The blog itself is very basic, since my instructional focus was to establish comfort posting observations and reflections for group view. My primary objective was to allow our teachers to spend time in each other's classrooms, providing opportunities for learning.
Observations and comments were categorized: Technology, Instructional Strategies, Classroom Environment, & Assessment.
Teachers were asked to spend at least 20 minutes in the classroom and to make contact with the teacher before observing. Teachers were also asked not to "force" the posting, since the activity was for professional growth, not as a "check-list" item.
In addition, we were able to connect this activity to the PDP's (Professional Development Plans for non-NC educators) of teachers in my Academy. We were able to create a SMART Goal directly aligned with the North Carolina Educator Evaluation System (NCEES):
