Stepping Toward Sensible, Valid Teacher Evaluations

I was recently interviewed for BAM Radio's Rae Pica along James Popham who wrote, “Everything School Leaders Should Know about Assessment.”  
In this show we look at formative and summative teacher evaluations and discuss what teachers can do to support more valid and effective assessments.

I talk about how teacher effectiveness gives teachers the opportunity to know only toot their own horn, but also toot the horns of their students.  I also discuss why it is important for innovative educators to helping those who are evaluating them understand the role of technology and social media in increasing effectiveness. 

You can listen to the program on the BAM Radio! site here. 

Showcase #TeacherEffectiveness using Padlet

Last week I shared ways to showcase teacher effectiveness via digital portfolios using a wiki and eduClipper.  This week I bring you another great tool to showcase teacher effectiveness courtesy of  elementary school teacher Rodney Schneider.  The tool is called Padlet.  Padlet is a free tool that gives you a blank wall on which to share files, videos, photos, videos, and more. You can choose the visibility and share with the world, a small group of people or just one or two others.  

Rodney created one Padlet for each domain in the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here). Then he created a master Padlet onto which he embedded each of the Padlets allowing one spot to collect all the artifacts and evidence of his effectiveness as a teacher.

This is what it looks like.

A view of #TeacherEffectiveness in the literacy classroom

Across the nation teacher effectiveness is being evaluated according to the four domains of the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here.) This model is valuable because it provides a shared language for effective teaching, however, while many teachers being evaluated are familiar with the evaluation rubric, they may not have seen what this looks like in practice.

If you are one of those teachers, that's about to change.

How to showcase #TeacherEffectiveness using digital portfolios

Districts across the nation are asking teachers to provide artifacts and evidence of effectiveness aligned to the four domains of the Charlotte Danielson framework. (You can download the full evaluation instrument here.) This model provides an incredible opportunity to do something that is rare in the teaching profession. It provides an opportunity for teachers to release the great work they are doing from the classroom and share it with the world. It also provides a common language and method for looking at and sharing the work we do.  Innovative educators take great pride in their work and they are determining ways to showcase this work using digital portfolios. Some are creating websites, others blogs or wikis, and some are using resources such as eduClipper. These digital portfolios enable educators to share their work, not only with the administrators evaluating them, but also with parents, students, peers, and anyone else who might be interested in what goes on in schools everyday.

Here are the five steps you'll need to get started.

Showcasing artifacts & evidence to demonstrate #TeacherEffectiveness with #Danielson Domains

Crossposted at Smartblogs

Districts across the nation are determining teacher effectiveness in part using a rubric created by Charlotte Danielson. The rubric contains four domains and 22 components. You can download the full evaluation instrument here. The framework below outlines exactly what administrators will look for when evaluating teacher practice.

With four domains and 22 components, teachers might want to come up with a way to beautifully showcase and celebrate the work they are doing.  To do that teachers must be familiar with what they are being asked to showcase. Teachers are responsible for demonstrating effectiveness through evidence and artifacts. In places like New York City, up to eight artifacts may be used to demonstrate effectiveness. They can only be used in domains one and four. Teachers should keep in mind however, that one artifact may demonstrate effectiveness in multiple components.  For example, if you have a class Facebook page that you use to interact with students and their families, that Facebook page can serve as an artifact for both 4c - Communicating with Families as well as 1b - Demonstrating Knowledge of Students. This means, that should a teacher choose, they can use eight artifacts to demonstrate 12 components.

For domains two and three teachers must provide evidence of effectiveness. This evidence is generally collected during formal or informal classroom observations.  Teachers also have the option to choose to videotape a lesson for their formal evaluation to provide evidence. It might be helpful for teachers to document, and have readily accessible, examples indicating how they are effectively engaging in each component.

Here are some ideas for showcasing and celebrating work using the Danielson Framework.  

Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 3

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 3.



This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 2

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 2.


This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 1

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 1.


This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

Ideas for supporting #TeacherEffectiveness with #EdTech - Domain 4

Technology provides teachers with a great way to provide evidence with artifacts of their effective practice. Across the country this has been a priority for schools that are incorporating a teacher evaluation based on the Danielson Framework for Teacher Evaluation. The model contains various components organized into the following four domains.

Domain 1: Planning and Preparation
Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
Domain 3: Instruction
Domain 4: Professional Responsibilities

This is part of a four-part series where I'll share some simple ideas for integrating technology into each component followed by a presentation you can share with colleagues. Below are ideas for technology integration within Domain 4.



This presentation has examples of what this may look like in practice.

Increase teacher effectiveness with eduClipper

Guest post by Adam Bellow

With so many demands on a teacher’s limited time and a growing number of frameworks and standards being introduced that can increase demands even further, many educators have looked to digital tools as a way to help them make the most efficient use of their time as they strive to be even more effective at the craft of teaching.  

Social media, a somewhat broad and nebulous term that refers to digital tools that allow people to create, publish, share, and exchange information and ideas, is not new. Websites and resources have played an important role to help connect educators from around the world to team up and discuss, share ideas, and resources all relating to education.  

As access to high speed Internet spreads and smartphones become more and more a part of our lives, these networks have taken on a larger job in helping redefine the role of the educator and student.  Educators and students are not roles defined by age or where a desk is placed in the classroom.  We are all learners and social media allows all people to be respected and celebrated for what they create and share.

eduClipper is a social web tool that was born from need to address several issues that educators and students are facing today both in and out of the classroom.  It was designed by Adam Bellow, an educational technologist who spent six years as a classroom teacher before becoming a technology training specialist and then technology director. eduClipper was specifically created for the educators and students in K-12.  

Because it was designed by an educator and specifically for the K-12 space, the tool has many unique education features that support educators and align nicely to Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching.  Danielson’s Framework consists of 22 components broken into 4 Domains.  eduClipper complements many of the ideas that Danielson proposes in order to promote teacher effectiveness and professional learning.

Here are just a few of the main features of eduClipper