Saturday, May 11, 2013

The Power of Video to Document Student Learning

Imagine teacher-parent conferences where the child leads the session. Also, consider how a video of the child learning can inform the conference. This video exemplifies those concepts. We see the child reading, discussing her reading process, and self-critiquing her learning. We also hear the teacher discuss the child's progress.




Although some might argue this form of a parent-teacher conference is impractical, is it really?

As we think about how to document student learning, how can we move beyond traditional formats and standardized tests? Do you think a child should be present at the teacher-parent conference?

This video was shared by Jill Thompson on Twitter. Here is the tweet. Jill in another tweet acknowledged the child in the video is in the first grade.




2 comments:

Andrea Rosenfield said...

Wow! Prior to watching this video, I assumed the conference would simply include a recording of the student reading aloud, or sharing some of his/her insights re: his/her progress. It wasn't until I started watching did I realize that the student was present throughout the entire conference and actually led the meeting. Do I think something on this scale would be feasible for a first year teacher? Probably not. However, I can clearly see how much more powerful and worthwhile a conference is when parents listen to their children's insights re: their performance. Even more meaningful, perhaps, is that students themselves (even the little guys!) are able to recognize their talents/ strengths, along with areas that will benefit from improvement. Talk about providing authentic samples of student work!

Paul Fitzpatrick said...

This presentation is extrememly powerful as it is a glimpse into the future. It will not be too long from now that all classrooms will be run like Ms. Rhoads's utilizing the cloud and other basic tools of technology that seem to be distant for many of us. She is very inspiring as both a teacher and a role model for all teachers.

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