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Educators must continually be supported in the effort to deliver excellent teaching. Student success must remain the center of all our work in education. We know, and research confirms, that classroom observations are an excellent choice for supporting best practice instruction. As building and district leaders implement the digital eWalkThrough system, or another observation tool, for this process there are easy steps for success:
eWalkThrough data are collected and shared in real-time as instruction is being delivered. Teachers receive immediate feedback on which they can reflect to impact their practice. Data ensure that resources target specific instructional needs. Teachers are supported with exactly what they need in their individual professional learning. Where are you in this process as an instructional leader? How do you know you are implementing the steps? I want to hear from YOU! Comment below with your take on the 3 Easy Steps.
26 Comments
Sue Jenkins
11/6/2015 08:13:31 am
Great post on 3 easy steps. Let's be sure potential clients know how to get started with designing a customized digital eWalkThrough system for their district or organization! 11/17/2015 04:31:00 pm
I'm new to this district, but I have been excited about the eWalkThrough and the data we're collecting. The administrative team has set goals to meet Step 1 above. Every administrative meeting begins with two teams of administrators completing two eWalkThroughs in the building where the meeting is held. So, we have the time to calibrate every month which has been very valuable to me as someone new to the eWalkThrough process. Step 1 is essential to Steps 2-3. Thanks for the supportive article!
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:15:06 am
Great strategy to have your administrators regularly conduct eWalkThroughs and calibrate their observations. Doing this work before each team meeting is an efficient way to ensure this valuable task gets done!
Stu Moore
11/18/2015 09:08:31 am
The 3 steps really are easy and effective. As a KLN school, the eWT tool is an essential part of our improvement plan. It has been very beneficial to improving instruction and ultimately student learning.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:19:16 am
Use of the eWalkThrough observation system for school improvement is powerful! Great leadership, Stu! Talk about meaningful data!
Dr. Kristen Kuhlmann
11/20/2015 09:16:55 am
Our district is absolutely loving our EWT. We have implemented all three steps this year and the dialogue among teachers and admin have been incredible. At both our middle and high school, our administrators took all the teachers through a sample EWT hour where teachers actually got to use the tool and "see it" from the other side. There was talk that "nothing" could be seen in five minutes. When the teachers participated, they were shocked and excited to see what you actually could see in a classroom! It has really created more trust with the tool! In another building, the data was collected and given to department PLC's. From the data, the PLC had to create two goals based on the data. Another great example of our teachers and admin working together to make sure district initiatives are being carried out and students are getting excellent instruction! Our instructional coaches used the tool with new teachers having them look at the tool and figure out what they were already good at, what they needed coaching with and what they had no clue about! Our new teachers now have a very good understanding of what is being looked for when we do our instructional practices walkthroughs! Our district is very pleased with our EWT. It has been well received and a great way to really give teachers a focus.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:22:59 am
Wow! Giving teachers hands-on experience with their eWalkThrough observation tool. This provides clarity and confidence! Good job! 11/20/2015 10:22:11 am
As we move towards the Accreditation ,KESA, the eWalkThrough will be a wonderful tool to collect evidence for the 5R's. Integrating 21st Century skills of communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking in connection with instruction and ultimately student success!
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 07:05:01 am
Julie,
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:24:56 am
Using the eWalkThrough observation data for the process of Kansas Educational System Accreditation---smart move! This is a great way to leverage the data by using it in more than one way!
Brad Starnes
11/20/2015 10:24:44 am
At Riley County Schools we utilized the Southwest Plains eWT tool. The thing I liked best about the programs was: our principals had iPads and were able to communicate immediately with staff. Staff were able to see what the principal had recorded, expectations were continually reinforced and it helped to open dialog between admin and teachers. Over time these "snapshots in time" were able to show teachers & admin positive & negative trends. It aided in "seeing" holes within our curriculums and provided necessary feedback that we wouldn't have been able to produce anywhere else. Kelly and all the SWPRSC staff provide great training and support!
Kelly GIllespie
11/24/2015 08:30:31 am
Thanks, Brad. In Step 1, it's awesome that you are noticing the power of immediate feedback to teachers! In Step 2, your ability to look at the data across time seems to be providing great gains for instruction across the district. Excellent! 11/20/2015 10:27:31 am
EWT has been a tremendous tool for my area. It has opened up communication with many of my adjunct instructors and allowed me to get a better feel for their technology needs and teaching styles. Research has shown that many adjunct faculty lose their sense of excitement for teaching and begin to feel much more like labors than faculty. The EWT gives me yet another way to say we care about you as an instructor and what to observe your teaching so we can are looking for ways to encourage you in your work. Further, EWT provides us with the rich overall data to find trends among courses and instructors.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:32:49 am
I am so pleased that the immediate receipt of eWalkThrough digital feedback has opened up communication among your instructors. You are getting at the heart of the observation process!
Teresa Grant
11/20/2015 02:56:08 pm
EWT is a valuable tool for several reasons. Teachers enjoy having the immediate feedback in an instructional manner versus evaluative. Expectations are constant in the structured format and administrators calibrate those expectations. The data collection and review is perhaps the most beneficial for administrators; the reports are amazing for administrative discussions.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:35:30 am
Thanks for sharing, Teresa. The goal is that teachers will seek observation feedback and that is already happening in your district. Clear and consistent expectations drive that process. Keep us posted on specific examples of Step 3, please.
Jacque Feist
11/21/2015 12:32:10 pm
We use this process in our building with as much fidelity as we can - our focus is to identify what PD we need to provide teachers - and we try very hard to get this down to the individual teacher level. We deliver our PD at the departmental level, so our intention is to make the PD as meaningful as possible to teachers within the content they teach.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:38:39 am
Jacque - you are addressing the true meaning of classroom observation! Thank you. We would love to hear specific data-based examples of this process in action. 11/22/2015 04:58:52 pm
We have found the eWT very effective to help us set goals, improve instruction and provide PD where it is needed.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:40:21 am
You are implementing the 3 steps---observe, analyze, and plan PD. Great job! Could you share an example of the process from goal-setting to delivery of data-based PD? Thanks, Dave!
Dave Coufal
11/23/2015 07:29:09 am
The information gleaned from the EWT data has lead to some insightful discussions with our teaching staff. The three steps are an efficient way to gather data that can lead to more in-depth professional development based on what's actually being practiced in classrooms.
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:42:35 am
Getting teachers engaged in collaborative dialogue is "where it's at" with excellent instruction! So pleased you are taking what is actually happening in classrooms and letting that drive your professional learning plans. Keep us posted on your outcomes and successes, Dave.
Jason Johnson
11/23/2015 10:30:33 am
The process of feedback through the EWT gives staff immediate resources to coach themselves on what they can improve and what they are doing well. Instant feedback is a constant source of growth in all professional areas (ie Professional Sports) and by using the EWT you have that in your building as an instructional leader. Powerful powerful tool!! Great article Dr. G!!
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:44:28 am
Feedback---reflection---instructional conversation! That's the power of eWalkThrough observation.
Amy Flinn
11/23/2015 05:26:40 pm
Our admin team worked closely with Dr. Gillespie and Dr. Jenkins to develop our eWT tool with SWPRSC. It was some of the best professional development our team has received and helped us get very clear on goals for our district/buildings, as well as provide clarity on what each of us believes about best practices for instruction. Completing regular "learning walks" has become part of my weekly routine. Teachers AND students know they can expect to see me in and out of their classrooms at any time. This increased level of accountability has resulted in teachers being more diligent in posting and communicating learning goals/objectives, focusing on effective instructional strategies, and increasing the level of student engagement. I am in the process of using this data to drill down further at both the "team" level, as well as the individual teacher level. Teachers love the immediate feedback and do a wonderful job of responding when I pose a question for them to consider. We are so grateful to the team at SWPRSC for bringing this excellent tool to our district!
Kelly Gillespie
11/24/2015 08:47:34 am
Thank you for being an instructional leader that performs "learning walks" on a regular basis. Authentic instructional improvement will be the outcome. Good job, Amy! Leave a Reply. |
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