EPC 3403 HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

Teaching Online Observation and Reflection Task

One of the best ways to learn how to teach is to observe others. During these next two weeks, you have
an amazing opportunity to learn about online teaching and learning. During this TP experience, you will
observe lessons each week and complete observations and reflections that will become evidence of your
learning for your TP report.

When teaching online there are some basic elements of good teaching practice such as:

 Student/teaching interaction
 Effective Instruction
 Active and personalized learning
 Assessment
 Effective use of technology

Instructions:

 Use this observational form to observe the lessons. For each lesson you observe or assist with
please complete this reflection and observation sheet.
 Choose five of the questions in each domain to help with your observation and reflection.
 Keep the name of the teacher anonymous.

Observer Name: Latifa Awad Al Rashdi School: Al Rayaheen

Grade: Kg 1 Platform Used: Teams

Teacher/Student Interactions:

Did the class promote student interaction via discussions and/or collaborative assignments? Do
students actively participate? Did the teacher encourage students to introduce themselves to one
another informally and to post short bios and photos? Do students engage with one another Did the
teacher encourage all students to participate and ask open-ended questions to prompt engagement
and draw out shyer students? Did the teacher seem to express enthusiasm in engaging with students
and the content? Are the classroom dynamics respectful?  Do the students interact well with each
other?  Is the teacher open and responsive to questions?  

Answers:

1- Do students actively participate?

The teacher uses a program with a whiteboard for each student. When she completes the
explanation, she asks them to participate in the program. For example, teacher teach a lesson
about the letter D and then asks students to write the letter in the whiteboard and the
teacher notice their answer. Also, when teaching teach them a new number, she asks them to
write the number in the whiteboard, to make sure that all the students can write the number.
EPC 3403 HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

2- Did the teacher encourage students to introduce themselves to one another informally and
to post short bios and photos?

At the end of the class, the teacher shows some students' journals. Each class teacher selects
a number of students and displays their journals and allows the student to explain what is in
his journals and on the basis of what students write in his journal’s teacher gives the student
stars. For example, if the students writes their name, the teacher gives them a star, if
students writes the date, she gives them two stars, if students draws a picture , she gives
them three stars, and if students writes a sentence explaining what they drew, she gives four
stars. This method motivates students to introduce themselves and encourages them to
speak in front of the students.

3- Did the teacher seem to express enthusiasm in engaging with students and the content?

The teacher uses tools that sensitize the students with her enthusiasm and interact with
them. For example, a bell and musical instruments. If the students answer a correct answer,
she rang the bell and, she writes the names of the students who interacted with her in the
class and give them point in LMS.

4- Do the students interact well with each other?

Interacting via online learning is difficult because students cannot see others and interact very
little during the class. In this session, the students do not interact with each other, and each
student answers the question that is asked for him, and when it ends, they will close the
microphone. There is no discussion and activities between students, everything is individual.

5- Do students actively participate?

When the class ends, the teacher tells the students to open the camera and microphone and
share what they have. For example, if the color of the week is pink, all students bring things
that are pink and share them with the teacher, as well as numbers and letters. Any activity
that the student did, the teacher allow him to share it at the end of the lesson.

Effective Instruction:
What were the learning objectives of the lesson? Did the teacher present clear objectives or plans for
the lesson? How clearly did the teacher communicate the objectives or plans to the students? How
EPC 3403 HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

the instructor carry out the objectives? Did the teacher use various presentation formats (i.e., text,
graphics, digital slides, video), to appeal to different student learning styles and abilities? Does the
teacher approach difficult concepts in a variety of ways: e.g., written English explanations, ASL
explanations, use of photos, animation, graphs or charts? Did the teacher model or explain different
concepts? Was there a clear connection/relationship between the objectives, content and the
material? 

Answer:

1- What were the learning objectives of the lesson?

- Explain the importance of water, air, light, and in the plants.

2- Did the teacher present clear objectives or plans for the lesson?

At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher presents the learning outcomes to the students,
and she often integrate two subjects, science and math. Then she divided the class is into two
parts, the first part for math learning outcome and she explain the concept, the second part
for the science subject. this helps the students to understand the learning outcomes clearly
and at the end of the lesson she does an activity that integrate the two subjects together.

3- How the instructor carry out the objectives?

The teacher presents the learning outcomes for the students so that they are aware of what
they will learn in this class. Often the teacher integrate two subjects into one class, and in
order for the learning outcomes to be clear to the students, the teacher divides the learning
outcome into two parts, the first part for the first subject and the second part for the second
subject, and at the end teacher integrate two subjects into one activity. In my opinion, this
method helps the students to understand each learning outcome well and helps the teacher
to divide and mange her class well, this will help teacher explained all the learning outcomes.

4- Did the teacher use various presentation formats (i.e., text, graphics, digital slides, video),
to appeal to different student learning styles and abilities?

Yes, the teacher presented the lesson in different ways. First, she used pictures to show what
the plant needs, and this helps visual students understand the lesson. Then she used simple
sentences and used sight words in these sentences and explained through it what the plant
needs. The teacher also used videos showing her image wearing farmer clothes to explaining
what the plant needs. This method is good because it helps students to interact and
communicate with the teacher.

5- Was there a clear connection/relationship between the objectives, content and the
material?
 EPC 3403 HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

Yes, the teacher used her picture in videos to help students understand the farmer's job and
what he needs, such as wearing gloves, a suit and a hat, this helps the students to understand
the topic visually and realistically. The teacher also links the community and the environment
with learning outcomes. For example, she displays some local plants in the UAE.

Active and Personalized Learning:

1. Active Online Learning: Are students actively signing, writing, typing or utilizing other forms
of self-expression? Did students have opportunities to gather information, synthesize, analyze and
solve problems? Were students engaged in collaborative learning activities?  Are there paired and
small group activities?
2. Reflection: Are students participating in reflection on learning or outcomes?
3. Differentiation: Is there differentiation in the lesson or lessons? Are there some flexibility in
completing assignments in different formats or independence in picking a topic?  

Active Online Learning:

Active Online Learning:

- Are students actively signing, writing, typing or utilizing other forms of self-expression?

The teacher uses a program with a whiteboard for each student. When she completes the
explanation, she asks them to participate in the program. This helps the students to express
themselves and show what they have learned during the lesson also, helps the teacher to
make sure that the students understand and be like the evaluation for them.

- Are there paired and small group activities?

There is no cooperation between students because of online learning, all activities are
individual. But she allows students to share what they have at the end of the class, for
example, she allows students to share things that are pink because the color of the week is
pink.

Reflection:

- Are students participating in reflection on learning or outcomes?

The students are not involved in the reflection, the teacher often does everything and the
students just apply what the teacher wants.

Differentiation:

- Is there differentiation in the lesson or lessons?

Yes, there is a differentiation in the lesson. The teacher uses several methods to explain
information, such as, pictures, writing, or videos. This supports different learning styles.

- Are there some flexibility in completing assignments in different formats or independence

There is no flexibility in choosing the topic of the lesson or even choosing a theme. The
teacher sends to the students a week’s plan explaining all the lessons, activities and the
theme

Assessment:
Were there examples of the assignments provided for the students?  Were students clear on what is
expected from them? What formative assessment was done in the lesson? Were there opportunities
for informal feedback that does not involve grading? (e.g. class discussion, paired feedback, small
group draft presentation). Were there opportunities for students to provide feedback for the teacher
and course throughout the semester?  Does the teacher ask questions and survey students for
feedback? Was there feedback provided to students?

Answer:

- Were there examples of the assignments provided for the students?

Yes, the teacher presents a clear example of assignment to students and explains it to them
before she finishes the lesson and asks them to hand it in LMS.

- Were students clear on what is expected from them?

Yes, it is clear because the teacher provides a clear example for the students and explains to
them what they should do with the illustrations.

- Were there opportunities for students to provide feedback for the teacher and course
throughout the semester?

There are no opportunities for students to choose a course. But the teacher holds a meeting
for the parents to present their suggestions and feedback.

- Were there opportunities for informal feedback that does not involve grading? (e.g. class
discussion, paired feedback, small group draft presentation).

Yes, the teacher displays journals to students and allows them to explain what they drew,
wrote, and what colors they were used in. This helps students introduce themselves and
improve their language.
EPC 3403 HIGHER COLLEGES OF TECHNOLOGY

- Was there feedback provided to students?

Yes, the teacher provides notes to students during the lesson if they cannot know the answer
and tries to correct their answer in a good way. For example, if the student cannot know what
day it is, she shows him the calendar and tries to help him figure out the day.

Use of technology:
What technology or platform is being used? What special features does it have? How did the teacher
use the technology to teach? How did the technology support student learning? Were there any
challenges experienced by the teacher or student?

Answer:

- What technology or platform is being used?

They use teams to present the lessons and LMS to hands the homework.

- What special features does it have?

Advantages of students in teams, students can open the camera and microphone, as well as
write in the writing box, also raise the hand to participate. In addition, the advantages of the
teacher, she can easily share the lessons and move from one application to another easily as
well.

- What special features does it have?

Advantages of LMS students can share their homework and teacher can put points for the
students.

- How did the technology support student learning?

Help students attend it as if they were in the classroom so they can easily see all the lessons.
Also, it helps to interact, listen to videos and songs, and also see pictures. This helps students
understand the lessons easily as if they were in the classroom

- Were there any challenges experienced by the teacher or student?

There are some challenges, is that the teacher cannot use the  hands on activities for the
students unless she asks the parents to prepare the activities and, some parents do not
cooperate with the teacher. Also, there are some programs that are difficult for students to
enter because they are kindergarten students and they should be adult with them.