Video-recording students’ lessons

[rosalind-beck]

I’ve got a new camcorder and I am exploring its use to record my students’ lessons.

[unknown-user]

It’s a great idea! I’m feeling inspired to try it myself, when I can
get a camcorder. I did observe the teaching of a piano instructor who
regularly taped lessons. Her students were very successful. Switching
to role of observer, listener is one of the most important tools in
learning. 🙂

[carl-swanson]

I’ve never tried recording a student’s lesson, but I think it could be a useful tool.

[unknown-user]

Part of my day job is to find uses of technology in teaching (college math). This sounds like a great way to help students — personally, I have had times in my lesson where my teacher corrected me, and a few days later, when I was trying to remember **exactly** what she was doing with my thumb or my wrist, and could not remember all of the details.

The only thing I can think of right off the bat is that if your student has consistent access to a computer, it might be quicker for you to simply email the movies to your students, instead of burning the DVD’s. It would save a step, at least. And since the student you are using this with is conscientious, she will probably organize and save the files you send. These days, it might be even easier for a kid to have access to a computer (his/her own) than to a TV (shared)??

[unknown-user]

Another thought — my cell phone takes short videos (30 seconds), and they can be either sent to another cell phone number as a text message, or sent directly to an email box from the phone, with no processing. Maybe cheaper (or easier to borrow from a friend to test it out first?) for someone who does not already own a camcorder. And a webcam can be very inexpensive. Quality on both the cell phone and webcam are lower than a nice camcorder, though, so try to borrow one to try it out first.

[rosalind-beck]

Thanks, all, for your thoughts on video recording.

[Leigh Griffith]

If I were the student (or the student’s parent) I would invest in a
flash drive large enough to hold a file from one lesson. When I got
home, I would download the file onto my computer and then the flash
drive could be erased and ready to record the next lesson. It takes a
very short time to download to a flash drive and upload to a computer
and they come in a variety of memory sizes. They are also very
reasonable as far as price goes, since they can be used over and over.

Just my two cents…

Leigh

[unknown-user]

Now that is a very good idea. The modern day equivalent of requiring your students to bring in cassette tapes.

[rosalind-beck]

Leigh, I need to see if I am understanding all the mechanics of the process correctly as you envision it.

[Leigh Griffith]

Yup, you got it – providing the files are of a type that can be “read”
by both computers. These days it is easy, you can usually choose which
format to save in.

Leigh

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