Flipped Professional Development

This week I started a course on Flipped Learning for about 70 teachers in the RZO (Rectoria Zona Occidente) as part of their professional development program. This course is given online in a format that is an experiment for myself and the teachers in the course.

I’ve never done a course like this and this is the first time that I am teaching to people that I can’t reach out and physically touch in the classroom. There are in fact two colleagues from Campus Guadalajara in the course so I have some direct feedback which I think will help me.

My Fears

I am afraid that people will not know how to get started. Yes, some have already jumped in with both feet and created their first Twitter account, found links, shared them. Others (some the same) have joined our Facebook group and contributed there.

But with my experience the challenge in teaching (and the biggest reward) is reaching the students that need that extra push, that special connection to get started (or finished).  Teaching is such a social experience and I love those moments far and above any other in my classroom

But this is Different

My classroom is Schoology, Facebook and Twitter as well as a weekly session over Google Hangouts on Air trying to reach 70 people.  I don’t have the luxury of walking around the room to check in with each student. I need them to come to me more than ever.  In the past this works by having my students reserve time to meet me via YouCanBookMe.  Perhaps this group can do the same (yes, please do that) and we can meet in office hours using Skype, Google Hangout or whatever format makes sense to them.

Stay Tuned

I will post more about my experiences about the class and hope to link to the experiences of my colleagues on this journey. I asked them to share a document and a video on their fears and expectations, so here is mine.

 

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2 thoughts on “First Steps with Flipped Professional Development

  1. Dear Ken, how can I take a look at your new course? I am Elizabeth Cruz, from Campus Cuernavaca; should I ask for registration at “Academic Development Department” in my Campus ?

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