Episode 13: Authentic Learning in Remote Preschool, Part 2: Informing and Differentiating Instruction
In this second half of a two-part episode, early childhood special educators Tara Hughes and Brittany Behenna Griffith illustrate how they use authentic assessment documentation that families share on Seesaw to help inform and differentiate instruction. (10 min.)
Facilitator Guide
- Early Care and Education Environment Indicators and Elements of High-Quality Inclusion: E6: Instruction, E8: Assessment
- DEC Recommended Practices: Assessment, Instruction
As you watch this episode, take note of how Tara and Brittany used video in remote learning to document on-going assessment and to plan differentiated instruction.
Reflection Questions
- In this video you hear how hands-on activities allow the educators to see what the student can do. Refer to your program’s assessment tool, what hands-on activities could you structure to observe a student’s present level of development?
- Brittany mentions how having families record video of their children doing activities can inform instruction. What are some things you can guide parents to record at home to help you determine how well a child is able to maintain balance in a variety of situations?
- Tara shares how she adjusted the structure of morning meetings to incorporate intentional modeling of writing each day. What strategies do you use to help student’s make meaning of print? How have you adjusted the structure of your instruction to elicit skills that don’t naturally occur during remote learning?
- In the video you observe the educators using multiple strategies to differentiate instruction. What are some strategies, activities, or materials you have used to differentiate instruction in a remote learning environment? How did you partner with families to gain a better understanding of the student's prior knowledge?
- Brittany and Tara are looking forward to continuing to use recorded observational data in the future. What methods of gathering data for formative assessment will you continue to use beyond the pandemic? What adjustments might be needed when student’s return to face-to-face instruction?
Group Activity
Give Seesaw a Try
Tara and Brittany use Seesaw to gather information from families so that they can authentically assess children from a distance. Family members upload videos based on specific guidance from the teachers and then the teacher watches the clips or looks at the photos and uses that information to guide future instruction. Have you used Seesaw before? Why not give it a try?
You can create a account at https://web.seesaw.me
Note to facilitators: Give participants an assignment so they can practice uploading a video clip to the platform. Then, the group can watch the videos that their peers uploaded and give feedback or just reflect on the process. Some video ideas that participants can create are:
- Describe the Seesaw activity to families. Record a video of yourself as you guide families through the process of accessing the platform, creating an account, recording a video or taking a photo of their child and uploading it to the platform.
- For participants that are currently working in an early childhood classroom or as a home visitor, record a video of yourself teaching a lesson or supporting a family. Seesaw has a collection of Pre-K Remote Learning Activities.
- Record a storytelling video that can be uploaded and shared with families. Each participant can select a book and practice recording and uploading the video. Step-by-step directions are available on the Seesaw website.
