This document discusses instructional leadership in an online environment. It examines the role of the principal in evaluating online courses and providing professional development for online teachers. The document proposes creating an instrument for evaluating online classes and designing a professional development plan for new online teachers. It explores how the principal can gain deeper insight into classrooms through online and flipped models. It also compares evaluating traditional and online classrooms and discusses elements to look for when evaluating online course modules.

1. H05 — INSTRUCTIONAL
LEADERSHIP IN AN
ONLINE ENVIRONMENT
EXAMINE THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER IN AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT.
SEE HOW AN ONLINE ENVIRONMENT AND FLIPPED CLASSROOMS CAN GIVE A PRINCIPAL DEEPER
INSIGHT INTO A CLASSROOM. CREATE A WALK-THROUGH INSTRUMENT FOR ONLINE CLASSES AND
DESIGN A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR A NEW ONLINE TEACHER.

2. Our goals
 To have a deeper understanding of how to evaluate an online
course.
 To become aware of instruments that are already widely used.
 Create a walkthrough instrument for online classes.
 Design a professional development plan for a new teacher.

3. About me
 Originally a French and English teacher
 Got involved with online learning in 2007
 After I finished my Ed.D. found a job to design and lead an online
school
 My areas of expertise are instructional coaching (dissertation plus
two years of intensive coaching training), distance education (both
online and blended), and stringed instruments.

4. About TOPS
 Established in 2012
 Statewide Virtual School in TN
 We’re part of Bristol, TN City Schools
 Our content is all homemade – we don’t use a 3rd party
 We use Canvas as our LMS (if you don’t know what this means, ask)
 Student population: 250

5. My beliefs
 Online learning can be equal to or better than traditional B&M
classrooms.
 Teachers (as human beings) are our most important and valuable
resource and should be treasured.
 Students are our clients and shouldn’t be taken for granted. (In my
school, none of them are compelled to be there.)
 How a teacher designs work is causal to learning.
 A growth mindset applies universally, not only to students.
 Evaluations should be focused on improving practice.
 Teachers know more than I do about their subjects, how to teach it,
what students have a hard time learning, and why their subject is
important. I need to think about that before I hand down a mandate.

6. Evaluating B&M classrooms versus
online courses
B&M
 90 minutes of instruction
 Daily lesson plans
 Student work if requested (usual in
paper-pencil format)
 For most teachers, less than 1% of
the time they spend in the
classroom.
Online
 The entire course
 All student work
 All teacher feedback
 All student discussions
 For all teachers, 100% of what they
do in the classroom.

7. Discussion: Why do we do
evaluations/walkthroughs?
 What do we hope to gain?
 What are your teachers’ perceptions of them?
 What’s your process?
 My purpose is to help the teacher figure out what needs to be
better.
 There are some basics that must be there. After that, it depends on
the subject and most importantly, the students.

8. Let’s compare what Learning
Matters and iNACOL rubrics
 What’s similar?
 What’s different?
 Do you think anything should be added?
 Do you think anything should be taken away?

9. The anatomy of an online course
module
 Module description/instructions
 Instructional content (how we deliver the information to students)
 Assignments (discussions, quizzes, papers, etc)
 Assessments (how we know that students got it)
 Supplemental content (tying to prior learning, big ideas, areas of
interest)

10. Instructions/Overview
Assignment
Discussion
Assessment
From “Sample module” in Tools

11. What to look for?
 Higher order thinking questions:
 Discussion
 Different types of assessments
 Choice
 Clear and concise information