Focus

Movie making process - planning, filming, editing, play back

Specific Aim

To improve the values of movies made in the classroom.To gain strategies in getting children to develop plan prepare and take anactive part in filming.

Research Question

Does videoing children’s reflection of a topic enhance their learning?

MethodologyWhy I selected the topic?

I have a strong interest in using a video camera/filming events. In previousyears I have made several movies of my class. I attended Learning Circles/workshops on Movies making and developed skills in movie making.

How I went about my research?

I involved videoing extensively in unit studies undertaken in my class thisyear.

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Term 1 – Butterflies

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Term 2 – Chinese Gold Mining

Questions to be answered.What is the value of……?

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On camera interviews, asking various questions of the children.

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Filming a dramatic presentation

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Children all explain individually a completed project i.e. models or artwork

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Children explaining on camera the knowledge that they have gained.

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Class presentation or drama.

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Time lapse – play back of movies to class

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Playing back movies made by the class to the whole school.

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Involvement of the whole class in the complete process

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Distribution of completed product - Teacher Tube, assemblies

Does videoing children’s reflection of atopic enhance their learning?

by Gary Belworthy, Maori Hill School

Management procedures

The whole class was involved in the planning and discussions prior to makingof each video. There were difficulties in filming the whole class at one time. Iused my release time or time when my student was on control to withdrawgroups of children to film.

Time tableTerm 1Unit study-Butterflies

Filming took place after we had made a visit to theButterfly House at the museum. We had a swan plant andcaterpillar in the class so children could see the process.The filming took place towards the end of the study. Ourfilming took the form of a drama presentation using amodel butterfly. The children talked to the butterfly and itanswered their questions about the life cycle of a butterfly. It involved thewhole class but filming took place in groups. After completion of the filmingand editing the children were able to watch it over and over again.

Observations

Even though the preparation of filming involved much child/class input muchof it was teacher directed. But due the continual play back they maintainedmuch of their knowledge gained from the study over the subsequent months.

Term 2Unit study-Chinese Gold Mining

This differed from other movie as it was a true reflectionwhere by the children shared on camera the model goldmining villages that they made and their understandings of life on the gold fields for the people of the time. Every child inthe class shared their knowledge and models.

Readings

Enhancing Self Reflection in children: the use of Digital video in the Primary School ScienceClassroom. Yorkanka Valkanova University of Surrey RoehamptonThis research concludes that “making films about one’s own learning process provokeschanges of behaviour in the classroom and may influence the sense self as learners”