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