Using Screencasts to Support Cooperating Teachers in eSupervision

1. References Abstract Method Innovation in Practice Significance Preliminary Findings and Next Steps Using Screencasts to Support Cooperating Teachers in eSupervision Karen Elizabeth Lafferty, San Diego State University The early response has been promising. The university supervisors have been supportive of the project and the effort to extend training opportunities for cooperating teachers. Future screencasts will explain how cooperating teachers can participate in the public discussion forums. Because eSupervision seeks to bring together novice and expert practitioners, participation by cooperating teachers provides a way for them to share their expertise with the larger cohort of student teachers, university supervisors, and other cooperating teachers. The technology-based tool of eSupervision enables the traditional triad - student teacher, university supervisor, cooperating teacher - to collaborate in an online environment in support of the student teacher’s clinical experience (Alger & Kopcha, 2009). Participants may upload documents such as lesson plans and evaluation forms to private discussion forums as well as participate in public discussions. This project explores how screencasts, video capture of a computer screen with audio narration, can be used to train and support cooperating teachers in using eSupervision. The goal is to make training more accessible and consistent for cooperating teachers with the aim of encouraging greater participation within the online environment. Screencasts have been developed for guiding teachers through the enrollment process, in downloading and then uploading observation forms, and for providing an overview of eSupervision. Preliminary response from the university supervisors has been positive and data-gathering is ongoing. The presenter has the unique perspective of having been a cooperating teacher who used eSupervision, a graduate student who has conducted research on it, and now a co-coordinator for the program. In order to supplement training and encourage greater participation by guide teachers, screencasts have been made available to explain the features and functions of eSupervision. Screencast length is limited to five minutes, a constraint that lends itself to purposeful chunking of concepts in brief segments (Small, 2010). The short videos facilitate multiple viewings and remediation, especially for tasks like uploading documents that are only done a few times a year. Acknowledgements While the 2010 NCATE report calls for a renewed emphasis on clinical practice in teacher preparation, only two of its 10 design principles directly mention the cooperating teachers involved in providing a rich field experience (Blue Ribbon Panel, 2010). Effective training for cooperating teachers in eSupervision is crucial. While university supervisors and student teachers may attend workshops, the cooperating teachers have relied on training from their student teachers. I would like to thank Dr. Christianna Alger and Dr. T.J. Kopcha for giving me the opportunity to join in their research with eSupervison. I also would like to acknowledge Andrea Saltzman at SDSU for her assistance in editing and posting the screencasts. Finally, I am grateful for the support and advice from my graduate advisor, Dr. Marva Cappello. Design of the videos is guided by elements and structures suggested by Sugar, Brown, and Luterbach (2010) in their analysis of screencast components. Each screencast is scripted to include beginning and ending bumpers, procedural knowledge, conceptual knowledge, and elaboration of the rationale behind using eSupervision (Sugar et al., 2010). Once scripted, each video is recorded using a USB microphone for the audio narration. The screencasts, created with the free Jing software from TechSmith and then edited with captions and zooming in Camtasia, have been recorded for both Mac and Windows operating systems. Once edited, the screencasts are uploaded to the support section of the eSupervision site where guide teachers may view them. Alger, C., & Kopcha, T. J. (2009). eSupervision: A technology framework for the 21st century field experience in teacher education. Issues in Teacher Education, 18(2), 31-46. Blue Ribbon Panel on Clinical Preparation and Partnerships for Improved Student Learning. (2010). Transforming teacher education through clinical practice: A national strategy to prepare effective teachers. 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