WO2013115834A1

WO2013115834A1 - Teacher observation and evaluation system for mobile devices

Info

Publication number: WO2013115834A1
Application number: PCT/US2012/032918
Authority: WO
Inventors: Martin Patrick REED; Michael James MCFARREN; Armando De Oliveira FORTUNA; James Edward REAMS
Original assignee: RANDA Solutions, Inc.
Priority date: 2012-02-02
Filing date: 2012-04-10
Publication date: 2013-08-08

Abstract

A teacher observation and evaluation system and method for mobile devices is provided, comprising providing a data server for storing and delivering selected information, including teacher data, rubrics, and other educational data; providing an administration server connected to the data server for controlling access by users; providing one or more wireless mobile devices connected to the data server via a wireless connection, wherein each mobile device includes an observation and evaluation rubric; observing a teacher in a classroom setting and inputting into the mobile device observation and evaluation data related to the teacher's performance; synchronizing the observation and evaluation data with the data server; and reporting the observation and evaluation data to selected administrative personnel.

Description

_. ι _.

Teacher Observation and Evaluation System for Mobile Devices

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to systems and methods for designing and administering teacher observation and

evaluation systems, and more particularly to such systems and methods enabled for use on computers or mobile wireless devices .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A teacher observation and evaluation system and method for mobile devices is provided, comprising: providing a data server for storing and delivering selected information, including teacher data, rubrics, and other educational data; providing an administration server connected to the data server for controlling access by users; providing one or more wireless mobile devices connected to the data server via a wireless connection, wherein each mobile device includes an observation and evaluation rubric; observing a teacher in a classroom setting and inputting into the mobile device observation and evaluation data related to the teacher's performance; synchronizing the observation and evaluation data with the data server; and reporting the observation and evaluation data to selected administrative personnel .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Before the subject invention is further described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments of the invention described below, as variations of the particular embodiments may be made and still fall within the scope of the appended claims. It is also to be understood that the terminology employed is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, and is not intended to be limiting. Instead, the scope of the present invention will be established by the appended claims.

In this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" include plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention

belongs .

The present invention comprises a teaching observation and evaluation system and method for mobile electronic devices. In a preferred embodiment, the system comprises a software application for mobile electronic devices and the method of transfer of application data via wireless networking means.

The invention allows users to input evaluation and observation of classroom teachers in the field using mobile computing devices. It also provides a secure means of delivery of the observation and evaluation results data to a secure data warehouse. For the purposes of the following description, Appendix A includes a user manual with a scripted explanation of a preferred, embodiment of the system and methods of the present invention. This user manual is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Rubrics being used for the evaluation or observation will be preloaded onto the mobile devices. The rubrics will include, but not be limited to, the various standards, strands, performance indicators, and domains used for a particular observation or evaluation. These rubric fields may be toggled open and closed, depending on the length of the field and the size of the mobile device screen. Each rubric will have input fields for scores, level assignments, notes, observations, and other pertinent data.

The mobile devices will be assigned to users who will begin an observation or evaluation by opening the

application. While observing a teacher, usually in a live classroom, lecture hall, or other educational setting, the user will input scores, level assignments, notes,

observations, or evaluation data in the appropriate fields to coincide with the standards, strands, indicators, or domains presented by the rubric in use, all as indicated in Appendix A.

The mobile devices can be used by multiple users to evaluate a large quantity of educators by the use of a role- based permissions system that gives users individual sign-in credentials. Users will have access to their own individual assignments and work flow schedules on the mobile device, in addition to the ability to input observation and evaluation data from the classroom, lecture hall, workshop, or other observation area.

Data will be transferred, to and from the mobile device by synchronizing (syncing) to an online data warehouse. Upon initial receipt of the mobile device, the user will sync with the data warehouse to download, his/her assignments, schedules, rubrics, and other relevant information. Upon the completion of the observation and evaluation

assignments, the user will sync the mobile device again, uploading the scores, notes, and other results to the data warehouse. This data will then be available for analysis and reporting by the proper administrative or education parties, which may include the observer or evaluator.

During an observation and evaluation program period, syncing of the device may result in both downloading and uploading of data, all as indicated in Appendix A.

Users will be able to save an observation or evaluation in progress and return to it later. Administrators will have the option to allow for completion of in-progress

observations and evaluations and editing of completed observations and evaluations online through a web interface. They will also have the option to lock an observation as complete, disallowing editing or modification from the mobile device and/or through an online portal.

Reporting will be accomplished through the web interface and will allow quick and paper-free statistical analysis of teacher performance based on data collected on the mobile device, as well as other pertinent education data such as student test scores and demographic information.

All references cited in this specification are herein incorporated by reference as though each reference was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. The citation of any reference is for its disclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as an admission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate such reference by virtue of prior invention .

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above. Without further analysis, the

foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting feat res that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention set forth in the appended claims. The foregoing embodiments are presented by way of example only; the scope of the present invention is to be limited only by the following claims.

Teacher Observation and Evaluation System for Mobile Devices Atty. Docket No, 2918930-000001 Customer No. 21184

APPENDIX A

Teacher Observation Walkthrough Evaluation & Reporting

Scripted Version-

User Documentation INSTALLING THE TOWER !V!OBJLE APP 3

LAUNCHING THE TOWER MOBILE APP .................4

INITIALIZING THE APP 4

LOGGING IN ..,..,......,..,.........,..,............,..,............,..,............,........................................_"

OPENING SCREEN 6

Logout 7

App Settings — - 7

Synchronize with System .....................7

Start Observation 7

SYNCING THE TOWER APP 8

INITIAL SYNC 8

ONGOING SYNC - 9

OBSERVATIONS AMD WAL THOUGHS ................................................................................................................. 10

GETTING STARTED ....10 initial Screen View— "Educator List" or "My Schedule" 10

EDUCATOR LIST 12

Visit List 12

MY SCHEDULE, ,..,......,.....,..,..14

SCRIPTING 15

Stopwatch IS

Adding a Scripting Block,..,..,.., ,.16

Deleting a Scripting Block...,..,..,..,.........,..,..,..,......, .......................17

Saving Your Work and Proceeding to Matching 17

MATCHING 19

Reviewing a Scripting Block (from Block View) 21

Matching a Scripting Block to an indicator 21

Matching Multiple Scripting Blocks to a Single indicator 23

Matching a Single Scripting Block to Multiple indicators ,24

Saving your Work and Continuing to Scoring.....................................................................................................25

SCORING 27

Rubric Title: Viewing ail Scripting Blocks and Adding Overall Notes 28

Adding "Grade" and "Subject" ..29

Domain Titles: Viewing Additional information (Select Rubrics Only) 30

Selecting an Indicator 30

The Observed Checkbox ,.31

Viewing Scripting Blocks and/or Adding Notes .. ,..,.........,.. ,..,..,31

Score Descriptions (Select Rubrics Only) 32

Scoring an Indicator 32

Saving Your Work and Completing the Observation , ,34 TOWER Mobile Version 2.3

The installation process requires the iPad to be connected to the internet. Tap the App Store icon found on the iPad main application screen to begin the process.

When the App Store screen appears, tap the Search text box on the top right of the screen and type in "randa tower" and tap the Search button on the keyboard. The resulting screen should a

If the "Sign In" indicator appears in the lower left hand corner of the screen, instead of your iTunes or Apple account information, tap the Sign in button to enter your information. If you do not have an existing iTunes or Apple account, you may create one if the iPad has a network connection.

NOTE: if you have lost or forgotten your iTunes or Apple account information, you may attempt to recover by accessing https://iforgot.appie.com/

Tap the Free button, and then tap install App, You will be prompted to enter your iTunes or Apple username and password.

RANDA Solutions TOWER Mobile Version 2.3

To open the App, tap the TOWER Mobile icon on the screen.

Initializing the App

The first time you open the TOWER Mobile App, it will need to be initialized on your iPad and associated with your school system . To initialize the App, you will need to enter your

Username, Password, and Group/Activation Code, if you have not received your information, contact your System Administrator.

NOTE: The initialization process requires the iPad to be connected to the server through a wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi), if you do not have a Wi-Fi connection, contact your System Administrator.

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I ndividually tap on the series of fields in the middle of the screen labeled Username, Password, and Group and use the iPad keyboard to type in your information.

A pop-up box will let you know when the initialization process completes and has succeeded.

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Logging In

Once the App has opened and been initialized, you will only be prompted to enter your

Username and Password from that point forward, if you do not know your Username and Password, contact your System Administrator.

To save your Username on this iPad, tap the Remember My Usernome checkbox. For added security, the iPad will not save your Password. You will have to re-enter it each time you log in to the TOWER App.

Opening Screen

Once you have logged in to the TOWER App, the opening screen wiil include four options:

* Logout

* App Settings

* Synchronize with System

* Start Observation

NOTE: The first time you use the App, you will have to Synchronize with System before you will be able to start any Observations. Therefore, the Start Observation button will not appear on your screen until after you have Synchronized with System for the first time.

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Tap the gray Logout button, located in the top left corner of the screen, to sign out and return to the Log In screen.

Tap the Settings icon

, located in the top right corner of your screen, to access App

Settings. The App Settings will be used to expand user preference settings over time. As of Version 2.3 of the TOWER Mobile App, the App Settings allow you to select whether you want the Start Observation screen to load in the "Educator List" mode or the "Schedule" mode. See the

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Observations and Walkthoughs section of this document starting on page 10 for further information about these two modes.

Synchronize with System

Tap the orange Synchronize with System button to download new Observation or Walkthrough assignments and to upload the data you have already collected. For more information about synchronization, see page 7 of this document.

Start Ohservation

Tap the orange Start Observation button to start or continue an Observation or Walkthrough. For more information, see page 10 of this document.

Initial Sync

Syncing is the process by which data and information are exchanged between your iPad and the administration server. During sync, the appropriate data is pushed from the iPad to the server while other data is pulled from the server back down to the IPad. When you open the App for the first time, you will be prompted to do an initial sync.

NOTE: The sync process requires the iPad to connect to the server through a wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi). If you do not have a Wi-Fi connection, contact your System Administrator.

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Tap the OK button.

Syncing will only take a few seconds. The blue pop-up box will keep you updated on the status of the sync process. When synchronization is complete, tap the OK button.

if your sync was not successful, make sure your iPad is connected to the Internet and try again, if it is still not successful, check with your System Administrator.

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Ongoing Sync

When you sync an iPad with the server, the device is updated with information that is applicable to all users assigned to that particular iPad. This information includes:

* Downloading any new usemames and passwords assigned to the device

* Downloading any current assignments to be completed on the device

o If an assignment is rescheduled on the website, the change will be reconciled on the IPad during the next sync.

® Uploading to the website any Observation or Walkthrough data or other data that has been changed (using the device) since the last sync

* Downloading to the device any data concerning a completed Observation or

Walkthrough that has been edited (using the website) since the last sync

During active Observation periods, you will sync at the beginning and end of each Observation day. If there are multiple users using the same iPad, each user must sync before and after using the TOWER App.

NOTE: Multiple users can share the same iPad. Once you have been assigned an iPad, you must continue to use the same device throughout ail your observations.

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Observations and Wa!kthoiighs

Getting Started

To begin an Observation or Walkthrough, tap the orange Start Observation button.

if this is the first time you have used the TOWER App, you will be prompted to allow the App to use your current location. Tap OK. The TOWER App requires your current location to allow for proper syncing in the different time zones and geo-location tracking.

Initial Screen View— "Educator List" or "My Schedule"

The Start Observation screen will initially display either the Educator List or the My Schedule page, depending upon your App Settings (see page 7 for details). If you did not use the App Settings button to set your preference, the Educator List (below) will be shown by default. To learn how to use the Educator List to work with Observations, go to page 12.

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To switch from the Educator List to the My Schedule screen, tap the My Schedule button located in the top right corner of the screen. The My Schedule screen is shown below.

To learn how to use the My Schedule screen, go to page 14.

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Educator List

On the Educator List screen, the educators who have been assigned to you wiii be listed on the left side of the screen. To select an educator, tap his or her name. To return to the Main menu, tap the Main button located in the top left corner of the screen.

Visit List

Once you have selected an educator, his or her Visit list will load. The Visit list will be organized by Rubric. ("EXAMPLE Instructional Rubric" is the Rubric name in the example below.)

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As demonstrated in the screen shot above, you can either select a visit that has been pre- assigned to you or you can start an unscheduled visit.

® Pre-Assigned Visits— will be labeled with a date and time.

o if a pre-assigned visit is rescheduled on the website, the change will be reconciled on the iPad during the next sync.

® Unscheduled Visits— can be started by tapping the cell labeled Start Unscheduled Visit. A pop-up box will appear (as shown below). Use it to specify whether this visit is announced or una nnounced.

o Tap the first button if this visit is UNANNOUNCED,

o Tap the second button if this visit is AN NOUNCED,

o Tap the third button if you no longer want to start this visit.

The Visit list displays the title given to each visit (if any), the date it should take place, and its status. There are four potential statuses:

• Not Started— you have not begun working on the observation.

• I n Progress— you have started the observation but you have not completed it.

® Mobile Completed—you have finished the observation.

® Overdue— the due date for the visit has passed.

To start or continue your work on a particular visit, tap on the box containing the date and status.

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My Schedule

The My Schedule screen shows your scheduled and in-progress Visits sorted by Educator name and date. Each Visit's date and time, Educator name, school, status, and Rubric is listed. You can continue working on any Visit listed on the screen by tapping the corresponding box.

The My Schedule screen can also list Visits you have marked "Mobile Completed". (For more information about marking a Visit "Mobile Completed", see page 34.) To show these Visits, sik the toggle switch at the top of the page from OFF to ON.

Show Mobile Completed V:sil:|

The updated schedule will include any Visits you have marked "Mobile Completed". You ca n view the records of such visits, but you cannot make any changes from your IPad,

You can return to the Educator List by tapping the Educator List button in the top right corner.

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Scripting

After you select an observation, your iPad will display the Scripting page, This page is used to take notes during the Observation. Each individual note is known as a "scripting block". Later, you will associate each scripting block with one or more Indicators (e.g., Planning: Instructional Materials, Learning Environment: Culture of Respect, Instruction Strategies: Lecturing, etc.) in a process called "Matching".

At an time, you may tap Cancel (located in the top left corner of the screen) to discard your notes and return to the Visits list.

The Scripting page includes a stopwatch functionality to assist you in timing your Observation. To start the sto watch, tap the Start button located to the left of the timer.

You can stop or reset the stopwatch as needed. Once the clock is running, the Start button changes to Stop. Tap Stop to stop the clock for as long as you need.

Tap Start to start the clock again, from the time at which you tapped Stop. For example, if you stop the clock at 00:34, then it will proceed to 00:35 when you start it up again.

C hrnrnm I I 00:34 ) le

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To reset the clock tap the Reset button. The clock will reset to 00:00.

Ta Start again to restart the clock (and it will proceed to 00:01).

Tap the plus sign located on the right side of the screen to add a scripting block.

Your new scripting block is labeled with the time at which you created it. The time elapsed (since you last started the timer) is also included in parentheses.

Use the iPad keyboard to type in your notes. To save on typing time, shortcut buttons for the words "class", "teacher", and "student" are located at the top of the keyboard.

When you are ready to start a new scripting block, tap the plus sign again. Your current scripting block will be saved automatically. (You do not have to tap the Save button.)

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Deleting a Scripting Block

If you need to delete a scripting block, tap the red button. A red Delete button will appear. Tap it to delete the scripting block.

Continue to tap the plus sign each time you want to add a new scripting block. In the example below, four scripting blocks have been created.

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When you have finished scripting, tap the blue Save button in the top right corner

screen. A pop-up box will give you three options.

* Save Only— select this option if you are not ready to proceed to Matching, but you

would like to save your work on these scripting blocks to return to at a later time. (All the scripting blocks you have added, including the most recent, will be saved.)

* Save & Continue— select this option if you are finished Scripting and you are ready to proceed to Matching. All your scripting blocks will be saved; you will not be able to return to the Scripting page after you move forward to Matching page .

® Cancel— select this option to return to Scripting. Your most recent scripting block will be lost/deleted (since it is the action of adding a new scripting block that saves the most recent one). If you do not wish to lose your work, select save only and then reopen the observation.

Tap the second option. Save & Continue, to proceed to the next step in the Observation:

Matching.

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Matching

You will use the Matching screen to associate each of the scripting blocks you created with one or more Indicators. There are two different views of this screen: Block View and Summary View. The Block View is the default/initial view (shown below). The Block View allows you to match your scripting blocks (listed on the left side of the screen) with the Indicators (listed on the right- side of the screen).

To switch to the Summary View, tap the orange button labeled Summory View located near the top of the screen (circled above).

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The Summary View is shown below.

I n Summary View, you can see the list of I ndicators you have not yet matched to scripting blocks. You can scroll through the text on the left side of the screen. The full text of each scripting block is included. As you match scripting blocks with I ndicators, the Summary View wi be updated to show your progress.

To return to Block View, tap the orange Block View button located near the top of the screen.

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Reviewing a Scripting Block (from Block View)

If you need to review the full text of a scripting block (while your screen is in Block View), tap the blue arrow located to the right of the scripting block text.

A ρορ-up box will display the full content of the block.

Scripting text created at 6:30 P (00:06)

Lesson started promptty.

Tap the blue Done button to close the pop-up box. Matching a Scripting Block to an Indicator

To match a scripting block with an indicator, first tap the scripting block, it will be highlighted in blue. Then tap the corresponding Indicator. A green checkmark will appear, signifying that the indicator has been selected.

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Tap the Apply button located at the bottom of the screen to match the scripting block with the i ndicator. The Indicator will be highlighted in orange after the match has been applied. Also, an icon will appear on the left side of the screen for each scripting block that has been matched.

NOTE: You can scroll through the Indicators using your touch screen to "drag" the list up/down

If you were to switch to Summary View at this point (by tapping the orange Summary View button), you would see the following:

The Summary View has been updated to include the i ndicator that you matched to the first scripting block. It has been removed from the list of "Indicators OT observed". It is now listed underneath the scripting block text, as shown above.

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Matching Multiple Scripting Blocks to a Single Indicator

it is possible to match multiple scripting blocks with a single I ndicator. Start by matching a scripting block with an Indicator (as shown in the image above). Tap Apply,

Then select another scripting block, ta p the same I ndicator you matched with the previous scripting block, and tap Apply again.

Continue in a similar manner if you need to apply more than two scripting blocks to a single I ndicator.

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Matching a Single Scripting Block to Multiple Indicators

You can match also one scripting block to multiple I ndicators. Tap the scripting block. Then tap each I ndicator you want to match with it. Green checkmarks will appear on each Indicator you select.

Tap Apply to match the indicators with the scripting block.

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Saving your Work and Continuing to Scoring

Continue to match scripting blocks with indicators until all your scripting blocks are matched.

if you want to see which scripting block(s) are assigned to an indicator, tap the blue arrow located to the right of the Indicator name. The list of scripting blocks matched with the selected indicator will be displayed in a pop-up box.

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If you tap the orange Summary View button at this point, the following screen will be displayed

Scroll through the text on the left side of the screen to see the full text of all your scripting blocks and the Indicators you have matched with them.

When you have finished Matching, tap the blue Save button in the top right corner of the screen. A pop-up box will give you three options.

* Save Only— select this option if you are not ready to proceed to Scoring, but you would like to save your work thus far to return to at a later time.

® Save & Continue— select this option if you are finished Matching and you are ready to proceed to Scoring, You will not be able to return to Matching.

® Cancel— select this option to return to Matching.

Select the second option, Save & Continue, to proceed to Scoring.

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Scoring

To complete the Scoring process, you will use the scripting blocks that you have created and matched to assign scores in the various Indicators to the educator you have been observing. The Scoring page is organized in a grid, with each box of the grid containing an Indicator.

EXAMPLE Instructional Rubric

Educator Grade Subject Date Time

C!arissa Aft j. ^, 7/21/1 1 2:26 PM

Learning E'w tO'imont Instructor: Asiossireoi Protessionnflsrtv s Section! S:_Seclion2 s_Sectlon3 s_Section4 s Sections

1. instructions! 1. Lecturing j 1. Formative , Receptive to

Materials Feedback

St. Fsi!jws Lesson Pian 2. Technology Integration 2 Group Learning 2. Immediate ! 2. Off-Task

Feedback

3-, USBSTfms W fy ; 3. Sitting at Desk 3. Expectations 3. Variety 3, Organization

Stated

Please select one of the ce!!s above to view its details.

The boxes that are highlighted in orange contain the Indicators to which you have matched scripting blocks.

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Rubric Title; Viewing ail Scripting Blocks and Adding Overall Notes

To view all the scripting blocks you have created for this Observation, tap the Rubric title located at the top of the page. A blue box will appear around the title to indicate that you have selected it. Tap the box labeled Notes in the bottom right corner of the page.

A pop~up box will display your scripting blocks (on the left). You can use your iPad touch screen to scroll through the scripting blocks.

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To add overall notes to this Observation, tap the empty box located to the right. Use your iPad keyboard to enter your notes.

When you have finished adding your notes, tap the blue Save button located to the right. (Or tap the Cancel button on the left if you did not add any notes or do not want to save. Your scripting blocks will be unaffected.)

Adding "Grade" and "Subject"

To get started, fill in the Grade and Subject you have been observing. Tap the blank box under the word "Grade". Then use the iPad keyboard to fill in the Grade level. Do the same for the Subject.

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Domain Titles; Viewing Additional Information (Select Rubrics Only)

For select Rubrics, you can see additional information about a Domain by tapping the orange button marked with an ellipsis (...) that appears when you tap the Domain title located in the top row of the grid. (If no such orange button appears on your page, then further Domain information is not available.)

The information will appear in a pop-up box. Use the iPad's touch screen to scroll through the text. When you are finished, tap the blue Done button in the top right corner of the window.

Selecting an Indicator

Next, you can begin scoring the various indicators on the grid. Tap the appropriately labeled box in the grid to work with a particular I ndicator.

When you tap on a box, it is outlined in blue to indicate that you are working with it.

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The Observed Checkbox

If you select an Indicator to which you have matched scripting blocks, the Observed checkbox will be pre-checked (because the App knows that you observed this indicator).

If you select an Indicator that you have not already matched scripting blocks to, you can manually tap the Observed checkbox to add a checkmark.

Viewing Scripting Blocks and/or Adding Notes

To view the scripting blocks you matched with an I ndicator and/or to add further notes, tap the box labeled Notes located in the bottom right corner.

A ρορ-up box will display your scripting blocks and provide you with a space to add more notes. Use your IPad keyboard to type any additional notes for this I ndicator.

When you have finished using the Notes section, ta p the blue Save button located in the top right corner of the box. (Tap the Cancel button located to the left if you do not want to save the notes you just entered.)

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Score Descriptions (Select Rubrics Only)

For select Rubrics, you can see descriptions of the scores by tapping the orange button marked with an ellipsis {...). (If there is no such orange button on your page, then score descriptions are not available.)

The descriptions of the scores will appear in a pop-up box. Use the iPad's touch screen to scroll through the text. When you are finished, tap the blue Done button in the top right corner of the window.

Scoring an Indicator

Select a score for an Indicator by tapping on the appropriate checkbox. The score you select ("3" in the example below) will appear in the lower left corner of the box.

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Score the other indicators in the same manner. You may add scores to Indicators that you have not previously matched with scripting blocks. Simply tap on the box in the grid and proceed as described above. Once you add a score to any Indicator, its box on the grid will be highlighted in orange and the score number will appear in the lower left corner. Any Indicator you score that was not previously matched with scripting blocks will have an asterisk {*) next to the score number, as shown below.

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Saving Your Work and Completing the Observation

When you have finished Scoring, tap the blue Save button in the top right corner of the screen. A pop-up box will present you with three options.

* Save and Continue Editing— Tap this option to save your most current changes and

return to the Scoring grid to continue working.

® Save as Mobile Completed—Tap this option if you have finished with this Observation.

You will not be able to edit this Observation on the iPad once it has been saved as completed. (After you have synced the iPad, you can modify the Scoring on the administrative website up until the entire Observation is finalized.)

• Cancel and Return to Editing— Tap this option to return to the Observation form

without saving your most recent changes. if you are ready to complete the Observation, tap Save as Mobile Completed,

A confirmation box will remind you that you will not be able to return to this Observation form once it has been marked as completed.

NOTE: As mentioned above, you will be able to edit the Scoring on the administrative website after you have synced the iPad up until the entire Observation is fina lized.

Tap Yes if you are finished with this Observation. (Tap No to continue editing.) After you tap Yes, the screen will return to the Visit list for the educator you have been observing.

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Note that the status of the Observation you just finished has been changed to "Mobile

Completed".

At this point, you may work on another Observation for this educator or select another educator. If you have finished with the TOWER App for now, tap the Main button in the top left corner of the screen. You need to Synchronize with System before you exit the App. On the Home screen, tap the orange Synchronize with System button.

When the App is finished syncing, push the Home button on the front of the iPad to exit the App.

RAN DA Solutions Inc.

Claims

CLAIMS The invention claimed is:

1. A teacher observation and evaluation system for mobile devices, comprising:

(a) a data server for storing and delivering selected information, including teacher data, rubrics, and other educational data;

(b) an administration server connected to the data server for controlling access by users;

(c) one or more wireless mobile devices connected to the data server via a wireless connection, wherein each mobile device includes an observation and evaluation rubric; and

(e) wherein observation and evaluation data input onto the mobile device are synchronized to the data server.

2. A teacher observation and evaluation method for mobile devices, comprising:

(a) providing a data server for storing and delivering selected information, including teacher data, rubrics, and other educational data;

(b) providing an administration server connected to the data server for controlling access by users;

(c) providing one or more wireless mobile devices connected to the data server via a wireless connection, wherein each mobile device includes an observation and evaluation rubric;

(d) observing a teacher ln ci classroom setting and inputting into the mobile device observation and evaluation data related to the teacher's performance;

(e) synchronizing the observation and evaluation data with the data server; and (f) reporting the observation and evaluation data se1ected admini strative personne1.