Jamie Fisher Virtual Observation and coaching

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Lesson Three: Virtual Observation & Coaching

Topics

Here are questions we'll cover in the third unit:

What is virtual observation and coaching?
Is it right for me, my school, or my district?
How do I get started?
What tools are available for me to use?

Activities

Each unit we will have a series of activities that will guide you through an understanding of the topic, time for reflection, and then application of the topic into your own practice. These activities are tied to the learning objectives for each unit.

Activity 1: What is Virtual Observation & Coaching?

Virtual Observation and Coaching is a way of adapting a typical in-classroom observation and coaching model so that the coach and coachee do not need to be in the same place at the same time. There are many ways to make this process virtual, but we'll talk about and see examples of a few ways that you can make either components of the process, or the entire process, happen in a virtual space.

Examples of Virtual Observation & Coaching:

A teacher creates a video of their classroom, shares it with their coach, and the coach provides coaching feedback based on the video.
A teacher and coach use a video conferencing platform (like Google Hangouts or WebEx) to have the coach virtually attend class while the coachee is teaching.

In either of the scenarios, the follow-up coaching conversation could happen via video conference, on the phone, or even in email, although video conferencing provides the most authentic coaching experience because both participants can see and react to both spoken word and visual feedback (such as body language).

What are the benefits and challenges of Virtual Observation and Coaching? There are many benefits and there can be some challenges. These will be unique to your individual site, but here are a few to start thinking about.

Benefits

Coaching does not disrupt students in the class by having observers walk in and out of classrooms.
It is more cost-effective than paying for coaches to travel between locations in-person, especially if the coach is not not located in the same city as the school.
It is efficient. A coach can observe and coach multiple teachers at different schools, or even in different states, all in the same day. (And without even leaving their home.)
It provides teachers with an easily-accessible support system.

Challenges

Schools need to have the right technology, and a person who knows how to set up and use the technology.
Schools need to be sure that they have the correct video release forms signed so that students can be recorded (if recording is part of the process).

To Do: Watch this Teaching Channel Video on Innovative Coaching Models to see how some teachers are using technology to access coaches.

Activity 2: What tools can I use?

Virtual Observation and Coaching can happen on many platforms, both paid and free. We'll discuss free options right now, although, regardless of platform all virtual observation and coaching will require access to the following equipment:

A computer, tablet, or chromebook
A way of capturing and sharing video. This can be done directly through a computer, tablet, or chromebook if they have a camera, or it may require two devices, one to record video and another to share it. (Eg. a phone to record video, and a computer to email video to the coach)
Reliable audio for recording. For some this will also be done by their computer or tablet, but others may need an external speaker to increase the quality of the audio recording.

Once you have the basics, you can use a paid video conferencing service (like WebEx) or you can use a free service like Google Hangouts or Facetime (if you're on Apple products).

We will focus on Google Hangouts here, because it can work across most platforms and devices, and is a free service available to anyone with a Google Account.

To Do: Check out the Google Hangouts System Requirements to make sure your technology can support Hangouts.

Then check out this short SnagIt video of Google Hangouts that I created showing a couple of features and a couple of things to think about when using Hangouts in the classroom.

Reflect (And Optional To Do): Think about the technology that is available to you at your school. Are there things that you'll need to be able to successfully implement virtual observation and coaching? If so, who can you ask about these resources? After reflecting, reach out to the appropriate person at your school with any questions that you have about available resources and support (this is optional, but can be very useful).

Activity 3: Is Virtual Observation & Coaching a Good Fit?

Will it work in your school? That is one of the most important questions to ask yourself.

To Do: Read this Edutopia Article about 4 Conditions Needed for Instructional Coaching.

Then fill out this Virtual Observation and Coaching Checklist for your school.

So now we reach the "choose your own adventure" portion of this mini course. If, based on the information and checklist, you think Virtual Observation and Coaching are a good fit for your school what are you next steps? And what if it doesn't look like it's a good fit right now, but you're still interested? Read on!

Might Not Be a Good Fit

If it doesn't look like Virtual Observation and Coaching is a good fit for you and your school right now, but you're still interested and would like to work toward getting ready for something like virtual observation and coaching, here are some things to think about:

Learn about developing a growth mindset for teachers as well as administrators.
Think about implementing PLCs (Professional Learning Communities) more broadly at your school.

These are great places to start, and once you feel that you have formed a trusting community that is excited to undergo professional growth together, you may find that you're in a better place to start looking at Virtual Observation and Coaching.

Might Be a Good Fit

If you do think that Virtual Observation and Coaching would be a good fit for you and your school how would you get started?

Options for Next Steps:

Pilot with a coach: Do you already know someone you can reach out to as a coach? Is there an existing instructional coach in your district who would be willing to try observing and coaching virtually? It's always a good idea to pilot something new with a small group first to work out any of the kinks.
Think about areas of need: Do you need any technology, software, or support to implement? Who can you reach out to for assistance? Start to build your network of support for implementation by reaching out to the people who will need to approve the plan or provide assistance as you begin.
Pick a model: You will want to structure your observation and coaching sessions around a specific model so that everyone involved is on the same page about expectations, structure, and how to move forward. You can use an existing model like GROW or SUCCESS, you can research other options like co-coaching and group coaching, or you can create a modified model that works well for your school. But it is important that everyone involved is using a similar structure for observation and coaching. Begin discussing coaching models with all the key players at your school.

Activity 4: Reflect & Apply

Concluding Remarks

As we reach the end of our three units, let's think about Virtual Observation & Coaching as it works to serve the broader benefits and mitigate some of the existing challenges of traditional observation and coaching models.

Virtual Observation and Coaching works to accommodate teachers' busy schedules, and can help a district maximize the impact one coach can make, by freeing that coach to meet with many people virtually. This ability to meet regularly helps to establish the trust and learning environment necessary for this type of professional development model. The model helps teachers to feel supported as individuals, because their specific needs and goals are being addressed rather than broader more traditional types of professional development, such as lectures, which may or may not be relevant for all who attend. Additionally, adding in the role of "coach" can provide leadership opportunities for experienced teachers.

In terms of cost and efficiency, this type of model allows for deep professional growth with minimal cost input, since most districts have the basic technology necessary already. And by using a virtual model, teachers and coaches do not have to waste valuable class time travelling to different sites, and classroom instruction is never interrupted by visiting strangers.

While there are many benefits to implementing a virtual observation and coaching model, it is not a perfect fit for everyone. Indeed, schools that currently use observation as a punitive or evaluative measure may struggle to implement this model with success. It is also important that the teachers involved possess growth mindsets and that there is a culture of learning among the teachers in a school. Schools that struggle with these foundations should work to address them prior to beginning the use of virtual observation and coaching. Virtual observation and coaching works best when built on the shoulders of an already-strong community of learners who want to increase the effectiveness and relevance of their professional development.

The last exercises in this unit will help you to form a plan for moving forward.

Reflection: Think about your plan for moving forward. Do you think virtual observation and coaching will work, or are you thinking you might need to build a foundation first? Or maybe that virtual observation and coaching just isn't a good fit for your school. Looking at the options for moving forward listed above, reply in the discussion for this page about what your next steps will be in terms of pursuing (or not) virtual observation and coaching. Tell us your next steps, and why.

Last Step: Revisit your original KWL chart from Unit 1. Be sure to update your L (Learned) section now that you've completed unit three. You can access your responses in the form through the link in Unit 1 if you no longer have the document open.

References

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-coaching-models

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/four-conditions-instructional-coaching-elena-aguilar

http://www.edutopia.org/discussion/developing-growth-mindset-teachers-and-staff

http://www.edutopia.org/professional-learning-communities-collaboration-how-to

https://support.google.com/hangouts/answer/1216376?hl=en&ref_topic=2944848

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