As we all know, one of the large pushes for Common Core is that students will have a deeper understanding of the standards. One way in which this can be accomplished is through peer tutoring. Add in a video camera and you have 21st Century tutoring. The focus of the videos/projects should be the content, not the quality of the videos. The following video is a student explaining the process of multiplying 3 – single digit numbers. Viewing this video, I immediately know that the student has a firm grasp on multiplication. The focus was on the process. Admittedly, my one suggestion to the student would be more details for clarity (i.e. first explain that in order to obtain the final answer, one needs to multiply 2 of the numbers then multiply that product by the third digit).
Multiplying with 3 numbers from Lisa Nowakowski on Vimeo.
This particular video was filmed with an iPod by a 3rd grader. The video was then uploaded to Vimeo.com (Vimeo is a great alternative if your district blocks Youtube & Youtube Education). I then put the video on my classroom website for all to view. You will also notice that nowhere in my description did I mention editing. The videos can be done in one take. Again, the focus is on the content of the material.
Videos are also a great way to assess student understanding. The videos can then be placed into a digital portfolio.
Some parameters could be:
- Giving time limits
- Telling students where to stand in the video
- Specific topics
Have fun with it! Your students most definitely will.
Nowa Techie 