Live from Room 14

I was reading a blog entry written by Alan November called Creating a New Culture of Teaching & Learning, in which he was discussing points to consider about technology and education. His second point was something I had never really considered before.

2. Coming attraction: live videocameras in every classroom

I wasn't at all sure how I felt about this idea. My first thought was there's no way the teacher's union would ever allow this. No teacher is going to want to be videotaped for administrators and parents to be able to watch at any given time. After looking at many of the pros and cons, I would have to conclude that having live videocameras in the classroom could prove to be beneficial. Having video of lessons readily available could assist with improving teachers' instruction. Having parents be able to view their children's classroom would connect parents and help build community.

Many teachers fear administrators would use video to use against teachers. Certainly there is precedence for this fear. For example, a superintendent in Washington secretly videotaped a teacher, who was subsequently fired. How would administrators use video being openly obtained? Hopefully they would be using it to help their teachers improve instruction, which is also something that teachers should be doing themselves. I have been videotaped many times as a teacher and I always find it a valuable experience after watching it. But those are isolated experiences, that require pre-planning and set-up and are not always readily available. Just imagine if a teacher could go and playback any lesson and reflect. This kind of documentation would enable teachers to constantly evaluate their instruction and also promote more interaction between teachers. Teachers love to share success stories, and video could facilitate this sharing. When I switched from 5th grade to 2nd grade, it took me some time to adjust. My principal suggested I use a prep day to observe one of my 2nd grade colleagues, which really helped me. With videotape, it would've been a much easier and immediate process.

Another benefit of having this type of documentation is to track student progress as well. Videotape is already being used in some special education classes, and the videotape is shared with parents and other resource teachers that are involved with the children. It helps to build a learning community, and in some cases is even beneficial to the student to watch themselves. Some would argue that allowing parents view their children's classroom is just an invasion of privacy or would encourage parents' micro-managing. But in many situations, including behavior problems, increased parent involvement is needed and videotape allows them to be connected. Many schools have cameras for surveillance and some already have made their way into the classroom.

As a teacher, I always make communication with parents a priority and my classroom is always open to them as well. I have a class web site that I use for communication as well as email. I consider their children's education a joint venture. Often I will post resources that will support parents with their kids. I have often thought how great it would be if parents could see my math launch everyday so they could help their kids with homework. Live videotaping would help this happen. If kids are sick and have to stay home, they can still "come to school" over the internet. Live-streaming from classrooms could have lots of possibilities for instruction. And if you believe what many bloggers say, it is only a matter of time before it's a reality. Push the cons aside and start to think of how you can use it positively.

Alan November writes: We can either react to it by circling the wagons and shooting inward or think about it now as a way to strengthen the relationships of learning and teaching.