4.            Depending on the scope of the exercise, you may want to have further starbursting sessions to explore the answers to these initial questions further.

On the next post we will share two examples of how to use the Starbursting diagram for Jewish education and teacher training.