Evaluating, Implementing and Managing Instructional Programs & Projects

1)First, select one of the evaluation models you learned from chapter 10 or from your web search and describe how you would use it to evaluate your instruction (alternatively, you can choose a program or initiative at your current or former school). If necessary, revisit the relevant section on chapter 10 and refer to exemplary questions to ask within the model. Reflect on what other questions that instructional program evaluation should address besides whether the new instruction/program leads to comparable amounts of learning and learner satisfaction as traditional methods. What else would be useful to know? 

I chose to look at the Stufflebeam’s CIPP Evaluation Model. In chapter 10 of the textbook, it explains that CIPP is an acronym and a four part evaluation system, however you can evaluate based on only one part. Below is a brief summary of the four evaluation criteria.

1.    Context Evaluation. This is the assessment of the environment in which the lesson is being taught. This can also be called needs assessment. The evaluator should be involved in the lesson planning process to see how the teacher is looking at the students’ specific needs and how to better address them. This is also where the evaluator can see what TEKS are being taught.

2.    Input Evaluation. This is where the evaluator will analyze what resources are being used in the lesson. They also can see how the resources are being implemented in the lesson.

3.    Process Evaluation. This is also known as the formative evaluation. This is where the evaluator actually assess how the lesson is performed. They also see how the resources are being implemented and how the lesson planning was executed.

4.    Product Evaluation. This is where the teacher is evaluated based on how the students performed. Did they understand the TEKS? Were the students successful?

I like this model because the evaluator is more involved in the whole process. The evaluator does not just walk into a classroom and observe for 40 minutes, they truly see all the work that was put into the lesson. I think this takes the pressure off teachers to “perform perfectly” in a single moment. The evaluator can see how the teacher evaluates themselves. Did the lesson work? How can they fill those gaps, if the lesson was not successful? Etc. Evaluators are very quick to judge a teacher’s whole year based on one lesson. The only thing I do not agree with, is that in the CIPP model, you can evaluate someone only using one of the four parts. I think that this evaluation system shows every part of the teacher’s process, and that is what really needs to be evaluated. Is this teacher planning, implementing, AND evaluating him/herself to get maximum student success?

2) For the second part, congratulations, your school leader noticed your good use of technology in teaching and appointed you to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom for teachers during a time of economic challenge. (If you like to modify the scenario to better fit your personal interest, such as one-on-one laptop initiative, that is perfectly fine). You were told that the school will provide necessary support and you can form a team. Based on knowledge from chapters 12 & 13, which people at the school and the district will you include in the team, and how will you use Situational Leadership to facilitate this project and manage scarce resources?

In my current position, I do teach professional development on technology to the district. If I was asked to create a team to implement strategies for the title one school, I would involve:

·      An instructional media specialist, because they can discuss how to use the technology.

·      An instructional coach, because they can address examples of TEKS to hit and implementation in the classroom.

·      An assistant principal or a principal, because they can address how their expectations based on the technology portion of the TTESS

I would chose my team wisely because the textbook explains that there are key elements to great management leaders. These leaders must be able to motivate, problem solve, communicate, and analyze resources.

I rarely work with a team, so this would be my “dream team” of staff to work with. However, you really have to make sure that you can motivate and communicate when addressing teachers. I have learned that teachers can be the worst students. I have found that you have to make sure that everyone understands “why” you are teaching the PD and that it is 100% applicable to their classroom, or they will not pay attention. I didn’t realize how important these elements are to PDs, until I thought about the first one I had taught. I taught a PD over how to use all the Skyward features, and even though I planned and created a beautiful presentation. I was not great at motivating my audience to care. I was just reading the presentation. This caused me to realize I have to problem solve during my lesson, I could tell that teachers were not paying attention or understanding. I had to be flexible and quickly change my presentation to make sure that everyone was involved and realized how this could make their grading and assessments much easier. 

References

Raiser, R.A. and Dempsey, J.J. (2012) Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology 3^rd Ed.