Considerations Before Recording

It can be tempting to pull out your camera and record everything, and just as easy is to forget you have a camera and leave it on the shelf without recording anything. The more you can revisit your PPLP and goals for you and your students’ growth, the better footage and feedback you’ll receive and the more growth you’ll see. Here is some guidance, primarily collected from first year Project Cam Opener participants and their project reflections. Please note that some of these observations and questions are mirrored within the next step of the Reflective Practice Video Cycle, Reflection In Action.

Choosing What to Record

The more focused you can be on deciding ahead of time what to record, when to record, and why you’re recording it (what you’ll use it for), the more likely you are to have actionable clips you can use immediately.
Shorter is better! Sometimes having 2 minutes of footage is more useful, and more powerful, than having 20 minutes. You can watch shorter clips multiple times and it is easy to schedule video reflection as a natural part of your plan time or after school routine. Recording a couple minutes of footage frequently and using the recordings to try new things and improve upon your practice creates an opportunity for a lot of growth over time.

Guiding Questions for Choosing What to Record:

What is the 1 small piece of my Essential Question that I am currently focused on?
What can I record that will capture where I am at now (a snapshot of practice) and give me relevant data to determine next steps for improving my practice in that area?
Which recording angle(s) will give the most relevant information (video and audio) to reflect on? (View of the teacher, view of the students, both student and teacher, an aerial view of the classroom…?)
How will I capture the right moments without having more footage than I can process/watch within about a week?

We have found, through our own use of video for reflective practice and through conversations with participants, that when footage is not watched as soon as possible, it has a higher chance of never being watched. We also believe that one of the strongest uses of video is the opportunity to consider what you are seeing in your practice and what you were thinking and feeling while it was being recorded. By marrying the 2 together you are able to reflect on a deeper level and move your practice more quickly.

If you need additional support in capturing your practice, please reference this support page.