Talk:Greg Soldatenko

Review of Jamie Fisher’s Virtual Observation and Coaching course -- Gsoldatenko (talk) 12:06, 22 November 2015 (EST)

Review of Jamie Fisher's Virtual Observation and Coaching course (intro page and the first unit)

1. “I liked/What works well”

My initial reaction to the Virtual Observation and Coaching course is really positive. The course attempts to provide teachers with a solution to the big problem that many teachers face in their practice: lack of adequate professional development offered in their schools. The use of modern video technology to provide virtual coaching is another characteristic that will likely evoke participants’ interest in viewing this course, because its use could significantly reduce the cost of PD and, as a result, provide schools with affordable ways to support their teachers.

The major goal of this course is to demonstrate that coaching is an important form of professional development. Other goals in this course include description of two models of coaching and creation of a plan to implement virtual coaching.

Creation of a school’s readiness plan to implement virtual coaching serves as the benchmark in this course. Therefore, the ultimate result of the instruction in this course (Level IV: ROI/ROE) will be evident only if learners improve/change their views about coaching and create plans to implement coaching in their schools.

In order to determine if the ROE is feasible, we need to examine the elements of the course in the context of the other three stages of the Kirkpatrick’s model.

I liked (Level I) that you start your first lesson with a clear intent to define the term “coaching” with the use of the KWL form to build on learners’ prior knowledge and experience. This activity engages learners and it supports the subsequent readings and the video medium.

I liked (Level I) the Frayer Model’s activity, because it lets learners to express themselves by defining the term “coaching” with use of multiple representations. This activity exemplifies the principals of the UDL described in the ID book on pp. 235-236.

I liked (Level I) the “class-wide slide deck” activity because it engages all participants in sharing their ideas and it prompts subsequent discussion.

Level II: Based on my experience with the content in the fist unit (readings, video medium and activities), I think that participants will likely acquire the intended knowledge and attitudes as a result of the instruction about coaching in Unit 1. The activities in unit 1 will also serve as formative assessments that will not only show what students will have learned, but also help the instructor to provide subsequent formative feedback to learners.

Level III: Based on the review of only one unit, it is hard to determine (only unit 1 out of 3 is available for viewing) if a learner will apply what he/she learned in the course to the final plan of implementing virtual coaching. However, it is evident that the transfer of knowledge will likely occur. Administrators and teachers will likely be interested in learning, because the content in this course is relevant to their daily practice. Since all activities engage the learners through their interactivity with the content and with other learners, it is highly likely that most participants will transfer their newly formed knowledge about to coaching to create a plan of implementing virtual coaching in their schools.

2. “Have you considered this?”

• Writing a paragraph to describe the structure and activities in your course? For example, In Unit 1 you say “Each unit we will have a series of activities…” I would suggest moving description of activities in all units to the introductory page in your course.

• Identifying your primary and secondary target audience for this course. Judging from your “Needs Assessment” section, it looks like your main target audience is school administrators and your secondary target audience is teachers.

• Combining or differentiating “To Do” Activity 3 with “Reflection,” because the “class-wide slide deck” (“To Do”) asks to reflect on coaching.

• Creating the navigation links at the top or bottom of your units (You likely planned on inserting the links. However, since they are not embedded in your course, I should remind you of creating the navigation links for your “to do list.

3. Broken link

• The link to the “Teacher’s description of the differences” article is broken (Unit 1 Activity 2)