The Time is Now! Embrace Video Learning: Every Teacher Gets Individualized Instruction
For many public schools, the current school system in the United States has to change. Schools are overwhelmed with overcrowded classrooms and teachers who are pushed to do more with less are on the brink of extinction. Let’s not forget about minimal funding, outdated techniques, and professional development that struggles to meet the needs of teachers. Although there are many options to support teachers, we have to consider individualized instruction. With the power of video learning, teachers can transform their own teaching and improve their skills through a natural process. One of the most important ways that video learning can help teachers improve their abilities and skills is through the practice of self-reflection.
What happens when teachers record themselves?
Educational Innovation 360 helps teachers by providing coaching cycles so as a teacher records themselves they can also getting feedback provided by an instructional coach. We know the biggest predictor of student achievement is teacher instruction. Teachers feel empowered to sometimes look at the video and get feedback from their peers on what they could do to improve a lesson. Coaches and teams can also provide professional development on a specific skill while teachers record themselves can show evidence of practice in the classroom. The third benefit of video learning is for teachers to review their blind spots that they cannot recognize while they are actively teaching.
Teachers can also be able to see how students interact with each other on different projects and assignments and use the video within a group to hear what conversations students are having within their collaboration period. Teachers will also be able to see which students are struggling and provide support individually right after class. Observational video learning can allow a teacher to see how their students receive information and how they are perceived during a lesson (Ulvestad, 2020).
New teachers need video too…
Using video in the classroom can also create a sizable catalog of teaching moments for new teachers to watch and learn from before they ever reach the classroom. At Ei360, we have a database full of teacher videos that teachers’ aids can use to help students in the classroom. Also, districts can keep a catalog of their most-used teaching techniques and use it to inform new teachers who are hired for the upcoming year. If the clip is especially useful, it can be submitted to the state’s educational board and used to help other districts that are trying to implement the same practice (Frontline Education, 2019). A dozen or so examples of observational learning clips are extremely helpful to those in professional workshops which are trying to learn new and interesting teaching techniques.
Teachers know they are being recorded, they select their lessons to share and many times go above and beyond what they would normally do to meet the needs of students. Several studies have shown that when a person is being recorded eventually they embrace it because it empowers them to collaborate with others, meet the needs of their students, and improve in their instruction.
References:
Frontline Education. (2019, September 3). 10 Strategies to Improve Teaching with Video. https://www.frontlineeducation.com/solutions/professional-growth/resources/ten-strategies-to-improve-teaching-with-video
Ulvestad, K. (2020, June 16). The Benefits Of Using Video Classroom Observation Tools For Teacher Professional Development. Torsh. https://www.torsh.co/blog/article/the-benefits-of-using-video-classroom-observation-tools-for-teacher-professional-development/