Video Recording with Children and its Endless Possibilities!!

Tuesday 12th April

Throughout the years educators have been quick to utilize the educational benefits of new technology available to them, from pencils to chalk to overhead projectors and to date video cameras. Information and communication technology are increasingly being used to enhance learning opportunities for children as these technology components are central to their daily lives (Terreni, 2010).  

Recently I have noticed a group of four year old boys consistently playing in the block area for   various periods of times constructing block towers and busting them down, well this is what I had assumed. I decided to ask the boys what they were building one morning when I noticed them in the area again. Child A responded “we are trying to make a massive castle to put our animals into, but all the blocks keep falling down” child B adds that “we have tried lots of ways but it won’t get tall enough for our animals, it always falls down”.

I questioned the children to why they think the castle could be falling down, child B suggested   there were just too many blocks, at this point children begun to discuss their own theory’s to why it was falling down.  I recommended we use the centre video camera so we could record the building process to the point where it was falling down, where we could then watch it. Children were eager to try this strategy, child A wondered if he could record it, I was  happy to encourage this so child A videoed the other children involved building the tower. Inevitably the tower fell down and we played it back, as we watched the process of the children stacking blocks child C suggests that we “try not standing the blocks up” and “lay them down”. I agreed this was an excellent idea and the boys started building their castle again by using more blocks and laying them down, this was successful and the children were ecstatic.

Without the use of technology much of the conversation, ideas and continued learning may not have happened, video cameras provide opportunities for children to visualise and reflect on their thinking, processes and behaviour. With such digital video technology capturing, storing, browsing, revisiting and creating of documentation of children’s work is convenient and enhanced (Hong & Trepanier-Street, 2004; Mitchell, 2007). 

Instant revising of video recordings provides children with a rich problem solving context that invites and promotes thinking and reflection while constructing knowledge. Digital technology is a value tool towards scaffolding children’s learning, the intent of revisiting is to recall experiences as a platform for new ideas, questions, conversations, discussions and further exploration (Hong & Trepanier-Street, 2004). Early childhood curriculum Te Whāriki also emphasises the importance of such discussion and reflective skills as it states that children will be “encouraged to talk about their play and to develop reflective skills” (Ministry of Education, 1996, p.85).

Reggio Emilia educators in recent years have introduced the concept of documentation and revisiting which is both a process and product that seeks to represent children’s learning. Documentation through the use of a video camera provides a way for children to revisit their experience and to extend their thinking. I have found this is also a valuable tool for myself as an educator to better understand children’s thinking while gaining further understanding of an experience and my role within it (Hong & Broderick, 2003).  

As a result of this experience and new learning’s children are now regularly involved with using the video camera to reflect and extend on learning, it is readily available and children are truly thriving off each opportunity to use it.

 Children enjoy videoing themselves while role playing.

A child video's another child dancing.

References

Hong, S. & Trepanier-Street, M. (2004). Technology: A tool for knowledge construction in a Reggio Emilia inspired teacher education program. Early Childhood Education Journal, 32 (2), pp. 87-94.

Ministry of Education (1996). Te Wha-riki. He whaariki matauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.

  

Mitchell, L. M. (2007). Using Technology in Reggio Emilia-Inspired Programs. Theory Into Practice, 46 (1), pp. 32-39.

Terreni, L. (2010). Adding new possibilities for visual art education in early childhood settings: The potential of interactive whiteboards and ICT. Vol 35 (4), pp. 90-94.