Teacher guide - Weeblymidnorthac.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/2/4/32243255/tfel...The TfEL Compass is an online, interactive pedagogy-profiling tool to support reflective practice. It is

Teacher guide

A professional learning tool for teachers to reflect on their teaching and learning practices through self-reflection and feedback from students and trusted colleagues.

The tool also supports teachers with ideas to develop their practice.

Version 1 | 11 November 2013

ContentsPurpose of the TfEL Compass 3

Getting ready 3

The four quality tests 3

The survey templates 4

Creating a survey 6

Viewing your data 8

Interpreting your data 9

Working in a Professional Learning Community (PLC) 9

Appendix 1—South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Framework (detailed) 10

Appendix 2—Gathering feedback from students 12

Appendix 3—Gathering feedback from trusted colleagues 13

Appendix 4—Sample open-ended questions 14

AcknowledgementsThe development of the TfEL Compass was an extensive collaborative effort involving research, pilot use with teachers in schools, refinement and development. Writers: Dr Julia Atkin, Margot Foster, Michele SmithSystem developers: Dr Julia Atkin, CORE Education LtdKey contributors: SA TfEL National Partnerships Pedagogy and Research Team (Jen Parker, Louise Barker, Vicky Climatianos, Christina Guy, Erin Matthews, Cheryl Rafferty, Jo Spyrou), SA teachers R–12 who trialled the TfEL Compass through the National Partnerships Project, Michele Smith, Stephen Costello, Deb Merrett, Brenton Willson.

© 2013 Government of South Australia, Department for Education and Child Development

Excluded from NEALS

Produced by Teaching and Learning ServicesWritten and edited by Infoquest Pty LtdDesigned by She Creative Pty Ltd

Images used throughout this publication, apart from the cover image by Georgie Sharp, © Shutterstock Images submitters, and are used under licence, no copying of these images is permitted. Cover/title page image © 2013 Georgie Sharp.

Purpose of the TfEL CompassThe TfEL Compass is an online, interactive pedagogy-profiling tool to support reflective practice. It is based on the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning (TfEL) Framework. You can use the TfEL Compass to reflect on your teaching and gather feedback from students and colleagues regarding the quality and effectiveness of your teaching against the SA TfEL Framework. The most significant thing you can do with your feedback is to use it to plan and monitor your own professional learning. A range of templates is available from which to create surveys to gain feedback against domain elements in the SA TfEL Framework.

The TfEL Compass is a personal space that stays with you through all stages of your career with the South Australian Department for Education and Child Development (DECD), allowing you to use it as a digital portfolio. The digital portfolio is only accessible by you and those with whom you choose to share your data as a professional development strategy. All feedback and data remain confidential. The intent of the TfEL Compass is to support teachers’ ongoing pedagogical development: it is not mandated by DECD and not designed to be used as a performance management tool.

Getting readyFamiliarise yourself with the SA TfEL Framework (Appendix 1) and the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook. This will help you make decisions about how to use the TfEL Compass.

Check the technical requirements (under ‘Conditions of use’) for the use of the TfEL Compass: you might need to download a different browser.

If you are using the TfEL Compass for the first time, you might like to explore what it is like to use. The ‘Explore and practise’ section allows you to try a short survey and practise giving collegiate feedback.

The four quality testsAssessing teaching practice is not simply ticking off whether a teacher does something, nor the quantity of times the teacher does it—it is also a question of quality. The South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook identifies four quality tests which are applied to each element of each domain through the survey questions. The four quality tests are:

C Intentionality: Do you have clarity about what you want students to learn and how you will help them learn it?

C Effectiveness: How effective are your strategies and approaches in achieving your intended outcomes for all students?

C Consistency: Are you acting consistently with everyone, are you consistent in what you say, and do you apply your approach consistently across all aspects of the learning?

C Responsiveness: Are you responding to what’s happening and are you adapting your teaching accordingly by reading the cues that indicate understanding/misunderstanding, engagement/disengagement and whether there is an appropriate level of challenge for each student?

South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Framework:http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/pages/tfelresources/

South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook:http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/pages/tfelresources/

TfEL Compass—Technical requirements:http://compass.core-ed.org/compass/technical_requirements

TfEL Compass | Teacher guide 3

http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/tfel/pages/tfelresources/






http://compass.core-ed.org/compass/technical_requirements

TfEL Compass | Teacher guide4

The survey templatesThere are six survey templates from which to create your own surveys. Survey Template 1 provides a broad overview and the other templates provide a more in-depth view. All survey templates can be used for self-reflection. Survey templates 2–6 can be used to create surveys to gain feedback from others. You can choose which roles respond to your survey depending on your purpose.

TfEL Teacher CompassTemplate 1—Domains 2–4 overview

Domain coverage: Domains 2–4

Suggested usage: Introduction to the SA TfEL Framework

Depth of coverage: Broad overview

Use with role(s): Teacher self-reflection

Customisable: No

Number of questions: 12

Template 2—Domain 2: Create safe conditions for rigorous learning

Domain coverage: Domain 2

Suggested usage: Get an in-depth view of Domain 2: Create safe conditions for rigorous learning

Depth of coverage: In-depth

Use with role(s): Students (all ages); observers (all)

Customisable: C Survey start text: create different welcome messages for each role which they see when opening the link to the survey C Open-ended questions: create questions for each of your selected roles to get responses concerning their learning and/or your teaching.

Number of questions: 16 for each role

Template 3—Domain 3: Develop expert learners


Suggested usage: Get an in-depth view of Domain 3: Develop expert learners





Template 4—Domain 4: Personalise and connect learning


Suggested usage: Get an in-depth view of Domain 4: Personalise and connect learning



Customisable: C Survey start text: create different welcome messages for each role which they see when opening the link to the survey C Open-ended questions: select from pre-prepared questions and/or create new ones for each of your selected roles to get responses to specific questions concerning their learning and/or your teaching.


Template 5—Domains 2–4 in-depth

Domain coverage: Domains 2–4

Suggested usage: Get an in-depth view of Domains 2–4




Number of questions: 48 questions for self-reflection; observers; older students 24 questions for younger students 12 questions for early years students

Template 6— Domains 2–4 customisable

Domain coverage: Domains 2–4 customisable

Suggested usage: Get an in-depth view of specific domains and/or elements



Customisable: C Survey start text: create different welcome messages for each role which they see when opening the link to the survey C Open-ended questions: create questions for each of your selected roles to get responses concerning their learning and/or your teaching. C Select combinations of domains and/or elements C Choose the number of questions per role.

Number of questions: Customisable



Creating a survey1. Decide on your purpose for using the TfEL Compass.

2. Select a survey template.

3. Identify who is best to provide useful feedback.

4. Personalise and configure your survey.

1. Decide on your purposeYou can use the survey templates to create surveys that gather feedback from different roles on different aspects of your teaching. You can create and use as many different surveys as you want. However, to get best use of the TfEL Compass, it is important to be clear about what you want to find out. Some suggestions:

C Use Template 1 early in the year for your own self-reflection to determine which TfEL domains you would like to investigate.

C Use Template 2 to gain student feedback in Term 1 when you first set up your class learning culture to find out if your students’ experience of the learning environment matches your intent.

C Use Template 6 to track ‘distance travelled’ when you have been working on improving one of the domain elements.

2. Select a survey templateWhen you log in, you will be directed to ‘My surveys’ in which all the surveys you have undertaken are stored. This is your ‘Dashboard’. As a new user, this page will still be blank.

To create a new survey, click on the right hand button. Here you can select from the six survey templates. The survey templates are designed for different purposes. Choose a template to match your purpose by referring to the list above and give your survey a unique name—one that will remind you why you used it and with whom you used it at that particular time, for example, ‘Year 8 Science March 2013’.

3. Identify who is best to provide useful feedbackBefore you prepare surveys, you need to determine whom you will ask to give you feedback. Everyone you ask will bring new information about your teaching. The South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook (pp. 1–2) explains why it is advisable to triangulate feedback and encourages you to gather feedback through your own self-reflection together with feedback from students and trusted colleagues. For survey templates 2–6, you can choose the roles from which you wish to gather feedback. When you create a survey, the system automatically generates specific surveys for each of the possible roles: Teacher—self-reflection, Observers (all), Students—older, Students—younger, and Students—early years. These are accessed by URLs that are specific to each of the roles. You decide to which roles you will send a URL link to gain their feedback.

You need to prepare a list of email addresses for your students and for the trusted colleagues who will be observing you. Invite them to give you feedback and paste the URL for their survey into the body of the email. Alternatively, if students are unable to access emails, give them the URL http://compass.core-ed.org and the appropriate Access code. (You will get Access codes and URL links when you configure your survey, as explained on the next page.)

Attached to this guide are two summaries (Appendices 2 and 3) about gathering feedback from students and from trusted colleagues.

My surveys > Dashboard

My surveys > Dashboard > Create a new survey

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] > Administration > Access codes and URLs

4. Personalise and configure your surveyYou can tailor each survey to match your purpose and audience. There are many ways you can personalise the surveys to ensure you get the information you want and make it easy for students, colleagues and your leader/line manager to participate. Ensure that you save your work after entering your text on each page.

The survey configuration page will guide you in completing the required compulsory information. This includes:

C Survey start text: Create a customised welcome message for each role. Survey participants will see this when they first open the link to complete the survey.

C Open-ended questions: Create questions for each of your selected roles to get responses concerning their learning and/or your teaching. Some sample questions are attached in Appendix 4 of this Teacher guide.

C Configure survey by role—Template 6 only: Choose the domains and elements participants respond to; the percentage of questions you want each role to answer; and whether they have the option to indicate they have insufficient information to answer a specific question.

When you have completed the steps to configure your survey, it is suggested that you return once more to review your survey start texts and open-ended questions. Note that there is no spell-checker facility. When you have finished, select ‘Finish survey configuration’, which will take you to a page with Access codes and URLs. These are unique URLs, generated for each of the roles, which you can send to your survey participants in an email.


My surveys > Dashboard > Create a new survey > [Your survey name] > Survey start text

My surveys > Dashboard > Create a new survey > [Your survey name] > Open-ended questions

My surveys > Dashboard > Create a new survey > [Your survey name] > Configure survey by role [Template 6 only]


Viewing your dataOnce you have configured your survey, it will appear on your dashboard (under ‘My surveys’). Your feedback information is kept safe so you can analyse the feedback from any survey at any time and go back to earlier surveys to see how your practice has developed. You can select which survey you would like to analyse by clicking ‘view’ next to the name of the survey.

A new page will open with the name of your survey: use the four tabs to access further information.

The Administration tab provides a summary of your survey; the access codes and URLs participants will need in order to undertake the survey; role descriptions; and a breakdown of demographics of survey participants.

The Survey data tab provides multiple opportunities for you to analyse your survey results. It is described in further detail, below, under ‘Interpreting your data’.

The Report tab provides a printable report showing your aggregated and comparative polar maps and guides you though some key reflective questions for yourself and discussion with others.

Using the Share tab, you can invite others to view your results. To enable public sharing, select the access duration from the drop-down box, for example, ‘one hour’. The access URL is located in the ‘Public access details’ box. Email this access URL to those with whom you wish to share your survey feedback.

Interpreting your dataYou can engage with your survey data to view responses to open-ended questions; view graphic representations of your feedback from different roles and see the variance; compare feedback from different roles against quality tests; and view comments from participants. Select the Survey data tab.

The South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Framework guide and the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook can provide additional information to help you interpret your data.

Open-ended questionsSee all the responses to the open-ended questions asked before and after the survey.

Polar mapsThe polar maps provide a graphic representation of your feedback. You can view an overall polar map, which collates all the feedback you have received, and you can view feedback from each of the roles you have consulted. The polar maps also demonstrate how aligned the feedback was from different roles.

Use the overall polar map to roll over each element for an explanation of the element, together with suggestions for developing your practice.

Select polar maps from other roles and roll over an element to see the variance in your ratings, both overall for each element and for each of the four quality tests.

My surveys > Dashboard > view button

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name]

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] > Open-ended questions

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] > Polar maps

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] tabs to access further information

Comparison by roleOn this page you can use the filters to compare feedback from different roles by placing the polar maps side by side.

Quality tests On this page, you can display data in various ways. By clicking on the TfEL element text, you can see an explanation of that element.

Alternatively, click on the box beside each element to compare feedback for the element as a whole and for each quality test. Use the buttons ‘Aggregate roles’ and ‘Compare roles’ to toggle between the two. You can also use role and demographic filters to analyse responses, for example, feedback from different year levels and genders of students. In addition, you can view participants’ comments.

Use the slider button to view suggestions for developing your practice.

CommentsThese comments are from participants during the survey. All participants have an opportunity to explain their rating or give examples for each survey question. You can also export these comments as a pdf.

The comments are provided against the four quality tests for each element.

Working in a Professional Learning Community (PLC)The TfEL Compass is collaborative: it encourages teachers to talk with each other about teaching though collegiate observations and sharing feedback within a PLC. This helps establish and sustain a culture of ongoing professional and collegial support while engendering a sense of collective responsibility for student learning.

Sharing an individual survey with your colleagues can be done by using the Share button, as described on the previous page. In addition, you can combine the data from more than one person’s surveys by creating a PLC. This aggregated data will highlight your collective strengths and areas requiring further development.

To create a PLC/GroupWhen you ‘Create a PLC/Group’ from your dashboard (under ‘My surveys’), you will be asked to give it a name. You will be taken back to your dashboard, where you will find a Sharing Code which you can email to the members of your PLC/Group.

To join a PLC/GroupWhen you are invited to join a PLC/Group you will receive an email with a Sharing Code. From your dashboard (under ‘My surveys’), select ‘Join a PLC/Group’ and enter the code. When you hit ‘Save’, you will be returned to your dashboard, where you will find the name of the PLC/Group listed under ‘PLC/Groups you are a member of’.


My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] > Comparison by role

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] > Quality tests [TfEL element text: 2.1 Develop democratic relationships]

My surveys > Dashboard > [Your survey name] > Comments

10

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Gathering feedback from students

Why gather feedback from students? ‘Feedback for teachers can improve their effectiveness by 20–30%.’ 1 Student feedback is key in this process. For more information, refer to the South Australian Teaching for Effective Learning Review Tools handbook.

Key considerationsC Form a partnership with students.

– Help students to think about their own learning and your teaching: the more explicitly you describe your teaching and learning approaches, the better equipped students will be to offer constructive feedback.

– Explain to students why their feedback is being gathered: just as they expect your feedback to improve their learning, you need their feedback to help you learn as their teacher.

– Teach students how to give honest and constructive feedback and discuss how you will respond to their suggestions.

– Share the key points of the feedback with students. Indicate what you plan to do and ask for their suggestions.

– When you modify your practice based on their feedback, indicate what you are doing and why. Ask what difference they think this makes to their learning.

– Seek implicit ongoing feedback from students through their learning journals, their questions, their engagement levels in tasks, and their body language.

– It can be helpful for students to provide feedback for the same session that your trusted colleague observes. This will provide a ‘triangulated view’ of your practice and add to the richness of your self-reflection. Refer to Appendix 3: Gathering feedback from trusted colleagues for further information.

Before the TfEL Compass student survey C Reassure students that the survey is confidential, that they will have enough time to complete it, and that there will be no

negative consequences from their answers. Remind them that the survey is to help your own learning as their teacher. You can add this into the Survey start text when you configure your survey.

C Choose a survey that is age-appropriate for your students and that focuses on the domains or elements for which you want feedback.

C Identify a suitable time and place for the students to complete the survey uninterrupted.

C Arrange for a trusted colleague to be available to help students understand the survey questions.

During the TfEL Compass student survey C A trusted colleague should be available to help students understand the language of the survey but not to influence answers.

C Be responsive to the students’ concentration levels and provide breaks if necessary.

After the TfEL Compass student survey C Review the aggregated student feedback.

C Arrange to discuss the student feedback with your trusted colleague as part of your professional learning conversation.

C Plan how you will discuss feedback with the students.

C Embrace the feedback that you seek even though it may be challenging and confronting: remember the positive intent of the feedback and use it as the basis to develop your pedagogy and professional practice.

1 Jensen, B. & Reichl, J. (2011) Better teacher appraisal and feedback: improving performance, Melbourne: Grattan Institute

Trusted colleaguesWho can help me

check out and refine my practice?

StudentsHow do students

respond to how I teach?What effect does my practice

have on their learning?

SelfWhat are my strengths?Where can I improve?

Reflecting on pedagogy

Appendix 2


Gathering feedback from trusted colleagues

Why gather feedback from trusted colleagues?’Observations should be a treasure hunt, not a witch hunt.’ (Reeves, 20081) Trusted colleagues can become critical friends by identifying strengths on which to build, while helping one another recognise ‘blind spots’ and opportunities to improve practice.

Key considerationsC Trusted colleagues: – are willing to openly discuss teaching and learning in your context – recognise your strengths and areas for growth – are prepared to challenge and offer constructive feedback – have teaching strengths that may compliment, rather than match,

your own strengths.

C Ensure that you and your trusted colleague are familiar with the SA TfEL Framework.

C It can be helpful for a trusted colleague to observe the same session for which students provide feedback. This will provide a ‘triangulated view’ of your practice and add to the richness of your self-reflection. Refer to Appendix 2: Gathering feedback from students for further information.

Before the observation C Decide on your focus for the observation. This can be on one or more TfEL elements, on one TfEL domain, or on TfEL

domains 2–4. Select an appropriate survey template that focuses on the domains or elements you wish to have observed (see the page 4–5 of this Teacher guide for further information on the different survey templates).

C Explain to your colleague your intentions for the students’ learning in the session.

During the observation C The observer will watch specifically for evidence of the TfEL element(s) or domain(s) that you have identified as the focus

of the observation.

C The observer will make running notes, citing examples of how you enact the chosen TfEL element(s) or domain(s) in the observation.

After the observationC Once the observation is completed, observer(s) will reflect on the session and use their notes to respond to the survey

questions. These questions describe intentional, effective, consistent and responsive practice related to each element.

C The observer will complete their feedback survey on the TfEL Compass.

C Arrange a time for a professional learning conversation with your trusted colleague to review their observation and get their verbal feedback.

C Embrace the feedback that you seek even though it may be challenging and confronting: remember the positive intent of the feedback and use it as the basis to develop your pedagogy and professional practice.

1 Reeves D (2008) ‘Leadership and Learning’ The William Walker Oration 2008 Melbourne Australia. The Australian Council for Educational Leaders, The Leadership and Learning Centre, Massachusetts.

Trusted colleaguesWho can help me

check out and refine my practice?

StudentsHow do students

respond to how I teach?What effect does my practice

have on their learning?

SelfWhat are my strengths?Where can I improve?

Reflecting on pedagogy

Appendix 3


Sample open-ended questions

Before the main body of the survey1. Students—older

Think over what we have been learning in <Learning area> this year. What have you found to be particularly interesting? Can you explain why?

2. Students—older; Students—younger Are there some particular areas of interest in <Learning area> that you would like to have included in our learning for the rest of the year?

3. Students—older; Students—younger What do you think are your strengths as a learner?

4. Students—older; Students—younger What sort of activities help you to learn well in <Learning area>?

After the main body of the survey1. Students—older

What is ONE thing you would like me to do differently in my teaching to help your learning?

2. Students—older; Students—younger What is ONE thing you could change to improve your learning?

3. Observer—trusted colleague(s) Having observed my teaching, what do you see as my strengths as a teacher?

4. Observer—trusted colleague(s) What do you consider to be: 1. some minor aspects of my teaching I could work on? 2. the most important major thing I should focus on?

Appendix 4


Notes

Published November 2013

Documents

Teacher guide - Weeblymidnorthac.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/2/4/32243255/tfel...The TfEL Compass is an online, interactive pedagogy-profiling tool to support reflective practice. It is