Data, Data, Everywhere, but what the heck do we do with it?

 (Anonymous, 2012)

 What is "data"?  

After a fast Google search I came up with the following definition:

 But how does knowing what data is translate into becoming better teachers who run more efficient and successful classrooms?  How can we use data to improve our teaching?

     I think by now, my third post, it should be obvious that I believe in experiential teaching and learning.  It seems to me that to expect students to stick their noses in books and remember a whole bunch of facts and information that they have never used and can't see themselves using in the future is no way to capture and keep their attention, curiosity, and imaginations.  Without attention, curiosity, and imagination not a whole lot can be gained because as soon as the class is over, the information disappears.  This is sort of the case with all the data schools collect on students. (Please bear with me as I build my case)  

     Ever since No Child Left Behind (NCLB) the entire Educational system in the USA and everyone involved in any way with education has been compiling miles and miles of data on each and every child that has walked through the door.   The thing is, they never really bothered to teach the teachers how to make use of all that information in order to improve the student's educational experience.   What good is all that information if nobody ever uses it to our best advantage?

 (McCaan & Cohen-Kabaker, 2013)

      It is not enough to have the information, we must also know or have some idea about how to take those facts and figures and apply them, but who has access to this data and how are they using it? 

(Ed.gov, n.d.)

     All of this sounds nice, but it doesn't give us much to go on.  Teachers need to be proactive about data.  They should get as much information as they can about each student and then figure out how it applies to what they are doing in the classroom and what the goals for  each child are.  It may be that the goals completely change, particularly if the child has had a complicated history and is having a hard time in the class.  Researchers have shown important increases in student learning when teachers:

• Clearly define the purposes of each lesson that they teach; 
  
• Use lessons to collect evidence on how students learn; and 
  
• Use collected evidence and promptly re-direct students as needed.
  

 (Dwyer, n.d.)

     I suppose it seems easy to say, but what about in practice?  It's a little bit off topic, but I remember when I was a beverage manager way back in the 1980's.  We didn't have any Apps and fancy computer programs to keep track of all of our data.  Everything was done with a trusty pen or pencil and we created our own graphs and charts by drawing them.  I worked for a big, name-brand hotel and it was my first big job.  This job was an open canvas (as are most students), because the entire staff of the previous management had been fired and I was part of a brand new crew.  There were no systems in place and everything I did I sort of made up as I went along.  (Including learning how to make drinks believe it or not). My boss believed in my ability to think outside the box and to trouble shoot the problem and come up with viable and successful solutions.  I didn't know anything about "data" per say.  I did know that I needed to see what was wrong in order to fix it, so I went from the ground level up and counted everything, scrubbed down everything, and tore everything apart and reorganized it from swizzle sticks to the Grande Marnier I had my grubby little hands on it.  I made lots and lots of notes and then I wrote a few more and eventually, I came up with a plan.

     The first thing I did was develop a working copy of a system and a plan and I carted it all into my boss's office and laid it all on the line.  From there, she and I developed a way of managing things that worked--for both of us and everyone in between.   I would have really loved to have had Excel Spread Sheets and Power Point to make my presentation, because it took hours to draw out a fancy presentation that made me look smart and someone she could trust.  We actually had fun revamping her beverage department and if I had had one of the modern Point of Sale (POS) systems and Beverage Accounting systems like they have now, I am sure I could have done an even better job.  (Yes I do have a point to all of this).

     In the classrooms of today, the demands are so many, the classrooms are so full, and the data is so enormous that it seems like there is no way for a decent teacher to do much with it, however, I believe that there is no way a decent teacher can do without it.  We are speaking about the psychology, mindsets, learning styles, and the future successes of students all being tampered with by one "system" and a whole host of "educators".   The best way to do a good job is to have a solid knowledge of the students teachers are intending upon making a "difference" for.   They need to roll up their sleeves, dig into the pile and see what they come up with.  I highly suggest reading an article called "Three Ways Student Data Can Inform Your Teaching".  I don't have enough room to go into it all right here, but here is an excerpt of the second "way":

It's difficult to find the time to do it, but if you haven't before, trust me it's well worth it. Much information is found in a student's file. Just from trekking to the counseling office, sitting down with a cup of coffee after school and reading through files belonging to students I had deeper wonderings about beyond the data in hand, I've discovered over the years, to name a few, some of the following:

• A girl who often missed class was homeless
• Several students identified as gifted but inaccurately placed in my general education English class
• A boy struggling to fit in had recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia
• More than a dozen students who never wore eyeglasses in class (or contacts, I checked) had prescriptions

From a child's cumulative files you can sometimes see a dramatic grade change somewhere along the road during their school journey. Perhaps prior to eighth grade, the child was an A student, then from there, D's and F's. You can express this concern, sharing this data with them. Students may then share with you a reason: parents divorced, they moved to a new city/community. I had one student share that she just gave up on school when her dad went to prison.
You then have an opportunity to provide empathy, acknowledge their hardship, and then set some goals together for the child to improve academically.  (Alber, 2011)

Another suggestion I have is to be creative and be flexible.  Just as we are nothing like the random human sitting next to us at the DMV,  our students are each their very own little (or big) humans.  It's important that we don't come up with a style of teaching that fits our comfort levels and assume it is going to work for every student.  When something isn't working, it's time to go digging and we should always be willing to change and adapt to any situation.  A successful teacher should be daring and keep their own notes and data so we can sit in the office of our own boss's someday and make a logical case and prove why we are not only right, but have taken the time to care about the work and know what we are doing--and perhaps most importantly of all, can be trusted because as educators, we bothered to know what we are talking about.

     Teachers also need to know everything they can about the students individually so as to understand how best to capture their attention and hold it.  Remember the part in the beginning where I said, "Without attention, curiosity, and imagination not a whole lot can be gained because as soon as the class is over, the information disappears" ??  Understanding data and the needs of my boss was how I was successful at that job managing a bar when I didn't even know how to mix a drink.  I captured her attention and was able to hold it because I knew what she needed and could anticipate what she wanted and expected from me.  I knew what her department's shortfalls and limitations were and I had discovered the strengths and developed a workable plan.  With all the tools at our disposal and at the touch of a button, we really have no excuses not to go the extra mile.  Understanding students' needs and how to teach them is not about the collection of data or information about them, it's all in how you use it.  Their futures depend on it.

Victoria

 

(Image creator unknown) 

References:

Alber, R. (2011, Dec. 06). Three Ways Student Data Can inform Your Teaching. Edutopia. 
     Retrieved 
     from  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/using-student-data-inform-teaching-rebecca-alber

Anonymous. (2012, Oct. 30). Beyond Infographics: 12 ways to Visualize Data.  The kdmcinfo  
       weblog: UC Berkely Graduate School of Journalism. (Illustration #1). Retrieved from    
       http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/blog/2012/oct/30/beyond-infographics-12-ways-  
       visualize-data/

Dwyer, C. (n.d.).  Using Classroom Data to Improve Systematic Feedback to Students to Improve 
     Learning: The Sooner the Assessment the Better for Teacher and Student. American   
     Psychological Association.  Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/education/k12/classroom- 
     data.aspx

Ed.gov. (n.d.) Using data to Influence Classroom Decisions. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov
     /teachers/nclbguide/datadriven.pdf

McCaan, C.  & Cohen Kabaker, J. (2013). Promoting Data in the Classroom: Innovative State 
     Models and Missed Opportunities. New America Foundation: Education Policy Program.  
     Retrieved from http://education.newamerica.net/sites/newamerica.net/files/policydocs
     /Promoting%20Data_FINAL_FOR_RELEASE_0.pdf