Observations

SBISD Observation Considerations:

Which of the following areas and/or questions might serve as //focal point(s)// for your Principals, as they visit classrooms, and engage teachers and students in conversation about their learning?
 * ** Critical Thinking **
 * Is the learning meaningful and real world?
 * What questions are being asked?
 * How are learners developing questioning skills?
 * At what points in the lessons, activities and units of study are students being encouraged to ask questions, or probe for more information?
 * ** Global Connectivity **
 * How is technology being used to connect kids globally?
 * Where are there opportunities for new family involvement - local & global
 * "Relative's Network"
 * Facebook
 * Social Networking
 * ** Information Literacy **
 * How are students accessing new information?
 * What strategies are students using to determine if information is accurate?
 * How are students identifying reliable sources of information?
 * What evidence is there that students understand the way Google works?
 * understanding how search results are listed and ordered on screen (//Search terms are in the address and/or links coming into that page from other websites//)
 * using advanced features to create more effective searches
 * How are students collecting and organizing their resources?
 * ** Students Building Legacy **
 * How/Where is student work being published for a global audience?
 * How/Where is each student's learning process being archived?
 * In what way(s) are students producing work to serve as examples of "good learning"?
 * In what way(s) are students drawing on others work as examples of "good learning"?
 * In what way(s) are students creating a legacy (e.g. tutorials) that will benefit other students?
 * How are students contributing to the learning of others?


 * ** Students Owning their Own Learning **
 * In what way(s) is the development of self-directed thinkers, learners, do-ers being fostered?
 * Who is working harder in the classroom: the kids or teachers?
 * Do teachers feel comfortable asking kids for help?
 * What consistent opportunities are available for kids to teach others about...(technology, content, process, product)?
 * Are students allowed to use various applications if even if teachers don't know how to use those same applications?
 * What is the balance of self-directed learning (creating assignments, rubrics, assessments, etc.) to teacher-directed or teacher-managed learning?
 * How are students working together in new ways? (e.g. shared note taking with Google doc, Google map)
 * How are students managing their own learning?
 * ** Leveraging Resources **
 * Is technology used for “a project” or is it imbedded everyday? Have teachers changed their pedagogy? (e.g. Flip)
 * Have teachers redesigned their assignments (e.g. Build a Google map of the 50 state capitols instead of memorize the 50 state capitols)
 * Is the use of technology uniquely qualified or could the same assignment or lesson be given without any use of technology?
 * Ask a group of students...If all the technology in the school were removed, what would they miss the most?
 * Ask the teachers, what couldn’t you teach if all the technology were removed? Or, what would you miss the most?