Using SeeMeTeach to Generate Evidence-Based Responses for the edTPA
What is edTPA?
edTPA is a high-stakes assessment used as a summative evaluation for future teachers. Consisting of three major sections, each with five sub-sections, the edTPA candidate prepares materials for an outside assessor who uses the fifteen rubrics to evaluate the candidate's submission. As part of teacher education in over 30 states, in some, the candidate must meet or exceed the passing score to continue into the teaching profession.
SMT and edTPA Supporting Documents (available to registered users)
Why Use SMT and the Guiding Documents When Preparing an edTPA Submission?
1. As a benefit of SMT registration, users can access the SMT and edTPA supporting documents.
2. SMT is a powerful mechanism for observing video and collecting comments, data, evidence, and indicators
that will significantly enrich the written reflection of the teacher candidate's teaching when responding to the
edTPA rubric 6-10 prompts that focus on analyzing how the lesson was taught and the impact on student
engagement. This added value for rubrics 6-10 is especially true for rubric 10, where the lowest scores
surface.
3. Knowing what evidence and indicators are needed when analyzing a lesson helps guide teacher candidates
when planning and delivering lessons that contain the desired and critical indicators of teaching
effectiveness that edTPA assessors look for in a teacher candidate's submission.
The Power of Using SeeMeTeach for edTPA and Evidence-Based Narratives
SMT is a teacher observation tool that contains:
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Qualitative mode for comments, analysis, and feedback
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Quantitative mode for data collection, analysis, and feedback
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Data displayed using tables, graphs, charts, heat maps
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Data and comments linked to video segments
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Seating chart heat maps showing student engagement and misbehaviors
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Teacher-student interaction data, patterns, and specific wait-times
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Feedback forms, standard or your own
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A collaboration of up to four team members for observation and feedback
The SMT and edTPA documents provide:
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Guidance in planning for and teaching a lesson containing robust supporting evidence and indicators of teaching effectiveness.
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Guidance regarding specific supporting data and indicators when using SMT to analyze the lesson; evidence can be infused when writing the written reflection.
Included for each rubric in the document are:
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The guiding question for each rubric.
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The essence of each rubric.
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Concrete examples of evidence and indicators that help meet the expectations of each rubric.
Using SMT During Clinical Experiences and/or the edTPA Semester
Ramping up to the edTPA Semester - Ideally, the edTPA supporting documents and SMT should be introduced and used when teacher candidates are in the clinical experience phase of their preparation and before the edTPA submission phase. Doing so allows the teacher-candidate the opportunity and time to develop solid and positive teaching skills before teaching the edTPA lesson. The desired indicators of effective teaching should be well entrenched, with analysis, reflection, and feedback a normal part of future teachers' expectations, and therefore candidates become accustomed to using data to analyze their teaching and seeing data embedded in feedback. Learning to make teaching decisions based on data positively affects planning for teaching and classroom instruction and elevates their ability to analyze their teaching – the core of the edTPA challenge. Teaching and analyzing instruction work hand in hand, and knowing how to use SMT as a tool for observation and reflection becomes second nature to the teacher candidate when it comes time to complete, submit, and, therefore, pass and achieve robust scores on the edTPA.
During the edTPA Semester - If a teacher-candidate has not used SMT and the supporting documentation prior to the edTPA semester, then using these documents will help the teacher-candidate to carefully plan and purposefully embed these score-raising indicators into their lesson plan and, in turn, help seed their teaching with actions that reflect the indicators for each rubric 6-10. As a result, the video of their teaching captures critical indicators and evidence that help fulfill the intent of the rubric, which now allows for data and evidence collected by SMT to be embedded in their edTPA narrative. Using SMT and the supporting documents will foster a much more evidence-based and richer description, potentially a more robust score on the edTPA.
