04+-+Video+Critique

04 VIDEO CRITIQUE

Strengths/Weaknesses

The video clip, “Alternative Passage Reading” in the third grade classroom, was really neat to watch! For a new teacher, there did not appear to be a lot of weaknesses or suggestions to pull out; however, there could have been more discussion and collaboration among the groups. Maybe this is a better strategy for middle or upper grades, but it seemed like a lot of question and response.

On the positive side, there were a lot of great strategies used that could be used in middle and upper classrooms. I really liked how the teacher had the students use thumbs up or down to signify their comprehension, but had them keep their thumbs low in front of their chests. This should help create a comfortable environment for students to provide the teacher with true feedback about their understanding of the material. Too often children put the thumb up or down depending on what their classmates are doing. This strategy certainly aims to eliminate that behavior. I also really liked how the teacher modeled the behavior she was looking for such as the whispering in pairs or while they are reading. She provided students with examples of correct whispering and incorrect whispering. This really laid the expectations out for the students. I will be using this in my classroom as well because we do a lot of partner and group work. The teacher checked students reading abilities by leaning her ear in and listening to their whispers. What a great and quick way to evaluate students! I could definitely incorporate this in my classroom in a variety ways such as checking vocabulary or key question answers to name a few.

Summary/Conclusion

The textbook discusses how student engagement is closely correlated to student success, and the students in this video were clearly engaged and on task with the lesson (Borich, 14). All of the students were participating by following along with the reading as well as answering questions. The textbook also discusses instructional variety as a way to keep students engaged. Borich lists several indicators for instructional variety in the text such as variation in voice and eye contact, asking questions, providing independent practice, providing positive reinforcement, and many more (Borich, 10). The teacher in this video clip uses a variety of questions as well as ways to answer those questions such as using their thumbs in response or verbal cues the teacher utilized. She provides clear modeling and demonstrations to model her expectations. Not only does this teacher have excellent eye contact, but she is constantly moving around the room, which allows her to constantly check for comprehension. Borich states this as an example for instructional variety in the effective classroom (10).

The video demonstrates lesson clarity as well by having the instructor check for understanding throughout the lesson and the use of repetition. It seemed that the teacher’s expectations were clearly stated and also demonstrated by the teacher herself. “This whisper is too loud, this whisper is the one I’m looking for.” Questions were asked throughout the task to check for understanding and make sure all students were on task. The teacher used small cues throughout the class period to prompt her students. They were expected to follow along in the text with their fingers and were often paired up with an individual in close proximity in order to check their answers. The teacher also checked their reading abilities by having them whisper to her when she came by and stopped at their desk. This teacher clearly has a lot of classroom experience and manages her classroom well!

ALTERNATIVE PASSAGE READING VIDEO