National Board Resource Center at Illinois State University

National Board For Professional Teaching Standards

Component 3: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment

Session 2: Collecting Evidence Through Videotaping

Expected outcomes from Session 2: by the end of Session #2, candidates will …
  • Begin to analyze the Core Propositions and the “Knowledge of Students”Standard in relation to their current & future teaching practices.
  • Give specific details from the “Knowledge of Students” Standard from their certificate area and relate it to their students.
  • Become familiar with the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching and how Component #3 is based upon this structure.
  • Begin to analyze their teaching patterns & practices against each aspect of the Architecture for Accomplished Teaching.
  • Identify how they currently demonstrate evidence - based teaching in their own teaching practices.
  • Become familiar with videotaping logistics and begin to make plans for how and when they will videotape.

Expected work completed Prior to Session #2:
  • Reread and highlight the NBPTS 5 Core Propositions. Consider what you already do that demonstrates the Core Propositions.
  • Prepare information describing students in relation to the content area(s) outlined in component 3. Candidates mayalso use the Note Taking Guide for Core Proposition #1.
  • Outline the Knowledge of Students Standard for your certificate area.

* Priority Topics / Overview of Session 2
Topics / Time / Notes on Facilitator, Returning Candidates & First Time Candidates
Welcome / Overview / 10 - 15 /
  • Facilitator explains, all cohort members share and give feedback to one another.

*Core Proposition 1 – Knowledge of Students (homework) / 10 - 15 /
  • Group candidates in pairs or small groups consisting of a returning candidate who facilitates or models how they show Core Proposition #1 in their teaching.

*”Knowledge of Students” Standard– certificate specific / 15 - 30 /
  • NBCT Facilitator gives an overview of the intent of this section.
  • Ask a returning candidate prior to this session if they would be willing to share how they unpack their Knowledge of Students Standard to consider all the information the standard contains about theircertificate area.

Examining Core Propositions 2 -5 – Examples of how teachers demonstrate these Propositions / 15 - 20 /
  • NBCT Facilitator explains the purpose of the Carousel Activity.
  • When doing the carousel activity, the returning candidates might be paired with first-time candidates.

*Architecture of
Accomplished Teaching / 15 - 20 /
  • Ask if returning candidates might be willing to model how they would describe a lesson or lesson series with the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching. This might be a stretch for your candidates, but you may have someone who will welcome the challenge.

*Evidence Based Teaching / 10 /
  • NBCT Facilitator gives an overview of evidence – based teaching.

*Videotaping / 30 - 45 /
  • NBCT Facilitator may provide examples from their own practice

Preparing for Next Session / 10 -15 /
  • NBCT Facilitator models and explains

Evaluation / 10 - 15 /
  • Entire Group. Facilitator will consider the evaluations and the needs of the group when preparing for the next session.

Remind the group that the cohort is a professional learning community where all members have opportunities to share their practice including the facilitator. This sharing will evolve as the year progresses, but everyone is considered an “expert” on their students, thus will have important information to share with the group. Returning candidates may be more comfortable with sharing their practice early in the cohort year, but this is very dependent upon the cohort climate.
Facilitator Preparation
  • Sharing examples from your practice during this session will set a tone for the cohort. It is suggested that you illustrate the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching (AAT) through sharing aspects of a specific lesson – use. You will also be asked to initiate the videotaping discussions by sharing a 3-4 minute video from your practice.
  • Prepare Resource 2.3 – Exploring the Knowledge of Students Standard by responding to the prompts about how you collect information about your students. This can include bulleted lists to give candidates an idea on how to brainstorm ways to collect information on students.
  • If you’re going to have a continuing candidate share how they unpack their “Knowledge of Students” Standard, be sure to ask in advance.
  • Carousel Activity: 5 pieces of Chart paper with one core proposition written on each – place around the room. See single pages for each Core Proposition. You can just tape these at the top of each chart.
Facilitator Notes
  • This session is designed to reassure candidates about videotaping by giving them a rationale for videotaping to improve teaching practice. Sometimes candidates think they are supposed to submit a perfect video where every child is on task and the lesson progresses without a hitch. Reassure candidates that the purpose of the video is to provide an authentic and complete view of their teaching as possible. They want to show how they engage students and provide a supportive classroom environment. Life in classrooms is not perfect, but a place where teachers and students can grow, thus they will want to show interaction.
  • It’s important for the facilitators to consider sharing examples from their own practice to establish trust, understanding that everyone in the cohort shares practice, including the facilitator. Share examples from your practice that show everyday life rather than an exemplary lesson when you first begin sharing videos. When candidates see that it’s not about a perfect classroom, but about student – student, teacher – student interaction centered on content and risk taking, the discussion shifts away from being personalized to that individual teacher. Remind candidates that the purpose is to analyze teaching, not to evaluate. A discussion related to the difference between analysis and evaluation may be helpful for your candidates. The Session 2 PowerPoint contains slides with key points on the difference between analysis and evaluation.
  • Once again, you have several resources listed in this session, but you are encouraged to determine which activities and resources might best fit with your candidates. You may not have time to address all topics listed here. It’s always OK to revisit the earlier sessions. It’s important for candidates to be able to say what they need and help determine the agenda for later sessions.
  • Most candidates are nervous about videotaping, so jumping in with using videotape as soon as possible will be helpful to your candidates. You may want to let them know up front that they will do a 3-4 minute video to share with a partner at the beginning of session 3. You’ll be showing them how to look at videotapes beginning with session 2.
  • Remind candidates to find out about the videotaping procedures in their school and district. Some districts have district release forms families complete at registration each year. Students and adults appearing in the videos that are submittedwill be required to fill out an official National Board Release Form.
  • There are several video options included in this session. Please use your best judgment to determine which videowill be appropriate for your group. Ideally, you may be able to use one Teaching Channel video (actually found in the PowerPoint) and one from your own practice. Different grade level videos were suggested to give you options for the video viewing activity. Do not show all videos because this will become repetitive.
  • You might also consider using some of the Teaching Channel videos to provide a full repertoire of video resources.
  • Clarification: The Carousel activity in Session 1 asks the candidates to summarize each Core Proposition. In session 2, candidates are asked to give examples from their practice that show evidence of each Core Proposition. Returning candidates may be asked to take the lead for session 2 since they have done the carousel in the past and may have more specific examples ready to share.
  • The PowerPoint for session 2 is designed so that it may be used throughout the session or you may elect to use it for only portions of Session 2 since the PowerPoint includes topic headings corresponding to those listed in the Facilitator Guide. (This document)
Virtual Facilitator Suggestions
  • You may consider “flipping” the content for this session by assigning videos to watch in advance.
  • Use of a message board and /or video blogging may allow candidates to share what has gone well since the last session.
  • Consider using shared Google document when application or extended practice calls for use of chart paper.

Procedures & Activities / Materials / Minutes
Welcome
  • Candidates log into their National Board Profile to check their status. This will be listed monthly to make sure candidates are checking their profile regularly.
  • Candidates briefly tell what has gone well since last session.
  • Disseminate initial materials: Resources 2.1, 2.2, & 2.3 are used early in the session.
  • Share outcomes for this session. Revisit group norms as needed.
  • Review outline of agenda topics for this session.
  • Solicit, answer & share resources that address participants’ questions.
/ Chart paper
Norms if needed
Participant agenda
Evaluation
Sign-in sheet
LCD projector
PowerPoint for Session 2 / 10 - 15
*Priority Topic: Review Homework: Core Proposition 1 - Showing the Core Propositions in My Teaching: Teachers Are Committed To Students & Their Learning
Purpose: To connect / share information from What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do to examples from candidate practice.
Key Information:
  • All certificates are based on the 5 Core Propositions.
  • Core Propositions are the foundation for all certificates. Each certificate area has a “Knowledge of Students” Standard that will give more information about what accomplished teachers do to demonstrate their knowledge of students.
  • Regardless of what they teach, all teachers will be asked to show evidence of their practice, knowledge of students and resulting teaching decisions. Teachers are asked to demonstrate how knowledge of their students directly translates into why they use particular teaching strategies.
Procedures:
Part 1 – Examining Knowledge of Students (Homework)
  1. Candidates will have a chance to share what they learned about their students when they responded to the prompts related to Core Proposition #1. Have candidates work in partners or small groups to share their responses on the homework resource – 2.1 – Note Taking Guide – Core Proposition #1 – Teachers are Committed to Students & Their Learning. Encourage the group to pay particular attention to -
  • Range of abilities in the class
  • What they know about their students’ cultural, ethnic and/or linguistic backgrounds.
While the other prompts elicit important information as well, often candidates have more difficulty gathering enough specific information related to these topics. At the beginning of today’s session, candidates will explore how they demonstrate core proposition #1 in their teaching and prompt one another to consider strategies they might want to revisit or try in their teaching.
  1. Remind candidates that they will have a Knowledge of Students Standard in their certificate area that gives even more specific information about how accomplished teachers demonstrate their knowledge of students. Invite a returning candidate to unpack their “Knowledge of Students” Standard using their certificate specific standard about Knowledge of Students and Resource 2.2 – Knowledge of Students Standards. This means the returning candidate will demonstrate for the group how they highlighted key ideas in their standards to determine what they already do to demonstrate this standard when it is specific to their certificate area. If you don’t have returning candidates who might do this, model yourself using a certificate not represented in your cohort.
  1. Use Resource 2.3 – Exploring the Knowledge of Students Standard to model listing all the ways you collect information about your students. The items listed can be bulleted. Teachers often intuitively do many things to collect information about their students. The purpose of this resource is to allow them to consider how and when they collect information about their students and to share this information with the other cohort members. Candidates may find suggestions from their colleagues helpful as strategies to try themselves. Take a few minutes to allow candidates to discuss and record some of the responses to the prompts on the 2- page resource. Tell candidates they will complete this as homework for the next session. It will assist them, as they get ready to complete one of the forms for their entry – Instructional Context Form. They will discuss this form further in Session 3.
Application
Segue into part 2: Now that you’ve had a chance to examine Core Proposition #1 and the related standard in your specific certificate area, we’ll revisit the rest of the Core Propositions and consider what you already do to demonstrate Core Proposition 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Part 2 – Examining Core Propositions 2 -5 to find examples from their practice.
  1. Ask participants to share how they demonstrate the rest of the core propositions in their teaching through doing a Carousel around the room with the 5 charts with Core Propositions. Divide the group up, if possible, and have at least 2 people go to each chart at a time. Give them approximately 5 minutes to discuss and record what they already do that demonstrates this Core Proposition on the chart paper, then each pair or group rotates to the next chart until everyone has discussed each Core Proposition. They may also add questions or insights about the 5 Core Propositions.
  1. Debrief with the whole group.
  • Were there commonalities between the participants? Begin to emphasize the idea that giving evidence that shows how you demonstrate each core proposition will be an ongoing thread throughout the cohort sessions.
  • Did the candidates find affirmation that there were many things they already did that showed evidence of the Core Propositions?
  • What ideas or reminders did candidates get from others about practices they may wish to continue or start to use again that they may have overlooked?
/ Resource 2.1: Core Proposition 1 – Teachers Are Committed To Students and Their Learning
Highlighters
Knowledge of Students Standard from specific certificate areas
Resource 2.2: Knowledge of Students Standards
Resource 2.3 – Exploring the Knowledge of Students Standard
Note: PowerPoint Slides
7 & 8 show this resource
NBPTS 5 Core Prop. Resource
2.4 - 5 Core Prop.
PowerPoint Slide 9
5 pieces of Chart paper with one core proposition written on each – place around the room. See single pages for each Core Prop.
Resource 2.5What Teachers Should Know & Be Able to Do”
Virtual Facilitators can upload the Word Document into Google and share with their candidates / 10 – 15
15 – 20
15-20
Procedures & Activities / Materials / Minutes
* Priority Topic: Overview of the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching
Purpose: Introduce AAT as the structure of Accomplished Teaching.
Key Information:
  • All that NBPTS asks and all that teachers show in the entry should be based on the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching.
  • NBPTS asks questions to support teachers to write how they think through this framework. The key concepts in the rubrics, standards, and directions support the scorers to find evidence of the AAT in the written commentary.
Procedures:
  1. Explain to the candidates that all of the standards, questions, rubrics, and instructions in the NBPTS entry are based on helping teachers show evidence of the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching. NBPTS designed this framework to guide teachers in making teaching decisions.
  • Explain that as teachers complete the entry, they will be describing, analyzing and reflecting on how all aspects of their teaching are organized around the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching (AAT).
  1. Show candidates the handout of the diagram of the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching. Note the different versions. One with the 5 Core Propositions is included with the resources. (Resources 2.72.8)
  • Explain that the AAT is not a linear process but that teachers move in and out of each state as needed to make decisions that impact student learning. For example, when you’re teaching a lesson, you may learn more information about your students and adjust the lesson on the spot rather than going through all the steps of the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching before completing the full process.
  • Explain each step and how it links to the previous step and the next step.
  • Reinforce that the questions in the entry will guide the teacher to show evidence that they can link to each of the steps logically.
  1. You may want to model your thinking as you demonstrate an example of AAT in relation to a lesson series from your practice. This is a critical concept for the candidates, so be sure to go slowly through the steps of the Architecture Of Accomplished Teaching. Reminder that goal setting is an essential component since it drives how you discuss the other elements in the AAT.Respond to questions.
/ AAT Resources – these are all possible resources, but you may find just using the AAT “Placemat” and a blank copy of the AAT (Resource 2.10) is all you need for this section of the session. Slides 11&12 of the PowerPoint show the Helix version of the AAT & the AAT with Danielson Domains on it.