1. TELLShop1
Innovation in Early Years
Observation and Assessment
Gemma Kearney Head of Foundation Stage 2
Sharon Robertson Head of Foundation Stage 1
GEMS Wellington Primary School
2. TELLShop2
• Icebreaker
Whats your ‘bag’?
Have a look at the items in the bags
Choose something that best represents you
Share this with your table buddies
Go and find someone else in the room to share this with
Who did you meet?
3. TELLShop3
Ways of Working (WoW)
• Mobile devices used only to support learning – i.e. note taking, research,
creation
• No calls, messaging, emailing
• Bags / school work away from table
• Be HERE
• Have an open mind
• Ask questions
• Listen to learn
• Be honest, positive and constructive
• Interact and collaborate with others with active participation
• Take responsibility for your own learning
• Show respect, confidentiality and professionalism
4. TELLShop4
Learning Objectives
1. To explore and develop a shared
understanding of why and how we observe
children's learning. (30mins)
2. To consider the impact of using ICT to
document children’s learning on your practise.
(30mins)
5. Route map of the day:
How will we get there?
TELLShop5
Reflect on your own practice.
Engage with technology that documents children’s learning
Discuss why and how we observe children's learning
Explore current innovations and their impact on outcomes for
children.
Consider how this can enhance your practice going forwards
6. Why do we observe children in the early
years?
TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment6
Diamond 9 Activity
7. How do we record our observations of
children in the early years?
TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment7
Consider the ways in which you currently document your
evidence of children’s learning
Evaluate how effective you find these methods and place
them on the continuum.
Are there any methods missing? Use a post it to add them.
8. Then what do we do?
TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment8
• How do we use the
information from
observation and
assessment?
• What do we do with
it?
9. 9 TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment
Energiser
Dough disco!
Grab your playdough…
lets get moving!
10. Going Paperless
TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment10
• Our target was “To improve assessment systems across EYFS”
KHDA, 2014-15.
This meant
• Enhancing assessment for learning procedures which would
improve outcomes for children.
• Evaluate - Implement – Evaluate – Improve – Evaluate - Embed.
11. Utilising Technology in P-O-A Cycle
TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment11
With technology information at the click of a button
• Evidenced based assessments
• Framework Coverage
• Gap Analysis
• Progress Summaries
• Supporting Data Input
12. Have a Go!
TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment12
• Interact with the software 2Simple2BuildaProfile
• Role Play
Consider
• How could you see yourself using this type of technology?
• What impact could this have on your children’s learning?
13. TELLSHOPS – Innovation in Early Years Assessment13
WWW EBI
WELL
WENT
WHAT
IF
BETTER
EVEN
Participants will be given a set of 9 statements to organise into priority order. This will promote discussion and dialogue between participants based on their prior knowledge, experience and understanding. (5 minutes).
Participants will be given a pack of images of tools that can support in collating evidence/observations. In groups they will be asked to discuss how effective these tools can be in gathering information that can be used effectively as formative assessment.
Did anyone use the ipad/learning journal? Where did they place it? Why?
So we gather this information, but what processes do we then have to undertake to assess and then plan effectively?
Suggestions may be: Next Steps, moving children forwards, data analysis, framework coverage gaps analysis.
So there are many things we do use this information for.
But how many different ways can we do this? How much paper work is involved? How many hours are spent collating and collaborating this information?
Share the successes of our story utilising Ipads and the app software 2simple.
Why we did it? What did we do? How did we do it?
So based on all of the whys and how’s, where did everyone put the ‘ipad’ and apps on their continuum? (linking back to previous activity).
Children's assessments were more evidenced based, because more time was being spent scaffolding and capturing this
Gaps in groups and individuals learning were easily identified because of the consistent links to the curriculum that were being made daily.
Children's progress monitored more closely
Leadership and Class Teachers could identify trends, interpret data because of the ease of access.
Teaching and learning became more objective focused to meet children's needs and progress and attainment improved.
Participants will have a go at interacting with the app and ipads, role playing as a teacher/child in pairs and record an observation (tables will be set up with activities supporting a variety of areas of learning). Handouts of class summaries, progress reports and graphical representations of data will be distributed amongst the tables. Also a timeline of ‘assessment and observation methods over the last 10 years and how they have evolved/improved will be displayed for participants to browse.
What changes to your practise could this bring?
How could you integrate this into your daily practise?
What other innovations have you used in your practise?
