Here are the notes I prepared for my presentation today, "Video Technology in Small Group Math".
VIDEO TECHNOLOGY IN SMALL GROUP MATH
Hello and welcome to Video Technology in Small Group Math. My name is David Goss. I am a Special Education Teacher. I have to give you a little disclaimer: I am an elementary school teacher. They scheduled this session during the elementary keynote. Needless to say, all elementary staff are there, and I am here. I am here presenting to a group of secondary educators. I told my assistant principal this, and she said, “They like to laugh and don't like fluff.”
I will try my best to maximize laughter, while minimizing fluff.
I also figure this is good instructional practice for kids, k-99. What's good for me and my students is going to be good for you and your students. Though some of my examples are elementary specific, I believe the meat and the power of the ideas in this presentation transcend educational level.
HOW THIS WORKS
Okay, let's clear up some things before we get started. First, let me tell you what you're not going to get. You are not going to be drug through a how-to presentation on using iMovie or flip cameras. I would talk to your technology people at your campus if you want some training on using these in your classroom.
What you will get is the theory behind why I think using video in math is beneficial to students. You will also be given opportunities to think about how video technology could be immediately applied to your teaching practices.
I consider this a beginner course because ANYONE can do ANY of these techniques that I am about to share with you.
How this works: I am going to share with you 5 different ways I have used video in small group math. After each one, you will have a short amount of time to discuss and write down how you can apply that specific video use in your small group math instruction.
Pay attention to the sound of a bell. When you hear the bell that means it is time to refocus on the presentation so that we can move forward as a group.
STAND-REM
Everyone stand up!
Remain standing if you know where you can find a flip camera at your school.
Remain standing if you have held a flip camera at your school.
...if you have recorded on a flip camera at your school.
...if you have created a video using iMovie or some other movie creating program at your school.
My hope is that, after this presentation you will be so equipped, excited, and convinced that using video technology in small group math is a great way to increase student learning and engagement, that, if we met this same time next year, you would all still be standing!
OVERVIEW
We are going to cover five ways you can use video technology in your small group math instruction.
Music videos
Teacher video modeling
Student video modeling
Scavenger hunts
Recording activities
THE 'RESEARCH'
Private university website
Private company website
E-learning presentation from a technology firm
Public university website
THE ORIGINAL LEARNING PYRAMID
The original learning pyramid was actually called the “Cone of Experience”. This was a creation of a guy named Edgar Dale in the 1950s. In Dale's original text, he stated that we are not supposed to use the cone of experience with absolute “literalness” in its basic form.
It is used as a visual aid that should help us see the connection between various types of audio-visual materials and their position in the learning process. They are placed on the cone based on the level of abstraction—with the most concrete methods of learning being at the bottom and the more abstract methods of learning being toward the top. You'll also notice that he did not affix any percentages of “retention” to each learning method. The more “updated” learning pyramids tend to have percentages indicating retention rates for each method of learning.
A student who is being introduced to chemical symbols or who is studying multiplication facts might do well with learning through reading or simple drill and practice. But, understanding a complex math concept might be better learned through collaborative real world or simulation experiences.
So, we have to consider: the prior knowledge of the student, the complexity of the content, and the interests of the student when we are designing our instruction. We can incorporate technology and multimedia with varying levels of student interactivity, modalities, and based on student interest.
WHY'D YOU HAVE TO MAKE THINGS SO COMPLICATED?
The following information is from the article, “Multimodal Learning Through Media: What the Research Says” sponsored by Cisco Systems.
This chart shows us the percent increase in student learning when students are engaged in interactive vs non-interactive multimodal learning when compared to learning through a more traditional unimodal method.
Describe chart
The reality is that the most effective designs for learning adapt to include a variety of media, combinations of modalities, levels of interactivity, learner characteristics, and pedagogy based on a complex set of circumstances. Basically, learning isn't always as simple as set percentage points placed on a pyramid.
That's all great. And it's important for us to know as educators. But, here is one of the biggest reasons I started using video technology in my small math group to capture important math concepts.
MY REASONS
The first picture is of my brother (on the right), my cousin (in the middle), and me. This was taken during a trip to Kansas City to visit my grandmother who recently married her new husband. We attempted to build an igloo and have a snowball fight using it as a fort.
All of these memories are triggered by viewing this photo. This photo elicits memories that would otherwise be left in the vault of my mind, unopened, unattended, and forgotten.
The second one was taken this last Halloween. It is of me and my friend, Joseph. I was a whoopie-cushion for Halloween. I'd like to tell you it was a well-thought out costume, but it wasn't. It was purchased the day before the annual Halloween party. Joseph is Dracula. We have coffee because it was the morning after the Halloween party. We were quite tired. I probably don't need to elaborate.
Once again, these memories were elicited through the photographs. It's quite obvious that visual stimulus of the individual engaged in an activity has a significant positive impact on memory retrieval. And what is true for me, is true for my students. After all, our brains are more similar than not.
Video is a powerful tool to promote student recall and learning. It is especially, if not specifically, more powerful when the student is the subject of such a video.
MUSIC VIDEOS
Music has shown to activate emotions and promote long term memory. It can also aid in memory. Movement can stimulate the release of the body's natural motivators-noradrenaline and dopamine- which wake up learners and help them feel good, promoting energy levels, and improving storage of information and subsequent retrieval of that stored information.
Movement involves more of a student's brain than sit-and-get instruction because it uses multiple memory systems.
And don't forget, the two easiest ways to increase student learning and engagement is through novelty and joy.
It is always fun to do a music video premier once the video footage has been turned into a completed music video. I like to do this on Fridays. The students are still learning and actively engaged. It's incredible to see how focused students become when they are watching music videos starring non other than themselves! It is also fun to incorporate food (popcorn) to really make it a memorable experience.
Once again, the videos you create can be used throughout the entire year to help prepare for classroom-based, district, and state assessments.
Teacher created songs: Do you have a talent for playing a musical instrument? You don't? Have no fear! You can still create memorable music videos with your students. Students or teachers can beat box while other students rap lyrics. This can also be created into a music video.
Student created songs: I may be surprised what your students can accomplish when you give them these simple directions: “Make a song or rap that will help us remember this specific math concept.”
Already made songs: I've found Rockin' the Standards. Many of their songs fit nicely into my curriculum. We have created videos on angles, perimeter and area, and place value so far this year. We watch them for enjoyment (and little do the students know, to promote memory of these concepts) and we watch them for review.
I challenge you to find songs already created that would fit into your curriculum and that you and your students could make into music videos.
Here is a sampling of Rockin' the Standards songs with accompanying lyrics.
TEACHER VIDEO MODELING
You can use this for a small group computer center. This could cover a brand new skill or concept or could be a review of a previously learned concept.
A student could view the video on the computer if they were absent. This is especially powerful if current materials require understanding of previous concepts and the student was absent.
This is also great for students who just need some extra review.
This example of teacher video modeling is of my teacher friend, Heather Lucas. She is introducing the concept of equivalent fractions to a group of 3rd graders. I simply set up the flip camera on a tripod. I collected 20 minutes worth of the lesson. I edited it down 8 minutes, taking out wait time and some discussions. The sample you are about to see is approximately one minute.
STUDENT VIDEO MODELING
Having students create videos of themselves teaching or demonstrating a concept or skill does wonders for many reasons.
First, it is an awesome way for you to review previously covered concepts. I often do a Fun Friday in which the students and I simply watch videos that we have created that nine weeks. I end up with 4 to 5 videos covering 4 to 5 different skills or concepts. In the course of 20 minutes the students have seen themselves in video successfully complete tasks and master difficult concepts.
This increases their self-esteem exponentially and also helps them in memory retrieval and recall.
Video consent: Each student's parent signs a video consent allowing their child's photo or video to be shared publicly. Video consent makes it okay for me or you to use videos or photos of our students in public forums. However, some parents opted out of this. Therefore, the photos and videos of these children are not to be shared in a public forum. This presents no problem for using the videos in my classroom for my classroom. However, it became a problem when I began preparing for this presentation. All of the videos you see have been edited to keep those students out of this presentation. You will notice some nuances as we go through the videos.
The next video is of Thomas demonstrating how to complete a multiplication problem. You will notice that I ask him clarifying questions to clear up misconceptions or frequent errors. I do this to get him thinking about his work.
SCAVENGER HUNTS
Scavenger hunts are a perfect way to bring a student's learning to life. Scavenger hunts help students realize that math is found right outside the classroom door. Scavenger hunts help students realize that many things in their lives and in the “real world” have some mathematical component.
Also, we need to remember the brain-body connection. Our brains were designed to work simultaneous with movement. A long time ago, we were hunters and gatherers. When we were hunting we were moving and thinking and coordinating and planning all at the same time. This is how our brains work best.
There is 5-15% more oxygen and blood flow to the brain when we are standing.
Maria Montessori, creator of the Montessori Method, called the chair an instrument of slavery. She said that the horse ridden by a jockey ran slower than a wild horse of the plans no matter how many whips a jockey gave him. Like a tamed horse being pushed by a jockey, children are fastest and healthiest when they are allowed to move freely, without the constraints of the chair. Though I wouldn't go so far as to say that a chair is an instrument of slavery, I can respect the demand that we must get our students moving and exploring in order to optimizing their learning.
RECORDING ACTIVITIES
You can record any activity if you have access to a flip camera. This is the easiest, and one of the most powerful ways of integrating video into your small group math instruction. It requires no extra prep work. You just simply turn on the flip camera and start recording your students engaged in activities. You can ask them clarifying questions and ask them to describe their thought processes.
You can then use these videos to do quick reviews or even use them to share with the entire class. If your students are like mine, they often forget why they solved a problem the way they did. Reviewing videos is a great way to trigger those memories.
Some activities I design with the intent of recording video. Others I create and then later designed I want to record the students working. Sometimes I decide at the last minute and I grab the flip camera off my desk and start recording.
CONCLUSION
Thanks for coming and I hope you are convinced of the potential power of using video in your small group math instruction. When do you plan on using video technology? On what skill? What video technique? Music videos, teacher modeling, student modeling, scavenger hunt, or just recording an activity? How often can you commit to using video technology in your instruction? Your exit ticket will be to write a professional goal for yourself and using video technology in your small group math instruction.
