Learning and Leading - Feburary 2013

Recording Quick Tips

Enlist a videographer. The video will only be helpful if it’s pointed at the action.

Use a tripod. There’s nothing worse than shaky video, and it’s even worse when the audio is scratchy because the videographer touched the microphone while handling the camera.

Reduce ambient noise. Turn off fans and radios and close windows and doors. This will improve the quality of your audio recording.

Position the camera as close to the audio as possible. This will result in a louder and clearer sound recording.

Try using the devices you have. You don’t need high-end equipment to get high-end results. Try using your smartphone, iPod, iPad, or standard camcorder.

Keep it short. Target the area you want to improve the most and record it.

Get permission from students and parents. If your students will be included in any videos, ask for permission. Here are three permission forms that you could easily modify: •;Elementary students: bit.ly/Ml6w0r •;Secondary students: bit.ly/Ml5MIL •;Parents: bit.ly/NQO5Nh

Trash it. When you are done reflecting on the video, delete it. No need to dwell on the past. You can use your written reflections to look back if needed.

or lead teacher. Make the most of your recordings by preparing for your evaluation in advance. This not only gives you an opportunity to make changes before your supervisor comes in to observe, but also allows you to show and explain the steps you have taken to improve your practice.

Reflect on Practice

Once you’ve recorded yourself, it’s important to take time the same day to reflect on the video. If you’re still struggling to find an area to focus on, ask yourself some critical questions about what you see in the video. Why did I do that? Why didn’t I say this? Why didn’t I have the students do this instead? Is that really the best way to spend our time? Do I really respond like that to student questions? Even if you’re happy with what you see in the video, ask yourself some critical questions that get to the heart of your teaching philosophy to help better articulate your actions to peers and superiors.

If you still can’t find your focus, don’t fret. Ask someone else to watch the video with you. This could be a student, a teacher, or even your principal. If you’re comfortable with them watching, schedule a time when it works for both of you to sit down and discuss what you see. If not, then share the video with them and meet a day or two later. Once you both watch the video, discuss what you both saw. Did they see the same things as you? Are there things they would change? Are there questions they ask that you asked yourself? If so, that might be something to examine in more depth.

Another way to approach reflection
on practice is to create a professional
learning community (PLC). You can
create a culture of reflection and im-
provement in your school by meeting
with other teachers who want to in-
vestigate their teaching in more depth.
This could take the role of a book club,
but with a twist. Instead of reading a
book, have everyone watch the same
video of one of the PLC members and
then have a discussion around what
everyone saw, what they might adopt,
and what they’d change if they were
teaching the lesson. Leverage those
around you to improve not only your
practice, but also the practice of your
fellow educators.

Daniel Mourlam is a techno- logy specialist at the University of Northern Iowa, USA, where he helps university faculty and PK– 12 teachers design instruc- tion using technology. You can follow him @dmourlam and dmourlam.wordpress.com.