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Observing Skills R. Martin Reardon’s summary of Chapter 14. Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P. & Ross- Gordon, J. M. (2009), 181-199.
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Session 1: 7 slides2 Interpretation Trap S making statements which are interpretations without first describing the observational data -ve: “Your colleagues lack respect for you.” +ve: “Your students were interested.” Even describing the situation can be problematic We commonly work from “mental models” Associated with “ladder of inference” (Senge) Describing the observation gives a clue to solution Teacher can’t do anything to change “colleagues lack of respect” Can do something about e.g., curbing loud criticism of others Using description first creates instructional dialogue “There were 3 students looking away & talking among themselves while you were giving directions.” Interpretations & evaluative statements first create resentment “You are a poor classroom manager.”
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Session 1: 7 slides3 Formative v Summative F: describe what is happening in terms of preconference agreements Intended to provide information that S & s decide is of interest Competence not the primary focus May well be the unavoidable subtext Descriptive--focus on further goals & professional learning S: externally imposed & uniformly applied to judge all on similar criteria Intended to summarize & judge competence Competence is fundamental Checklists, rating scales BOTH F & S have rightful place, but must not be confused
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Session 1: 7 slides4 Quantitative Observation Instruments Categorical frequency (p. 184) Isolate & count almost any aspect of classroom life Bloom-ing questions; on/off task behavior Performance indicator (p. 184) Whether or not target performances are observed Hunter’s model; cooperative learning; constructivist learning; culturally sensitive teaching Crucial to describe behavior Absence of performance not automatically “bad” Visual diagramming (p. 186) Verbal interactions (arrows); space utilization (time-labeled arrows); can get “messy”; use multiple sheets throughout lesson (e.g., every 5 mins) Easier with small groups or not much student movement
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Session 1: 7 slides5 Qualitative Observation Instruments S has general focus, or no focus at all Emergent themes; grounded theory Verbatim [Scripting] (p. 192) S records all verbal interaction Provides specific examples of interactions Arduous; use abbrev. & code Selective Verbatim as alternative; predetermined focus Detached Open-Ended Narrative (p. 192) Record everything that attracts S’s attention Participant Open-Ended Observation (p. 194) S becomes part of classroom; assisting, helping, talking S takes sketchy notes as reminders on clipboard Focused Questionnaire Observation (p. 194) S seeks information to answer predetermined questions: “What does s do to…” Qs can arise from particular model: direct instruction, coop learning, etc. Can combine participant & detached comments
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Session 1: 7 slides6 Videotaping Very effective tool Debrief by S & s viewing together Powerful effect of seeing oneself in action (for S too by videotaping debrief) May not have to cover entire lesson; may be better if it doesn’t Presence of camera may affect behavior Any measurement which involves “artificial” situations has same drawback (e.g., observer’s presence); like quantum effect Participant Open-Ended Observation takes this to its limit Quant/Qual instruments can be validated against video
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Session 1: 7 slides7 Tailored Observation Systems (p. 195) Respond to unique instructional concerns Inventive; use appropriate coding Largely single-use For example, supervisee working with autistic children Bottom Line… No one type of observation is superior Avoid “If I had a hammer…”
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