Great Teaching, Great Feedback Instructions for DCPS Teachers As a participant in Great Teaching, Great Feedback, you will submit 4 short lesson videos over the course of 6 weeks and receive feedback from a virtual coach. You ll use our online platform, BloomBoard, to submit your videos and your coach will input your feedback there as well. After your first observation, you ll debrief with your coach over the phone, and have the option to communicate via phone or email after subsequent observations. Cycle of Videos You ll submit 4 videos total, each about a week apart. The videos will take two different forms: Video 1: The first video will be a diagnostic observation where your coach will hone in on a specific development area for the rest of the cycle as well as give you specific action steps. After you upload your first video, you will get feedback in BloomBoard and your coach will also email you to schedule a phone conversation. During this phone conversation, you and your coach will decide on a goal to work on over the course of the next 3 videos. Based on the goal you and your coach set, you will also talk about what makes sense to film during the next three videos. Videos 2-4: The next three videos will follow the same process where you will upload your video in BloomBoard and receive feedback from your coach through the site. During these videos, however, your coach will focus their feedback specifically on the goal you decided upon together. For all observations after the first, you may choose to either schedule a phone call with your coach, to email with your coach or to just read and reflect on the feedback on your own. Your coach may also suggest another phone call if he or she wants to discuss specific Action Steps with you. Introductory Email from your Coach Video 1 Diagnostic Observation Debrief Call Finalize Goal Video 2 Follow-up Observation Optional Debrief Call or Email Video 3 Follow-up Observation Optional Debrief Call or Email Video 4 Final Observation Note: You are expected to upload each subsequent video within a week of receiving feedback from the video before.
Complete the Pre-survey Your first step is to complete a short pre-survey online using this link. We ll use the information you submit to match you with a virtual coach in your subject area. Then, your coach will send you an introductory email. Record a Video Record 20 minutes of a lesson using any type of digital camera, smartphone or flip camera. Here are some tips for making this process easy and effective: Make sure your filming device is fully charged before you begin videotaping. Make sure that you have enough memory to support your footage. If another person is not able to film your lesson, fasten your filming device to a wall or place on top of a cabinet with a view of the board preferably not near a door. From this angle, both students and the board should be visible. Make sure that your camera is secure using duct tape or another adhesive. In order to avoid background noise during filming, close doors and windows. For more tips on video recording, see Video Recording Tips at the end of this document. Upload a Video After recording your video, save the video file on your computer. Then log in to BloomBoard using the username and password provided to you via email. You should use Google Chrome as your browser. You can download Google Chrome to your computer using this link. After logging in, you ll see your dashboard, with a GTGF video observation link. Click on the observation to upload your video.
Here, you ll see each component of the video observation. To upload your video, click on Video Upload. If you like, you can also upload a lesson plan and/or samples of student work. Your initials in green indicate required steps (uploading a video). Your initials in grey indicate optional steps (uploading a lesson plan and samples of student work). Your coach s initials in red indicate the steps they will complete (watching your video and Action Steps). Click on Upload your Video Observation to choose the video file from your computer and start the upload. Here are some tips for making the video upload process as efficient as possible: You do not need to use the highest quality setting on your camera when recording a video. If possible, use a secure, wired internet connection. Upload your video at the end of the day, and let it run overnight.
For more tips on video uploading, see Video Uploading Tips at the end of this document. Once the upload is complete, you ll see your video apppear in a viewing screen. When you see your video uploaded, click on Add Video Tag to enter your lesson objective. It s important that your coach has this information when watching your video. A text box will appear on the right side of the screen. Type in your lesson objective and click the Tag Video button to save it. This box can also be used to provide your coach with additional context about your students, the lesson, or the unit of study.
The final step is to share your video and objective with your coach by clicking the share button on the top right of the screen. When you compete this final step, your coach will get an email letting him or her know that you have uploaded your video and it is ready for them to view. Within 3 days your coach will watch your video and generate feedback in BloomBoard. You ll get an email from do.not.reply@bloomboard.com when your feedback is ready. Reviewing Feedback from Your Coach When you receive the email from Bloomboard, click the link and you ll be directed to the observation overview page. On the observation overview page, you ll see links to two types of feedback: A summary of your key strengths and Action Steps. Comments embedded directly in your lesson video
Click on Video Upload to see comments and feedback from your coach, embedded with timestamps in your video. Click on Action Steps to see summary feedback from your coach, including Going Strong (key strengths), and Action Steps. Action Steps Action Steps is the first section you should look at. Here, you ll see a message from your coach followed by Going Strong, the 3 key strengths your coach saw in the video. Each is associated with a Teach standard from the TLF rubric.
Below the Going Strong, you ll see one or two Action Steps your coach has generated based on development areas they noticed in the video. To view the next part of your feedback, click on Collect Evidence, then Video Upload in the bottom menu. Video Comments Once you are directed to the Video Upload screen, play your video and see your coach s comments pop up on screen in real time or click on the thumbnails below the video screen to jump to specific moments in the video.
Debrief With Your Coach After your first video observation, you ll get an email from your coach scheduling a time for you to speak on the phone and decide on a goal to work on over the next 3 videos you submit. You ll also talk about how to implement the Action Steps and what to film next. After you and your coach decide on a goal, you should enter that goal in BloomBoard so you both have access to it. To do this, on your BloomBoard dashboard, click on the yellow post-it note and type in your goal. The Next 3 Videos You ll repeat the cycle of video and feedback in BloomBoard for 3 more videos. You ll submit each video within a week of receiving feedback. Your coach will continue to focus their feedback and action steps on the goal you determine after your first video observation. A debrief with your coach is optional after the next 3 videos. You can reach out to your coach via email if you have specific questions and they will respond to you. Or, you can also email them to request another phone call. Need Help? If you are having trouble uploading your video, contact BloomBoard technical support by emailing support@bloomboard.com or calling 1-888-418-1595 between 12pm and 8pm EST. If you have other questions, email greatteaching@tntp.org.
Video Recording Tips The purpose of capturing video-recorded classroom instruction is to provide as authentic and complete a view of your teaching as possible. The following provides technical advice, guidelines, and helpful information about making effective video recordings of your teaching practice. Equipment There is no special equipment required! You can use almost any type of camera to film your lesson, including a digital camera, camcorder, flip cam or iphone/itouch. Our online platform, BloomBoard, accepts nearly all video file formats. View the complete list here. Some notes on video equipment: Higher quality video requires a longer upload time. If possible, we highly recommend recording in Standard Definition (SD), rather than High Definition (HD). Many video cameras have the option to switch from HD to SD. If you are using an iphone, flip it around to use the camera on the screen side to record in SD. Some digital cameras have a limit on video length. You may want to test your camera before recording your lesson. An external microphone enhances the audio quality, but it s not required. Some camcorders create proprietary video files that require conversion before they can be saved to your computer. The conversion software should come with the camera. Filming Tips 1. If possible, use a tripod. Having the camera in a fixed position eliminates the wobbly effect of an unsteady hand. 2. Point the camera at the speaker. Place the camera at the side of the room and, if possible, set it up high on a counter or table. 3. Record continuously rather than stopping the camera or moving rapidly back and forth between people. 4. Ask another adult to operate the camera, if possible. 5. Turn on all the lights and open curtains and blinds. If there are windows along one side of the classroom, point the camera away from (rather than into) that light. 6. Close the classroom door and windows to minimize background noise, if possible. 7. Repeat student responses to make them audible on the video if students speak in a low voice.
Video Uploading Tips The speed of video upload depends on the size of your video file and the speed of your internet connection. You should use the most up to date version of Google Chrome when uploading a video to our online system, BloomBoard. What to expect The upload process can take a few hours; however, this is inactive time during which you can continue to work on other things or leave your computer. A standard home internet connection is between 3-15 megabytes per second (mbps). You can quickly and easily test your connection speed at www.speedtest.net. If your speed is lower than 2 mbps, you may need to upload from an alternate location. As a reference point, a 1 GB file uploading using a 5 mbps internet connection takes about 3.5 hours; a 500 MB file takes about half that time. Maximizing upload speed You do not need to use the highest quality setting on your camera; video file size of 400-500 MB is sufficient quality for reviewing. The larger the video file, the longer the upload takes. If possible, we recommend recording in Standard Definition (SD), which produces much smaller files than High Definition (HD). Many video cameras have the option to switch from HD to SD. If you are using an iphone, flip it around to use the camera on the screen side to record in SD. If your video is larger than 1 GB, we recommend compressing the file before uploading. Compression takes some time, but will save you about half of the uploading time in the long run. Handbrake, an easy to use compression program, is available for free download here. If possible, use a secure, wired internet connection. Shared wireless networks are usually slower. Upload at a time when internet traffic is low. Your speed is slower when more people are online, such as evening hours when many people are streaming or downloading TV and videos. Late at night or early in the morning are better uploading times. A hassle-free way to upload is to start the process at the end of the day and let it run overnight.