1. PATHWISE CLASSROOM OBSERVATION SYSTEM
DOMAIN A: ORGANIZING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE FOR STUDENT LEARNING
Pass out handouts.
Quickly review what PATHWISE is and overview of the four domains. This is a system to observe and evaluate teachers. Suggestions will be offered to improve instruction and student learning.
Today you will be getting information about the four domains. I will cover domain A. I will define domain A, share evidences that can be collected to address this domain, and go through each of the five criteria that are a part of domain A. I will give examples of what evaluators are looking for under each criterion and suggestions of what you can do to show you have met each of these criteria. I will end with a few suggestions for you as you create your teacher education portfolio.

2. Domain A
Knowledge of the content to be taught underlies all aspects of good instruction.
Teachers must use their understanding of students and subject matter to decide on learning goals; to design appropriate activities and materials; to sequence instruction and design or select evaluative strategies.

3. Primary Sources of Evidence for Domain A
Class Profile
Instruction Profile
Preobservation Interview

4. Criteria for Domain A
A1. Becoming familiar with relevant aspects of student’s background knowledge and experiences.
A2. Articulating clear learning goals for the lesson that are appropriate to the students.
A3. Demonstrating an understanding of the connections between the content learned previously, currently, and in the future.

5. Criteria for Domain A [cont.]
A4. Creating or selecting teaching methods, learning activities, and instructional materials or other resources that are appropriate to the students and aligned with goals of the lesson.
A5. Creating or selecting evaluation strategies that are appropriate for the students and that are aligned with goals of the lesson.

6. Criterion A1 Pretesting Class Discussion Observation Home visits
Prior knowledge of subject
Skills
Motivation to learn
Developmental level
Cultural Experiences
Diversity
Beliefs & Values
Number of Students
Pretesting
Class Discussion
Observation
Home visits
Communicating with parents/students
Involved with students outside of cla

7. Criterion A2 Lesson objectives or learning outcomes
Distinguish goals from activities
Knowledge, concepts, facts, values
Rationale for objectives
Modifications
Objectives visually displayed
Lesson Plan
Plan for individualizing instruction
Articulation of clear learning outcomes

8. Criterion A3 Sequence content across lesson
Relate to content to past, present, future
Fit current lesson with the broad scope of the discipline
Prerequisite learning
Connection of content to past and future lesson-unit plan.
Set and Closure of lesson plan.
Chart of skills/concepts
Curriculum guides

9. Criteria A4 Foster student involvement Variety of methods
Grouping for instruction
Materials & resources
Appropriate
Alignment
Instruction Profile
Lesson plan
Grouping of Students
Strategies utilized
Connection of goals, methods, activities, materials and evaluation.

10. Criterion A5 Alignment with objectives Appropriate & systematic
Variety of assessments
Provides information about learning
Tests
Self evaluation
Peer evaluation
Anecdotal records
Portfolios
Products
Video-audio-taping
Checklists

11. Your Portfolio
DOCUMENT-Create a system/checklist to show you are addressing each criteria in the four domains.
WORK SAMPLES – Include as many performance based evidences as possible. [I did this, not my teacher.]
ORGANIZATION – Less is more – Be selective in your portfolio work samples.

12. Reflections in your Portfolio
A short paragraph to explain “why I chose this evidence for this criteria” would be beneficial to include.