Video Assignment #1

For this assignment I filmed a kindergarten lesson. We are exploring the difference between 2D and 3D, using a common subject matter, the caterpillar. The students were finishing their 3-D caterpillars, and beginning their 2D caterpillars. It was a Friday afternoon with my most active kindergarten class. The class is 50 minutes long.

 (Really cool life cycle video)

 Pre/Post Viewing  #1 Reflection:

Before viewing the video,  I knew the lesson wasn't a disaster. The students got their work done and cleaned up reasonably well. I handled the distractions with patience today.  But the noise level was high and I was being pulled in a lot of directions. I could have pre-organized more of the supplies to cut down on the loss of time due to so many transitions. In a nutshell this video was going to show a class with a lot of transitions, and illustrate how I and the students handled them.

The video did confirm my initial impressions about the structure of the class. There were a lot of transitions. If I had laid out the caterpillar sculptures before class, sorted the crayons before class, and double checked the paint sponges I had put on the paint trays, we would have had more time for clean up at the end of class. The noise level would have gone down, too.  I was very surprised that I kept an even tone in my voice even when I felt flustered. I also saw that I was good at pre-teaching to the mistakes and troubles I thought the kids might encounter. I was also good at demonstrating with a conservation of words, and the students were able to get to work without me having to re-explain everything. Yay me!

Viewing #2 Reflection:

I focused on my first goal for this video, Improving Organization and Structure. When viewing the video for the second time, I was asking myself these questions:

• What are my patterns?
• What are the positive ones?
• What are the negative ones?
• What are the effects of the patterns of my behavior?
• What needs to be modified?
• Create modifications to fix the problem areas.

I color coded my notes, looking for the skeleton of the instruction, transitions, positive habits, negative habits, and uncontrollable distractions. The good organizational habits that I have developed for my kindergarteners on a high transition, potentially messy day are

• I meet the students at the door and tell them to put their painting shirts on.
• After students put on shirts, they spread out newspaper to keep the tables clean.
• They know not to go hog wild with the paint.
• They know to throw away newspapers, put away supplies, and wash hands at the end of class. 
• They can stand up and work with out running around the room.
• I have a non-verbal quiet signal
• I have a bell that I use to grab their attention when it gets too noisy.

Things that occurred that got in the way of flow and let in too much down time was my own lack of prep. I know that to keep students that young engaged for almost an hour, and I have to prep more than I would  for older students. It is enough that the class stopped working to notice the rain and ask questions about it - I can handle that - and that I had to get on the walkie talkie to find a para to take a student into the main building to use the rest room while in the middle of a demo.

Even though I have handed more of the painting prep off to my kinders this year, I could probably give them jobs at the end of class - like a policeman for the sinks. They want to clean up and it would help with end of the class chaos.

I also have an internal conflict with the level of noise in my room. I can handle it and think it is par for the course for kindergartners who are excited. I also think back to the Ken Robinson TED talk where he describes an aesthetic experience as one in which all the senses are engaged.  A fully engaged kinesthetic kindergartener is not still or silent. But then I flop to the Susan Cain talk and the definition of introvert/extrovert as related to response to stimulation. I also have a responsibility to the students who need a low key environment. I watched the video the second time and watched the behaviors of different students in the room. Quite a few students were where they were supposed to be at the appropriate times no matter what. The two students who are always up and around stayed true to the course. But I noticed a handful of students were my little indicators. Their actions and behaviors fluctuated in response to the noise and structure in the classroom.

Viewing #3 Student Point of View

I chose one of the more active students to narrate. He talks in an ever excited voice. I think the young kids focus on themselves and what they do, unless I go on the either side of the emotional spectrum. 

HEY MOM! I GOT TO PAINT IN ART CLASS! I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO PAINT BECAUSE MY TEACHER WAS WEARING HER DIRTY PAINTING JACKET! I ASKED HER IF SHE GOT IT DIRTY ALL BY HERSELF, AND SHE SAID IT TOOK HER FIVE YEARS TO GET THAT DIRTY!

THERE WAS A FUNNY CATERPILLAR FACE ON THE BOARD AND IT MADE ME LAUGH! BUT THEN I HAD TO GET MY PAINTING SHIRT BEFORE THE COLOR I WANTED WAS GONE. WE GOT TO USE STICKERS FOR EYES! AND WE GOT TO USE SHARPIES! I LOVE THE SMELL OF SHARPIES! 

DO YOU KNOW THAT THE ART TEACHER HAS COLORED PENCILS AND TWISTABLES? I HAVE TWISTABLES, TOO! WE COULDN'T USE THEM IN ART TODAY. SHE SAID NO!

WE ARE MAKING CATERPILLARS. WE WATCHED A MOVIE ABOUT A CATERPILLAR COMING OUT OF AN EGG! THEN IT GOT FAT! WE SAW IT COME OUT OF IT'S CHRYS...COCOON!

CAN I BRING MY SWIM TRUNKS TO SCHOOL? MY TEACHER SAYS IF IT RAINS TOO MUCH WE WILL HAVE TO SWIM BACK TO OUR CLASSROOMS FROM THE ART ROOM!