HOW TO PRESENT A VIDEO IN A TRAINGING PROGRAMME?
Using a video or video segment in a teacher training programme might bring nightmares to many of us. The nightmare begins when we decide to use it in a training session but paying less attention to the process of using it. We are relieved that the session would go smoothly be cause we have a powerful video, so it would work on its own. But the reality is harsh.
Often the full potential of video remain untapped too. Presenting it straight away before an unprepared audience kills the potential of the video. Many often there is no cognitive involvement from the participants because they haven't got an opportunity to ask the question,'Why am I going to see this?'. Cognitive lapse is the result.
Thirdly, all the processes at different stages, ie, before viewing, while viewing and post viewing sessions are jumbled and mingled. The net result is a mangled version of meaning, which may be far away from the objective of the session.
Then how to present a video in a training programme?
Stage-1: Before viewing the video.
This is also called pre-viewing session. It main intention is to activate the participants' background knowledge and earlier experiences related with the theme of discussion and the content of the video.
Have a large group or small group discussion of the theme. Ask what they know already. Ask what they'd like to know.
Introduce the participants to the general vocabulary: one way of doing this is to assign a reading activity based on the same theme as the video.
Come to a consensus about what to look for in the video by fixing the questions, circulating written formats to record their observations, reactions, and questions throughout the viewing.
Highlighting the expectations after viewing the film so that the participants can pay particular attention to the strategies, factors of influence etc and identify them.
Now the participants are ready for viewing the video in tune with the objective of your session.
Stage-2: Watch the Video
On the first viewing, let the participants note what they have seen using the format given to them or to in tune with the questions flagged. For example if the video is related with the development of reading in terms of a student, let them to note how the student's reading fluency develops over the year. How does she approach reading in July and in December? How does she make connections with the text?
Review What was seen
Ask participants to reflect on those questions, write down their responses individually and/or discuss them as a group. Let them review their notes in the recording format given. For example in the case of the student mentioned earlier, discuss on the student's literacy development. Then consider the following questions:
Student's progress: How does his/her progress in reading during the year? How does her progress compare to that of your own students? What factors influenced her reading progress? What questions do you have about her literacy development?
Classroom Environment: What classroom contexts and instructional practices support reading fluency? How does the classroom environment encourage the student to gain independence as a reader and writer?
Home/School Connection: How do the teacher and and the student's mother collaborate to create a complete profile of the student? How do they monitor her progress to encourage her as a reader?
Stage-3: Looking closer
Take a second look at what happened in the video. Here in terms of the student's reading development to deepen the participants' understanding of her changing strengths and needs over the course of the year. Ask the participants to add their observations in the recording format based on the discussion.
What areas of early literacy does the teacher assess?
How does the teacher combine instruction and assessment in the group? What strategies did the student use?
What do we know about the student's reading comprehension?
The teacher says she is "exactly where she needs to be in first standard" What does this mean? Do you agree?
What instruction would you plan in order to develop the student's reading skills and strategies?
How has her reading progressed since July? What specific reading strategies has she developed?
How has the teacher's instruction changed since July? What decisions did she make to advance the student's reading development?
What goals would you set for the student for the remainder of the school year? What instruction would you plan to meet these goals?
What are the milestones in reading that the student has reached over the year?
What instructional plans and contexts for reading over the year have contributed to her reading development?
What does the share in the beginning to help the teacher in her instruction?
Based on the parent/teacher conference, what does the mother know about her reading? What does her teacher know?
How do the teacher and parent collaborate to gain a deeper understanding of the student? How do their descriptions of the student differ?
Stage-4: Summing up
Ask the participants to review their notes on the student's progress throughout the year. The questions for discussion will sum up what was discussed earlier but at the same time try to generalise based on the observations made. The summing up questions can be exhibited and the participants can be asked to reflect on them and write down their responses or discuss them as a group. For example look at the following questions.
In what ways did the student grow in her reading development over the year?
How did the teacher's instruction change over the year?
How was assessment used to plan instruction for the student?
How did the teacher's instruction develop the student's fluency in reading?
What questions do you still have about the student's reading? What other classroom practices would you have planned for her?
How might this video influence your teaching practices? What segments affirmed what you already know and practice? What will you do differently as a result of watching this video?
Making Connections
Here the opportunities to apply and extend what the participants seen or arrived at are to be provided by the facilitator. It can be linked with the next segment of the video or with the next session objective if they are linked in order. Or this is also an opportunity to ask the teachers to reflect on their earlier concept, perspective and knowledge and the changes happened. This is also the time to develop an action plan for reading if it is intended as an objective of the training programme.
Then, what about presenting a reading material in a training programme?
