Take a Learning Snapshot
A Learning Snapshot is a technique that involves focusing
on one learning skill, technique, or interaction during a
five to ten minute visit to a classroom.
Before the Visit
For each session there is one Learning Snapshot Question that
pertains to a skill, technique, or interaction along with
a "What to Look For" guide that you can use to quickly see
if the learning goal is being met. The "What to Look For"
guide ends with a question that will help you evaluate how
the goal is being met. See
an example.
During the Visit
Visit each classroom with a camera and/or tape recorder. Based on the chosen Learning Snapshot Question, observe how a skill, technique, or interaction is being handled in the classroom. Film or record student and teacher-student interactions, group discussions, and oral or written work. Then mark off what you see on your "What to Look For" guide.
After the Visit
Using the "What to Look For" guide and the photos taken during a visit, meet with the teacher to discuss your observations.
In addition to the completed "What to Look For" guide, bring pictures or audiotapes to the teacher conference. The teacher should have available any student work the principal has flagged.
As a substitute for a camera or tape recorder, use sticky notes to flag any student work that seems to particularly demonstrate a learning goal is being met.
Using Learning Snapshots to Support Your School
Here are some ways you can use a Learning Snapshot to broaden learning.
- Bring photos to staff meetings that depict the best teaching strategies to prompt discussion. Annotate enlarged photos of "best practices" and display them on a bulletin board in the faculty room. Explain why these photos exemplify learning.
- For the purpose of showing how certain strategies or techniques are being taught in your school, display examples of annotated student work on a bulletin board.
- Create a bulletin board on your school's intranet or website for teachers to share experiences about the key course concepts they applied in their classes.
- Write a one-page account of your classroom visits. In addition to recording positive impressions, note areas that need improvement and make suggestions whenever possible. Have your account delivered to teachers' mailboxes.
This article is excerpted from a Scholastic
Red Principal's Guide. Scholastic Red is a new, groundbreaking
professional development program that gives teachers intensive
support to help them succeed in raising student achievement
in reading. Learn
more.
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