3 Ways to Use Video for Training
Apps like Snapchat, Facebook Live and others have made video a routine form of communication. And now, more teachers are bringing video into their classrooms to support development and instruction. Here are three reasons why you should consider doing the same.
Get feedback from peers. More often than not, a teacher’s peer-to-peer collaboration time is during the four-minute passing period, lunch, and in the few precious moments before or after students come into the classroom. I use Lightspeed’s new Activate Audio System and Activate App to record myself teaching and to capture student interactions. I share the clips with administrators, coaches and colleagues. It’s been a great way to get feedback and ideas on specific practices.
Catch the “ah-ha” moments. Have you ever found yourself saying, “I just wish you could have seen and heard the students’ conversations for yourself!” During live observations, sometimes the observer must leave the room two or three minutes before the teacher gets to a major “ah-ha” moment, and may miss critical student interactions. Now, though, teachers can send footage to administrators or coaches and say, “This is what you missed, and this is where the students were going with the concept.”
Collaborate with colleagues. This past spring, my students engaged in a lesson that I wanted to share with a colleague. I used a handheld device to record video of student discussions as they explored topics. The video let my colleague see the value of the lesson and he decided to replicate the experience in his classroom. The next day, we switched classes and I recorded his students’ conversations. When he returned he had a clear understanding of what they had discussed. This experiment put all the students on the same page and saved both of us the time of having a detailed conversation about the lesson.
Andrea Friend teaches sixth- and eighth-grade science at Andover Middle School in Andover, Kansas. Follow her on Twitter @andreafriendams.
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