Chapter Five: Observation

1. Chapter Five: Observation Lecture by: Chris Ross

2. Uses of Teacher Assessment Strategies

3. 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

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

5. 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.

6. Advantages of Using Classroom Assessments

7. 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

8. Disadvantages of Using Classroom Assessments

9. 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

10. Purposes of Observation

11. 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

12. 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?

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

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

17. 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.

18. 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

19. Evaluating Learning Progress

20. 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.

21. 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)

22. 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.

23. Types of Observation

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

25. 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.

26. 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

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

28. 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

29. 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.

30. 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

31. 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.

32. 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

33. 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.

34. Observing Development

35. 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.

36. 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

37. 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

38. 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

39. Observation Guidelines

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