Observation Platform Adds New Graphing Tool for PD Trendspotting
Edthena has added a new
feature to its classroom video observation platform that is designed to
enhance
the feedback loop it provides for teachers' professional development.
The new Comments Stats tool
organizes comments made by both teachers and coaches into a visual form
in an
effort to better see patterns over time and throughout a school or an
entire
district.
With Edthena's existing
platform, teachers upload video of their classroom practice, allowing
it to be
reviewed not only by themselves but by their professional development
coaches.
Then both they and their coaches can insert comments divided into four
categories: questions, suggestions, strengths and notes.
The new Comment Stats tool
now automatically generates reports and graphs that show comments by
their type
and by tags that users like to use. Teachers can, at once, look across
comments
made by themselves or coaches over time for more insight into their
practice.
At the same time, coaches and administrators can use the tool to look
at
comments across multiple teachers in a program or school to identify
trends.
The
stats can be calculated on a
whole-group and a teacher-by-teacher
basis. Aggregating data at the group level offers decision makers the
ability
to analyze their overall PD program.
For
example, if a school is
prioritizing the use of academic language in the content areas this
year, but
they only have a few comments where this is noticed throughout
the fall,
it would indicate that more attention is necessary.
Simple
averages can also be
calculated across the group to help understand any individual teacher's
data in
a comparative context of the whole group. Finally, the Comment Stats
can be
used retroactively, allowing input from video and comments made before
the tool
was installed.
"The
Comment Stats tool allows
comment data to be used in even more meaningful ways so educators and
coaches
can identify trends, lead professional learning conversations and help
improve
teaching practices." Said Edthena Founder and CEO Adam Geller.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.