National Board Support Review of Entry 4 and Creating Videos and Writing Tips November 16, 2012

Entry 4  What general questions do you have about Entry 4?  Where are you in the process of writing Entry 4?  If you have specific questions about your Entry 4, we will come around and answer them during the work time.

Video Tips  Before you begin, obtain permission forms for every student and/adult that will be in your videos.  Talk to technology facilitators, media specialists, other teachers, grade level/ department colleague  Record at least once as a practice. Check the audio, video quality, and evaluate your comfort level.  Plan to record several times so that you have a choice of videos to use.  Put signs on your classroom doors that you are video taping.  Framing – Be aware of what’s in the picture.

TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS  THERE COULD BE AT LEAST A FIVE SECOND GAP BETWEEN THE TIME THE CAMERA IS TURNED ON AND THE TIME THE VIDEOING STARTS.  DO NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING VITAL IN THESE FIRST FEW SECONDS.

 Poor lighting causes poor quality in videos more than anything else. NEVER video toward windows! Either cover them or put the camera in front of them. Always shoot away from windows! If shooting video outside or in a gym, avoid shooting into the sun or bright lights. Shoot from an angle, rather than head-on, to acquire the most attractive video.

 It is okay to have a student’s voice without an image of the student.  Panning needs to be slow, and the camera might not get there until the student is well into his/her comment.  You and your students do need to speak up more than normal.  It is permissible for you to repeat what a student says if you fear that it will not be audible on the video.

PLANNING AHEAD  START TAPING EARLY!! EVEN IF YOU DO NOT GET A LESSON YOU CAN USE EARLY, YOU BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE.  YOU NEED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN FOCUS ON TEACHING, NOT ON THE CAMERA.  YOUR STUDENTS WILL GET USED TO THE CAMERA AND BEGIN TO IGNORE IT.

 IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO PLACE QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO ASK ON A CLIPBOARD AS YOU MOVE AROUND THE CLASS.  THIS MAY BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE GOING FROM GROUP TO GROUP AND WANT TO ASK EACH GROUP THE SAME OR VERY SIMILAR QUESTIONS.

 REMEMBER THAT ASSESSORS WANT TO SEE THE STUDENTS.  THEY WANT TO SEE STUDENT TO STUDENT INTERACTION AND STUDENT TO TEACHER INTERACTION.

 YOU DON’T HAVE TO HAVE A PERFECT TAPE.  THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE ASSESSOR IS “HOW DID YOU ANALYZE AND REFLECT?”  HAVE YOU SHOWN KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS, KNOWLEDGE OF STANDARDS, AND KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT?  HAVE YOU SHOWN AWARENESS OF MISCONCEPTIONS THE STUDENTS MAY HAVE, AND HAVE YOU ADDRESSED HELPING STUDENTS TO OVERCOME THEM?

HOMEWORK – DUE DEC 14  Refine and/or complete Entry 4  Regina or Jeanine completed Entry 4, if you would like either of us to review it  Video one class according to entry directions

Writing Tips  Write the questions—then answer them. Then the page isn’t blank, and you can answer the questions in your order.  Be clear in your writing: Describe, Explain why, Explain what you will do differently next time.

Entry Questions  Read the questions and analyze them carefully.  Also check where in the Entries the questions occur—  Descriptive at the beginning, to set the stage  Analytical after descriptive, to let you think about the importance of your work, and why you did what you did  Reflective at the end to lead from this lesson to the next time you teach

Descriptive Writing  Descriptive writing is a retelling of what happened in a classroom situation. This kind of writing should allow the reader to visualize and understand what the teacher is describing. It “sets the scene” for the assessors.  Description is called for when the entry prompt uses verbs like state, list, describe, or uses what or which as the interrogatory opening words. For example:  “What are the relevant features of your teaching setting that influenced your selection of this assessment/prompt and these students?”

Analytical Writing  Analysis depends on the interpretations the teacher made of what happened, examination of why the elements or events described are the way they are. It shows assessors the thought processes the teacher employed to arrive at the conclusions made about a teaching situation.  Analysis is called for when a prompt asks how, why, or in what way(s).  Analysis is required when teachers as asked: To identify a particularly successful moment and why they regard it as successful For a rationale: or What a student performance suggests about their teaching

Reflective Writing  Reflection, a particular kind of analysis, always suggests self- analysis, or consideration of practice. Reflection includes written consideration of what a teacher will do next time—based on his/her analysis of what happened and why it happened that way.  Reflection is called for when the entry prompt asks the teachers to consider the successes of their lessons, and what they would do differently and why.

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