PBS KIDS OUT-OF-SCHOOL ADVENTURES

QUALITY FRAMEWORK AND MEASUREMENT TOOLKIT

Observation Guide This observation guide is intended to help public media stations’ staff and their partners gather information about how PBS KIDS-based projects are implemented in children’s out-of-school- time programs.

Each observation has four parts. Complete the first two before you observe, and the second two during or shortly following the observation. 1. Plan and prepare. 2. Answer prompts about the activity and context you will observe. 3. On a scale of 1–5, rate the degree to which you observe how children relate to one another and to the program staff, and program staff’s instructional strategies and use of PBS KIDS resources. 4. Complete a summary of your observation with recommendations for better supporting program staff and improving the use of PBS KIDS resources.

Part 1: Plan and prepare Work with the program staff to select a date and time for your observation. Be sure to visit when the staff plans to use PBS KIDS resources, and plan to observe the whole lesson/activity. Explain the purpose of your visit to program staff, emphasizing that you are not evaluating them. Rather, you hope to gather information that will help public media support program staff better and also help public media “tell the story” of how children use and respond to the resources. a. Read through this form carefully before your observation to familiarize yourself with what you will look for. b. Complete as much of Part 2 as you can before your observation.

1 Part 2: Description of activity and context Before your observation, complete as much of this section as possible. After your observation, you’ll need to revisit this section to add any further detail. a. Note the partner organization name, and the location, date, and time of your observation.

b. How many children are in the group you are observing? What is their age range?

c. Describe all staff present, and their roles. Is the level of adult supervision appropriate to the activity and age group?

d. What PBS KIDS activities will you observe? Describe the activities’ objectives, components, and the content and skill focus areas addressed (such as time-telling, vowel sounds, etc.).

e. Is the space conducive to all parts of the lesson/activity? Consider, for example, how chairs/tables are arranged, the lighting level, and support for technology use (outlets, wireless network access, types of technology present).

f. Describe the materials used in the lesson, including technology (hardware) and media resources. Are sufficient materials present for the lesson to go smoothly? Did any technology glitches occur during the lesson/activity? Is the facilitator comfortable using the materials as the lesson/activity intends?

2 Part 3: Rate the degree to which these indicators are present When you arrive, thank the facilitator for welcoming you! Give the facilitator time to introduce you and share with the children why you are visiting. Then be as unobtrusive as possible. If the children move around, for example to work in small groups, feel free to circulate.

After observing most or all of the lesson/activity, assign a number, from 1 (not present) to 5 (highly present and consistent) to each item below. Keep in mind what is developmentally appropriate for the ages of the children you are observing—making choices or taking responsibility will look quite different for 3-year-olds than for 8-year-olds!

Assign a 3 rating when an indicator is present in the activity. For example, if children are friendly to each other without going beyond casual, friendly interactions, the rating would be 3. If the friendliness is active, pervasive, and continuous, the rating would be a 5.

------1------2------3------4------5------Not Present Highly present or present, implicit consistent

Assigning a 1 is not necessarily negative. For example, if a given lesson does not include opportunities for collaboration, you may not see collaborative behavior.

Children’s interactions, participation, and skill development. Children … are collaborative. Children work together and share materials to accomplish tasks. use media/technology to enhance and support learning and to increase opportunities to interact with each other about learning. listen actively and attentively to peers and staff. Children appear interested in what others have to say. They look at peers and staff when they speak. contribute to discussions. Children express their ideas about content with staff and peers, and respond to questions. take leadership responsibility or roles. Children lead some part of the PBS KIDS activity or lead a small group. actively participate in their learning. Children learn by doing, rather than passively receiving information. have opportunities to make meaningful choices. Children choose what they do, how they do it, and in what order they do it. have opportunities to play and create. Children generate original or creative ideas using appropriate information and tools. They combine/apply their existing knowledge in new ways.

3 Staff interactions with children. OST program staff … encourage all children to participate in PBS KIDS activities, regardless of gender, race, language ability, or other differences among children. Staff try to engage children who appear isolated. encourage children to share their ideas and opinions about the PBS KIDS activity. Staff actively elicit children’s ideas and suggestions. attentively listen to and observe children. Staff look at children when they speak, and acknowledge their input verbally or nonverbally. They are interested in what children are saying and doing. show positive affect toward the children in verbal and non-verbal ways. They use positive language, and smile.

Instructional strategies and practices. OST program staff … give clear and appropriate instructions. Staff understand and are prepared to support children in the PBS KIDS activities. Instructions for activities are easy to follow. Children know what is expected of them. employ varied teaching strategies to engage children with different learning styles in the PBS KIDS activities. These strategies may include direct instruction, coaching, modeling, demonstrating, etc. demonstrate or model concepts or skills to further reinforce media content as necessary for children’s progress. Staff explain specific steps to follow in completing activity/tasks by showing how to do something or by giving examples in response to questions. give opportunities to practice skills needed to complete tasks or a progression of skills. ask complex questions. Staff ask children “why, how, what if” questions that require more than factual or yes/no answers. encourage children to develop and pose questions. Staff facilitate discussion among children about content, and help children to form questions and make predictions. Children engage in investigation or real-world problem-solving. address misunderstandings. Staff clarify issues that seem unclear to children, and use questions or other ways of determining what children know. use media/technology to enhance and support interactions with children. Media and technology help staff talk with children about learning. give constructive feedback to motivate children and encourage them to try more challenging tasks. challenge children in developmentally appropriate ways. Children can successfully participate at their own levels—not so difficult that they have trouble participating successfully, and not so easy that they get bored. assist children without taking control. Staff help children to understand a concept, complete an action, or use media or technology on their own.

4 Part 4: Summary and notes At the end of, or shortly following, your observation, write a short summary of what you observed. How is the use of PBS KIDS resources working in the program? What successes did you observe? Do you have any ideas about possible improvements or changes?

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