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March 05, 2012
Introducing TAP's new app...tapObserver!
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The National Institute for Excellence in Teaching (NIET) is pleased to announce its new TAP app — tapObserver — available in iTunes for iPad.
The tapObserver app enhances the TAP system evaluation process by helping evaluators (principals, master and mentor teachers) more efficiently and accurately collect evidence during a classroom observation. It is a powerful tool for providing evaluation feedback and support more quickly and thoroughly to improve teacher practice.
Here’s what you can do with tapObserver:
- Script faster and more precisely by typing directly into your iPad;
- Capture photos and videos;
- Create time stamps to help track lesson pacing;
- Categorize relevant evidence from your scripting notes by TAP rubric indicator;
- Generate an evidence collection template that is automatically populated with your categorized evidence;
- Assign a score of 1-5 on the TAP rubric; and
- Export the completed evidence collection and scores into an HTML file for easy emailing.
TapObserver is available for a one-time fee of $49.99.
To purchase tapObserver, go to http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tapobserver/id500263820?mt=8.
The latest addition to NIET's innovative Web-based resources, tapObserver is the first in a series of apps designed to help TAP educators streamline their tasks.
Technical requirements:
- You must update to the iOS 5 mobile operating system to run tapObserver on your iPad. For assistance downloading iOS 5, visit www.apple.com.
- While supported on iPad 1, you need to use the iPad 2 to benefit from tapObserver’s picture and video technology.
To learn more about TAP and its online tools and resources, visit www.tapsystem.org.
Erik Hanushek, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University
"The evaluation of TAP schools clearly shows that teachers in the program are significantly better than the average teacher in regular public schools. More TAP teachers are above average in terms of student achievement gains. Fewer are far below. This finding is very notable given the importance of teachers to student achievement."