Hi, my name is Ashley. And today's lesson is titled Using Data Collection Tools. In today's lesson, we will define the types of data collection tools that are used by coaches. Then we'll discuss the best practices for data collection.
What types of data collection tools do coaches use? One tool coaches use as a running transcript. This is a record of everything that takes place in the classroom that is observed by the coach. Let's say, for instance, a coach is observing the classroom teacher. The coach will record how the teacher started out the lesson, the things that the teacher said, the activity that the students are working on, the materials that are being used, and even some student conversations or responses. So pretty much everything that is going on in the classroom is being recorded to the best of the coach's knowledge. For the sake of time, the coach will have to write brief notes or may have to paraphrase just to be able to get everything that is happening at the moment.
Another type of data collection tool are grids. Grids are used to make comments in certain categories based on the focus of the observation. If the goal is to focus on classroom management, three categories that may be looked at are the transitions in the classroom, behavior incentives, and clarity of teacher directions. The coach will record information from either the teacher or the student and place it in the category where it best fits according to what has been said or done.
A tally sheet is used to record the frequency of occurrences in the classroom. For example, a coach is observing a teacher during a lesson and is recording the amount of disruptions or every time the teacher has to stop teaching. The coach also records the name of the student or event that caused the disruption. This might be the focus of a teacher who feels like there's never enough time in the day to get everything accomplished. Well, that's a lot of teachers. But this teacher specifically wants to make sure instruction is being maximized for student achievement.
Dialogue recording is exactly as its name says. The dialogue of the teacher and student is recorded. For example, a coach is observing a math lesson on fractions. The coach writes the teacher's explanations of fractions and the definition. A student raises his hand to ask a question. The coach writes the question of the student and the response of the teacher. The coach will most likely use this information to determine if the teacher is providing effective instruction and is able to clear up misconceptions for students. Now, let's take a look at best practices for using these observation tools.
So what are best practices for data collection? When collecting data, coaches may use a number of different data collection tools, but only use one at a time. For example, the coach may use a tally sheet with one observation and a dialog recording in another. The coach must also determine which data collection tool will be the best, depending on the goal. For example, if a teacher is trying to improve student engagement, a coach may use a tally sheet to record the amount of times a student was off task to determine if there was any correlation to the teacher actions or directions. Since conferences between the teacher and coach are non evaluators the information received from collection tools will be very insightful on what was observed. The tools that we discussed today are informal ways of providing feedback. However, data can also be collected and recorded using a formal feedback form such as one provided by the Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model or Danielson's Framework for Teaching.
Let's recap what we have discussed in today's lesson. We reviewed four types of data collection tools that coaches use while serving teachers, the running transcript, grid's, tally sheets, and dialogue recording. When collecting data, it's important that the coach only use one tool at a time and determine the best tool for measuring the goal.
Think about the concerns of your teachers, which data collection tool will be the best use for each of those concerns? Now, it's your turn to apply what you've learned in this video. The additional resources section will be super helpful. This section is designed to help you discover useful ways to apply what you've learned here. Each link includes a brief description, so you can easily target the resources you want.
Overview
(00:00 - 00:11) Introduction
(00:12 - 00:24) What Will You Learn Today?
(00:25 - 02:47) What Types of Data Collections Tools Do Coaches Use?
(02:48 - 03:52) What are Best Practices for Data Collection?
(03:53 - 04:17) What Did You Learn Today?
(04:18 - 04:43) Reflection
Kappa Teachers: Observation Templates
This site provides useful tools to use during the teacher observation and evaluation process. This site includes a running record transcript process as well as observation templates.
https://sites.google.com/site/kappateachers/home/observation-templates
Instructional Coaching Tools
This site includes useful tools and suggestions for collecting data to use in the process of instructional coaching from a teacher's perspective.
http://www.mshouser.com/instructional-coaching-2/instructional-coaching-tools