Does videoing children’s reflection of a

topic enhance their learning?

by Gary Belworthy, Maori Hill School

Focus
Movie making process - planning, filming, editing, play back

Specific Aim

To improve the values of movies made in the classroom.

To gain strategies in getting children to develop plan prepare and take an
active part in filming.

Research Question
Does videoing children’s reflection of a topic enhance their learning?

Methodology

Why I selected the topic?

I have a strong interest in using a video camera/filming events. In previous
years I have made several movies of my class. I attended Learning Circles/
workshops on Movies making and developed skills in movie making.

How I went about my research?

I involved videoing extensively in unit studies undertaken in my class this
year.
• Term 1 – Butterflies
• Term 2 – Chinese Gold Mining

Questions to be answered.
What is the value of……?
• On camera interviews, asking various questions of the children.
• Filming a dramatic presentation
• Children all explain individually a completed project i.e. models or art
work
• Children explaining on camera the knowledge that they have gained.
• Class presentation or drama.
• Time lapse – play back of movies to class
• Playing back movies made by the class to the whole school.
• Involvement of the whole class in the complete process
• Distribution of completed product - Teacher Tube, assemblies
Management procedures
The whole class was involved in the planning and discussions prior to making
of each video. There were difficulties in filming the whole class at one time. I
used my release time or time when my student was on control to withdraw
groups of children to film.

Time table

Term 1
Unit study-Butterflies
Filming took place after we had made a visit to the
Butterfly House at the museum. We had a swan plant and
caterpillar in the class so children could see the process.
The filming took place towards the end of the study. Our
filming took the form of a drama presentation using a
model butterfly. The children talked to the butterfly and it
answered their questions about the life cycle of a butterfly. It involved the
whole class but filming took place in groups. After completion of the filming
and editing the children were able to watch it over and over again.

Observations
Even though the preparation of filming involved much child/class input much
of it was teacher directed. But due the continual play back they maintained
much of their knowledge gained from the study over the subsequent months.

Term 2
Unit study-Chinese Gold Mining
This differed from other movie as it was a true reflection
where by the children shared on camera the model gold
mining villages that they made and their understandings of
life on the gold fields for the people of the time. Every child in
the class shared their knowledge and models.

Readings

Enhancing Self Reflection in children: the use of Digital video in the Primary School Science
Classroom. Yorkanka Valkanova University of Surrey Roehampton

This research concludes that “making films about one’s own learning process provokes
changes of behaviour in the classroom and may influence the sense self as learners”
Conclusions
It is important that children need to understand the purpose of what they are
trying to achieve. It is also important that the children understand the
situations of filming e.g. environment, quietness and sunlight direction
camera outside while filming?

The second movie was more of a reflection compared to the first movie which
was a dramatic presentation. However over time the children gained more
from the first movie being a drama. This is because the first movie was
entertaining and contained some humorous situations. The second movie
contained more information and sharing of knowledge but lacked the
entertainment value. Also the children were only interested in seeing
themselves on film and missed and therefore needed prompting to
understand other children valuable contributions.

Movie making with children needs to include some entertainment value but
also include an underlying message. The need to be shared in a variety of
ways e.g. assemblies and Teacher Tube. The children need to be involved in
the whole process – planning, filming, acting and distributing. This way the
children can contain ownership of the entire project and therefore sustain the
knowledge and skills gained form the study.

Children’s comments
“It was interesting that people came to New Zealand on boats and the sea
was rough. You had to be tough to survive.” Jonathon.

“It was interesting that they had to use pans, dynamite and shovels to get the
gold” David.

It is interesting the different stage a caterpillar goes through to become a

butterfly”
Nicholas.

“I learned how a butterfly use its proboscis” Madeline.