Chapter Five Observation Lecture by Chris Ross Uses

Chapter Five: Observation Lecture by: Chris Ross

Uses of Teacher Assessment Strategies

Placement Evaluation • Helps teacher plan for instruction • Helps to prevent or deal with learning problems; determine whether the child is eligible for programs • Those with exceptionalities can update their plan of instruction. • Learning group formation

Diagnostic Evaluation & Instructional Planning • A continuing investigation into a child’s ability in specific objectives.

Formative & Summative Evaluation • Formative evaluation => evaluation conducted during instruction to provide the teacher with information on the learning progress of the student and the effectiveness of instructional methods and materials. • Summative evaluation => an evaluation obtained at the end of a cycle of instruction to determine whether students have mastered the objectives and whether the instruction has been effective.

Advantages of Using Classroom Assessments

Advantages of Using Classroom Assessments (Some) • Encourages students to produce knowledge • Measures long-term development over a period of time • Can be derived directly from teacher’s objectives and curriculum • Can be correlated with diagnostic needs

Disadvantages of Using Classroom Assessments

Disadvantages of Using Classroom Assessments (Some) • Teachers must know how to design and use the measures effectively • Some teachers misuse the assessments • Some teachers do not know how to fully develop the assessments

Purposes of Observation

Understanding Children’s Behavior • Children have not mastered many aspects of communication as adults • Observing daily activities is one of the most accurate ways to learn about a child ▫ To observe takes great skill. Misinterpretation can lead to conflict. • Children communicate using their bodies. Their nonverbal communication says just as much as verbal communciation

Understanding Children’s Behavior • Observation of Social Behavior ▫ How do they communicate with peers? ▫ How do they play? ▫ How do they become part of a group?

Evaluating Children’s Development • Beaty (1997) Eight reasons for systematically observing and recording development of young children. ▫ ▫ ▫ ▫ To make an initial assessment of abilities Determine areas of strength & weakness Make individual plans Conduct ongoing progress check Learn more about child development Resolve particular problems Report to parents or specialists Gather information for child’s records

Evaluating Children’s Development • Observing infant and toddler development ▫ Birth to two years is a rapid development period �Least able to communicate effectively ▫ Many times observations are done about daily life

Evaluating Children’s Development • Observing English Language Learners ▫ Able to gain what the child understands and is learning to express ▫ Teachers can provide instant feedback and amplify speaking attempts to help expand vocabulary and use of language

Evaluating Children’s Development • Assessment of Young Children with Exceptionalities ▫ Helps to see if there any possible issues ▫ Observation of play is a great assessment for this group

Evaluating Children’s Development • Play-Based Assessment =>assessment often used for children with disabilities that is conducted through observation in play environments. Play activities can be spontaneous or planned. Play-based assessment can be conducted by an individual or through arena assessment.

Evaluating Children’s Development • Function Behavioral Assessment ▫ What are problem behaviors? What causes this behavior? ▫ Steps to conducting a functional behavioral assessment (Sugai et al. , 1999) can be found on page 121

Evaluating Learning Progress

Evaluation of Learning Progress • Zone of Proximal Development (Vygotsky, 1978) ▫ Range or zone between what the child cannot do, can do with assistance, and can do independently.

Evaluation of Learning Progress • “Observation is not simply looking at something; it is a disciplined, scientific process of searching for a behavior in a particular way. The observer must know what to look for, how to record the desired information, and how to explain the behavior. ” (Bentzen, 1997)

Evaluation of Learning Progress • Observation to Improve the Classroom Environment & Instruction • Observation & Documentation ▫ Documentation => a process of documenting information about progress of project activities and recording information about children’s interests, ideas, thinking and problem solving within their activities.

Types of Observation

Anecdotal Record • Anecdotal Record => a written description of an incident in a child’s behavior that can be significant in understanding the child.

Anecdotal Record • The anecdotal record has five characteristics (Goodwin & Driscoll, 1980) ▫ Is the result of direct observation ▫ Is a prompt, accurate and specific account of an event ▫ Includes the context of the behavior ▫ Interpretations of the incident are recorded separately from the incident ▫ Focuses on behavior that is either typical or unusual for the child being observed.

Anecdotal Record • • Quick and easy to use Only takes a moment to record information Might not contain enough information Need to develop a system to keep observations organized

Running Record • Running record => an instrument developed to measure authentic and performance assessments. Descriptions are given for qualitative characteristics on a scale.

Running Record • Advantages and disadvantages ▫ Includes more information than anecdotal records ▫ Other teachers can utilize the information ▫ Observation must be scheduled and designated for this purpose

Time Sampling • Time Sampling => Observation to determine the frequency of a behavior. The observer records how many times the behavior occurs during uniform periods of time.

Time Sampling • Advantages & Disadvantages of Using Time Sampling ▫ Teachers concerned with behavior can record how many times it occurs ▫ Framework of observation is planned ahead of time and only specified behavior is noted ▫ Can focus on this aspect ▫ Difficult to manage on a regular time schedule

Event Sampling • Event Sampling => an observation strategy used to determine when a particular behavior is likely to occur. The setting in which the behavior occurs is more important than the time it is likely to occur.

Event Sampling • Advantages and Disadvantages of Event Sampling ▫ ▫ Focus on a particular behavior Focus on what triggers the behavior Anticipate when behavior occurs and ponder why Can be difficult to anticipate and time spent can be used for other purposes

Checklists & Rating Scales • Checklists => a sequence or hierarchy of concepts and/or skills organized in a format that can be used to plan instruction and keep records • Rating Scale => a scale using categories that allow the observer to indicate the degree of a characteristic that the person possesses.

Observing Development

Physical Development • Physical Development ▫ Gross-motor skills ▫ Fine-motor skills • Purposes of Observing Physical Development ▫ How children develop gross and fine-motor skills ▫ Become familiar with the kinds of physical activities young children engage in as they practice the use of gross and fine-motor skills ▫ Become familiar with individual differences in physical development.

Social and Emotional Development • Important characteristics are ▫ Self-concept, self-esteem, self-regulation of emotion • Purposes for observing Social & Emotional Development ▫ How children develop social skills ▫ Become familiar with how children learn about social interactions ▫ Understand how children differ in social skill development ▫ Become familiar with ways preschool children handle their emotions ▫ Be aware of differences in children’s emotional behaviors and responses

Cognitive Development • How the child learns about and understands the world. ▫ Purposes of Observing Cognitive Development �Understand how children use their cognitive abilities to learn �Understand differences in children’s cognitive styles �Become familiar with how children develop the ability to use classification, seriation and one-on-one correspondence �Understand how the child uses play & interaction with materials to extend cognitive abilities �Become familiar with how children think and what they are capable of learning �Evaluate what children learned

Language Development • Purposes for Observing Language Development ▫ Become aware of child’s ability to use language ▫ Understand the difference between egocentric and socialized speech ▫ Learn how they use syntax, grammar, and vocabulary in process of expanding and refining language ▫ Aware of differences in development among children, particularly those from another language or dialect ▫ Determine progression in learning English as second language ▫ Determine child’s dominate language

Observation Guidelines

Observation Guidelines • • Determine the observation site Observer behaviors during the observation visit Ethics during the observation visit Avoiding personal bias