Team Members: Kathy Cassidy, Keith Silversides, Alan Stange, Marilyn Pavier, Sophie Rosso, and Roger Morgan. Community: Canadian Community Year 1, 2010-2011
Five teachers, teaching between grades one and ten, are interested in using video to capture learning in their classrooms. They all want to be able to use video in some form to capture the learning of their students. The work flow to make this happen in their classrooms varies greatly because of their different teaching styles and the ages of their students. As students gain mastery they (and their teachers) discover new goals for themselves. This project is constructivist in nature and therefore is continually evolving.
This is one first grade student’s video demonstrating an addition strategy:
All of the teachers involved in this project were already using video in their classroom, but were all questioning the techniques they were presently using and yearning to use the best instructional strategies possible. What exactly does the workflow look like for using video to capture learning in a grade one/five/nine classroom? How can it be more easily embedded in the daily practice of the classroom, especially as a learning tool to assist with assessment?
Find the most effective process for video workflow at each grade level
Meet regularly, debrief and learn from each other’s experiences
Involving the students in the process
February: Assessed the current skill set of our students.
March – April: Challenged students to explore the use of video to demonstrate their own learning.
February – May: We as a team met face to face frequently, debriefed and learned from each other’s experiences. We encouraged each other through words and example to continue to explore this issue.
Lessons Learned:
You need a network. It is difficult to do this on your own.
The video does not simply record the learning–it IS the learning.
Action research is difficult. You need to be able to critically reflect.
We are all using video in some form to help us assess student learning in our classroom and we are all continuing to learn more about this and adjust our implementation. The merits of this are incredible. We feel that we have only scratched the surface of what is possible and look forward to continuing it.
We have all contributed to a Video Workflow Wiki. This wiki includes video from each of our individual classrooms and descriptions of the workflow we have each determined to be the most successful to this point in our understanding.
About Action Research Projects
Action research is a process in which Powerful Learning Team members collaboratively examine their own educational practice systematically and carefully. Action research is:
Disciplined inquiry into a problem or possibility within the school or classroom
Collaborative and usually takes place in a community of practice
Sheryl is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Powerful Learning Practice. She works with schools and districts from around the world helping them to infuse technology into their curriculums and by leading other digital conversion efforts.
Sheryl also consults with governments, educational organizations and non-profits in development of their various professional learning initiatives.
Sheryl is a sought-after presenter at national and international events, speaking on topics related to digital and online learning, teacher and educational leadership, online community building, and other educational issues impacting children of poverty.
Sheryl served on the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Board of Directors for six years. She co-authored The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age with Lani Ritter Hall. Sheryl has four children and four grandsons, Luke, Logan, Levi and Tanner and a trio of dachshunds. You can find out more on her blog and on Twitter @snbeach.
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