3 quick and easy ways to use video and improve your teaching today
Posted by Art Recesso on Wed, Apr 27, 2011 @ 11:37 AM
Video is so easy to use and yet powerful in what it can show us about the classroom. Here are 3 ways to begin using video to improve your teaching today:
1. Simply capture your classroom teaching on video with any kind of video capture device (e.g., video camcorder, cell phone, web cam, digital camera), upload the video to a secure site, and share it with a mentor or other person knowledgeable about your content area. You may email questions asking for feedback or to look at a specific instance on the video. Using tools with video analysis functions you can pinpoint the time on the video where you have a question or need assistance. It may be easiest to capture the entire classtime but only a fraction of that video may contain the event you are most interested in having someone review.It doesn't cost anything if you simply delete the video on any given day, but having the video for an important event (when you need assistance) is valuable.
2. Determine a specific classroom event you want to capture on video. Student achievement data may tell you students are struggling with a domain area or you may be interested in improving a specific teaching strategy (e.g., using differentiated instruction for students learning to add whole numbers). Identify days on the school calendar when the teaching and learning will take place and capture your class on video those days. Then, you can select a mentor or knowledge person to help you review the events. This is much more powerful than trying to remember what really happened in class. It's easier than trying to explain the events to a mentor or peer. You both can watch the same event and consider ways to improve. Again, you may share this video through a secure site or watch the playback on your camera!
3. Are you curious about whether your teaching aligns with your personal goals and expectations? Write down your beliefs and expectations (e.g., I engage the students with open-ended questions, I call on different students, Student participation is encouraged and occurs at a high level, etc...). Then, capture your class on video. Compare what you've written down to what you see on the video. The extent to which you see a difference between exepctations and practice -- gives you very helpful feedback on to develop in your teaching practice. This an activitiy you may complete on your own. Or, you may share the statements with a peer/mentor and ask their opinion.
Each of these activities can be done simply with any video capture device and video playback (e.g., videocamcorder or a web cam and a computer with a media player). This is a low cost and immediate solution. Video analysis systems provide secure storage and more functionality, to dig deeper into the practice, and share videos with mentors, peers, or supervisors. Some may even provide a digital library so you may see how other teachers meet teaching standards, for example, in thier classroom.
