a.

Video Case Studies Project

b. Video Case Study #60 (Part 7 of 8) Role-Playing Enlightenment Thinkers to
Understand Politics in 18th Century Europe
c. Ryan Thompson
d. EDCI 5260 Fall 2015
e. No paid teaching, co-teaching or paraprofessional experience.
f. Domain One Planning and Preparation
i. Domain Rating
a.) Effective: Proficient
ii. Evidence of Rating
1. The outcomes are balanced and reflect important learning in World
History, and it is clear that the students understand these outcomes.
From 0:01-9:55, the students roleplay various characters in 18th
century Enlightenment times (e.g. the first student on the teachers
right is Voltaire). Roleplay as an outcome is very effective for
World History because not only is the subject far removed with
regard to time, but also to place; for American students. When
these students immersed themselves in the time period and debated
issues that were important in past times, their factual and
conceptual foundational knowledge; communication skills; and
conceptual understanding were all on display. For instance, the
debate about slavery beginning at 7:00 illustrates that students
conceptually understood that people in past times truly believed
slavery was necessary and proper, although no sane person would
argue that today.
2. The Roleplay outcome is suitable for diverse learners because it
allows students appropriate latitude to express themselves as they
please in the classroom, while still keeping true to the Zeitgeists of
past times. In this particular classroom, there is explicit evidence
that the outcomes are race appropriate. From 4:43 to 5:28, two
African American females chime in on to what extent they believe
government is a good thing or a bad thing. The first student
postulates that government is good because it tends to enforce age
old moral codes. The second student argues that government is
good so long as power is not abused. Each student reached her
respective conclusion by making connections between the past and
the modern day and searching for common threads. Roleplay
makes this possible.
g. Domain Two The Classroom Environment
i. Domain Rating
1. Effective: Emerging
ii. Evidence of Rating
1. This class does not appear to run itself. Even though the students
are engaging in active learning, the teacher appears to direct the
class throughout (0:00-15:14). Additionally, although the one
classroom transition in this classroom is accomplished, its

execution is turbulent. At 10:00, the teacher abruptly stops taking

student input and informs the students that the roleplay activity is
finished and that they can return to their normal selves. The
students become rowdy after the teachers pronouncement, and
almost a full minute passes before the students are calmed down
enough for the teacher to explain the parameters of the next class
activity.
2. Materials and supplies are managed well in this classroom.
According to the teachers own lesson synopsis, I gave each
group a guide to help them organize their research areas including
background information, philosophical beliefs and also their
character's viewpoint on important issues of the time period. I also
suggested some starting internet resources, although they were
encouraged to find their own sources online (NBPTS 2015).
Students often used this information while they participated in the
class discussion. For instance, at 4:00 the female student acting as
Catherine the Great reads a verbatim quote from the monarch
herself to advance the argument that monarchs should exercise
more authority over their subjects than the subjects themselves
would probably prefer.
h. Domain Three Instruction
i. Domain Rating
1. Effective: Emerging
ii. Evidence of Rating
1. The COMPASS Rubric values effective grouping of students for
purposes of instruction. The teacher took great care to make sure
the students were grouped according to ability and need; and in
cohesion with the classroom activity. According to the teachers
lesson synopsis,
I grouped students in pairs to collaborate and analyze their
information. I assigned students in pairs by their personality, matched
shy or introverted students with those that were more out-going, and by
critical thinking ability, pairing a stronger critical thinker with one who
struggles in this area. I prepared two documents in which students
could organize information to better prepare them for the simulation,
one asking for background information and philosophical beliefs of
their assigned subject and the other having specific questions about
important issues and how their person may have responded (NBPTS
2015).

This grouping strategy appeared to be very effective because most

students meaningfully participated in the dialogue (0:01-9:57) and
it was apparent throughout the video which students were the shy
ones.
2. Although the grouping was effective, the teacher made no effort to
cold call on the unwilling or shy students. The teacher usually
either acknowledged a student when his or her hand was raised
(e.g. 3:06; 8:23), sat passively while the dominant talkers spoke
(e.g. 0:07 to 3:05), or indiscriminately rotated among a section of

the class and only took input from one of the two respective group
members when this occurred (5:05 to 6:50). Alternatively, the
teacher would often ask the whole class, but no one in particular,
whether there was anything anyone wanted to say about the topic
being discussed. This became egregious at 8:47, when the activity
was about to conclude. Instead of cold calling on one of the
handful of students who never participated in this discussion, the
teacher took final words from a willing participant while three
students (two of whom were seldom if ever heard from) turned and
stared up at the clock., wondering when the class would end.