Creating an observation
Starting an observation
Go to the observe tab at the top navigation.
Select "Observations" subtab.
If you're coaching select the "Observing" option.
Press the blue "New Observation" button.
Adding Observation details
Add observation title.
Upload observation video if you have one.
Select the teacher you're observing.
Add the teacher's subject and grade the observation is for.
Modify the observation date if needed.
Add observation description. There is a basic text editor that can be used as needed. You can also insert screen shots here by coping and pasting them in this area.
Upload attachments and link to other websites here.
Observee permissions
This is the list of teachers you're observing.
You can add more observee (teachers) here.
You can modify observee permissions here. They have the following permissions:
Can View: They can view the observation (including observation video), but can not make changes to the observation. The observee can read and reply to comments.
Can Observe: Can do everything that the "View" permission can do. In addition the user can leave comments and release the observation.
Can Edit: This permission allows the user to change any details in the observation. They can not change the permission of people added to the observation.
Before sharing feedback, confirm that the person being observed is listed as an observee. Including their name in the observation title or description does not add them to the observation.
Capturing on mobile
Coaches can use their mobile devices like phones and tablets to capture the observee in action. They can upload images through the feedback tab. Here's how:
Feedback
Go to the "Feedback" tab on the right side of the page.
Add your comment in the text editor. There is basic functionality like lists, headers, links, and image upload.
See a list of comments made
Any comment made while the upload video is playing will leave a time stamp on the comment. This is helpful to show the observee exactly what is being referenced.
On hover, any comment that you've made can be edited or removed.
Any comment can be replied to by hovering over the comment and pressing the "Reply" button.
Uploaded images will display under the feedback comment.
Rubric
To streamline coaching Rubrics can be used. They can be attached to an observation in the Rubric tab.
If you are filling out a form, click Complete when you have finished. Completing the form and releasing observation feedback are separate steps. See “Releasing observation feedback” below before you finish.
Files
Go to the "Files" tab in the right pane.
Files can be dragged to the blue area or the blue area can be clicked to browse the file to upload. Users can also link to other webpages as needed.
Once an file is uploaded or a webpage is linked it will show in this list. Users can remove these items by pressing the garbage can icon or preview the item by pressing the eye icon.
Enrich
Go to the "Enrich" tab.
Select the "Recommend Course" button. Here you can browse available courses and recommend any to the observee.
Any recommended courses will show in this list.
Releasing an observation
Adding feedback and releasing it are separate steps. Your comments, rubric feedback and forms may be saved in the observation without being visible to the observee yet.
Before releasing:
Confirm that the correct person is listed as an observee.
Review the comments, rubric feedback and forms you want to share.
Complete any forms you are ready to share. Completing a form does not replace the observation’s Release step.
When you are ready to share, click Release. In the release window, turn on Notify Observees if you would like them to receive a notification, then confirm the release.
Releasing makes the feedback available to the observee. Notify Observees sends an alert letting them know it is ready. If you release without requesting a notification, they can still open the observation and view the released feedback.
If for some reason you need to undo the release you can make the observation private again by pressing the "Private" button.
Troubleshooting: The observee cannot find their feedback
If someone says they have not received feedback, check the following:
Are they listed as an observee? Check the observation’s observee list, not just its title or description.
Has the feedback been released? Saving comments or completing a form does not automatically release the observation feedback.
Was a notification requested? Released feedback and a notification are separate. Not receiving an alert does not necessarily mean the feedback is unavailable.
Are they looking in the right place? Ask them to open the observation. Written comments are in Feedback. Rubric feedback and attached forms are in Rubrics; they may need to open the relevant item to view its contents.
If the feedback is released and they are listed correctly but still cannot access it, contact support with the observation title and a brief description of what they see.