I posted about the “flipped classroom” – lectures online at home, and “homework” in school – a while back, with a special view toward how to sell parents on the practice. During my drive to work the other morning, I was listening to KUOW (Seattle-area public radio) and heard a story on flipped classrooms which couldn’t be more perfect for my thinking – including an interview with a college professor who had advice on how to talk to parents. Listen to it here.
The basics: Russel Mumper has been teaching in a basic lecture style for years, and when he (reluctantly) switched to focusing on work and practice in class while assigning online lectures at home, he saw a dramatic increase in both student engagement and the quality of student work; now he’ll never go back. That kind of testimony, I think, would be incredibly valuable when trying to sell a parent on the practice, and I may in fact use it as such. Not to mention the results of the study mentioned.
Ten Thousand Small Steps 