VIDEOTAPING TIPS

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VIDEOTAPINGTIPS

• NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION

Mrs. Judy Stover, NBPTS
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TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

• THERE IS AT LEAST A FIVE SECOND GAP BETWEEN THE
  TIME THE CAMERA IS TURNED ON AND THE TIME THE
  TAPING STARTS. THIS IS ALSO TRUE FOR THE COPYING
  PROCESS FROM THE TIME THE COPYING BUTTON IS
  PRESSED. ALLOW FOR THIS AND DO NOT INCLUDE
  ANYTHING VITAL IN THESE FIRST FEW SECONDS.

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• Poor lighting causes poor quality in videos more
  than anything else. NEVER tape toward windows!
  Either cover them or put the camera in front of
  them. Always shoot away from windows! If
  shooting video outside or in a gym, avoid
  shooting into the sun or bright lights. Shoot
  from an angle, rather than head-on, to acquire
  the most attractive video.

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• Many camera mics will do a good job of picking
  up sound in front of the camera while eliminating
  or reducing sound from the sides. If you can buy
  a mic, try to buy a flat (also called boundary or
  PMZ)mic. Lapel mics can work well in small
  groups, and a remote mic, mounted on a hand-held
  stick, may be very useful for PE candidates.
  Wrap the cord twice around the handle of the
  camera or a tripod leg to keep it from being
  pulled loose during filming.

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• It is possible to bump the sound up during tape
  copying, but this will produce fuzziness. It is
  okay to have a students voice without an image
  of the student. Panning needs to be slow, and
  the camera might not get there until the student
  is well into his/her comment. You and your
  students do need to speak up more than normal.
  It is permissible for you to repeat what a
  student says if you fear that it will not be
  audible on the tape.

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• GET PROFESSIONAL QUALITY TAPES, IF POSSIBLE, NOT
  OVER THE COUNTER. A GOOD CAMERA SHOP WILL CARRY
  THEM, OR YOUR MEDIA SPECIALIST CAN ORDER THEM AT
  THE STATE RATE. THE SOUND QUALITY MAY BE POOR ON
  UP TO ONE THIRD OF REGULAR TAPES. NEVER USE THE
  FIRST TWO MINUTES BEFORE YOU SUBMIT IT. TO AVOID
  SNOW ON THIS PART, TAPE IT WITH THE LENS CAP ON
  AS PART OF PREPARING FOR THE TAPING SESSION.

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PLANNING AHEAD

• START TAPING EARLY!! EVEN IF YOU DO NOT GET A
  LESSON YOU CAN USE EARLY, YOU BECOME MORE
  COMFORTABLE. YOU NEED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE
  YOU CAN FOCUS ON TEACHING, NOT ON THE CAMERA.
  YOUR STUDENTS WILL GET USED TO THE CAMERA AND
  BEGIN TO IGNORE IT.

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• MANY TEACHERS FIND IT USEFUL TO PLACE QUESTIONS
  THEY WANT TO ASK ON A CLIPBOARD AS THEY MOVE
  AROUND THE CLASS. THIS MAY BE ESPECIALLY
  IMPORTANT IF THE TEACHER IS GOING FROM GROUP TO
  GROUP AND WANTS TO ASK EACH GROUP THE SAME OR
  VERY SIMILAR QUESTIONS.

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ANALYZING AFTER

• IF THE VIDEOTAPE TO BE SUBMITTED IS TO HAVE MORE
  THAN ONE PART OR SECTION, GIVE THE MOST LENGTH TO
  THE BEST PARTS.
• HAVE THE STUDENTS WATCH THE TAPE AND LET THEM
  PICK OUT THE BEST PARTS. MOST STUDENTS ARE
  EXTREMELY GOOD AT THIS, AND WILL NAIL THE PARTS
  THAT YOU SHOULD FEATURE.

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• REMEMBER THAT ASSESSORS WANT TO SEE THE
  STUDENTS. THEY WANT STUDENT TO STUDENT
  INTERACTION MORE THAN THEY WANT STUDENT TO
  TEACHER INTERACTION. THEY DO NOT WANT TO JUST
  SEE THE TEACHER!! IF THERE IS A HANDOUT OR OTHER
  WRITTEN MATERIAL AND/OR IF THERE IS A RUBRIC USED
  FOR GRADING THE LESSON, THEN INCLUDE THESE AS
  INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES.

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• REMEMBER THAT NO TAPE WILL EVER BE PERFECT,AND
  YOU DONT HAVE TO HAVE A PERFECT TAPE. IN FACT,
  PROBLEMS THAT ARISE DURING THE LESSON CAN BE USED
  TO SHOW HOW YOU HANDLE DIFFICULTIES. IF THERE
  ARE NONE, YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HOW YOU ANTICIPATED
  THEM AND HEADED THEM OFF. THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE
  ASSESSOR IS HOW DID YOU ANALYZE AND REFLECT?
  HOW WELL HAVE YOU ANALYZED WHAT YOU DID WITH
  REGARD TO THE STANDARDS AND YOUR OWN LEARNING
  GOALS? HAVE YOU SHOWN KNOWLEDGE OF STUDENTS,
  KNOWLEDGE OF STANDARDS, AND KNOWLEDGE OF CONTENT?
  HAVE YOU SHOWN AWARENESS OF MISCONCEPTIONS THE
  STUDENTS MAY HAVE, AND HAVE YOU ADDRESSED HELPING
  STUDENTS TO OVERCOME THEM? IF THERE IS A
  PROBLEM, ADMIT IT, DISCUSS IT, AND ADDRESS WHY IT
  HAPPENED AND HOW IT CAN BE PREVENTED IN THE
  FUTURE?

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• ALTHOUGH NO TAPE WILL BE PERFECT, IT SHOULD MEET
  THE REQUIREMENTS AS SET FORTH IN THE PORTFOLIO
  DIRECTIONS. GOOD WRITING CAN OFFSET A TAPE THAT
  IS NOT TOP QUALITY OR A LESSON WITH PROBLEMS, BUT
  IT CANNOT OFFSET A TAPE THAT IS NOT DONE
  ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS.

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• DISCUSSION DOES NOT MEAN LECTURE. SMALL GROUP
  DOES NOT MEAN FREE PLAY. INQUIRY LAB DOES NOT
  MEAN TEACHER DEMONSTRATION. CLASSROOM COMMUNITY
  DOES NOT MEAN CHATTING.
• ASSESSORS READ THE WRITTEN PORTION OF THE TAPE
  BEFORE VIEWING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT IS COMING.
  THEY LOOK ON THE TAPE FOR EVIDENCE OF WHAT YOU
  SAID HAPPENED, AND IT NEEDS TO BE THERE. THE
  ASSESSOR DOES NOT HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOUR
  INTERPRETATION OF WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WHAT YOU SAY
  HAS TO SEEM POSSIBLE AND BE BACKED UP BY THE
  VIDEO.

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• MANY PEOPLE HAVE CERTIFIED WITH A TAPE OF POOR
  TECHNICAL QUALITY, BUT THE ASSESSORS ARE ONLY
  ALLOWED TO VIEW EACH TAPE ONCE WITH NO REWINDING.
  THEY PRESS PLAY ON THE VCR, LET THE TAPE RUN TO
  THE END OR UNTIL TIME IS UP, THEN STOP IT. THEY
  CANNOT FAST FORWARD OR REVERSE TO FIND THE
  BEGINNING OR EXTEND THE TIME. YOU MUST BE SURE
  THAT WHAT YOU SEND IS READY TO VIEW. THE VALUE
  OF HAVING A GOOD QUALITY TAPE IS THAT IT LETS THE
  ASSESSOR FOCUS ON THE LESSON AND HOW THE TAPE IS
  EVIDENCE OF WHAT YOU SAID IN THE WRITING, WITHOUT
  HAVING TO STRUGGLE TO MAKE OUT FACES AND VOICES.
  ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO MAKE THE JOB OF THE
  ASSESSOR EASIER WILL PAY OFF IN A LOWER
  POSSIBILITY OF ERRORS OR CONFUSION AFFECTING YOUR
  SCORE.

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• IT IS IMPORTANT TO HELP THE ASSESSOR IDENTIFY THE
  STUDENT(S) OR INCIDENT(S) YOURE WRITING ABOUT.
  WATCHING THE TAPE WITH THE SOUND OFF MAY HELP YOU
  COME UP WITH IDENTIFIERS, SO THAT YOU CAN GIVE A
  CUE OR SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN THE TAPE JUST
  BEFORE THE EVIDENCE YOU WRITE ABOUT IS ON THE
  SCREEN.

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EQUIPMENT NEEDED

• NEW, BLANK,VHS TAPE
• TRIPOD
• EXTENSION CORD
• PZM MICROPHONE
• A VIDEO CAMERA WITH A MICROPHONE INPUT

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GENERAL TIPSTO VIDEO

• MAKE SURE TO GET PERMISSION SLIPS SIGNED FOR EACH
  STUDENT BEFORE TAPING!
• ELIMINATE NOISES SUCH AS RADIO, ALARM CLOCKS,
  ETC.
• CLOSE WINDOWS IN A CLASSROOM.
• CLOSE BLINDS TO ALLOW FOR STANDARD FLUORESCENT
  LIGHTING.

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UNDERSTANDING HEADROOM

• HEADROOM IS THE SPACE LEFT IN THE FRAMED SHOT
  BETWEEN THE TOP OF THE SUBJECTS HEAD AND THE
  UPPER SCREEN EDGE.

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PZM TIPS

• CONNECT PZM TO THE MIC INPUT ON VIDEO CAMERA
• MAKE SURE PZM IS POWERED ON USING THE SWITCH
• PLACE PZM IN MIDDLE OF A GROUP EQUAL DISTANT FROM
  EACH STUDENT
• USE HEADPHONES TO MONITOR AUDIO PICKUP OF PZM
• OPTIMUS PZM AVAILABLE FROM RADIO SHACK CATALOG
  33-3022

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TAPING THE WHOLE CLASS

• PLACE THE VIDEO CAMERA ON A TRIPOD IN THE BACK OF
  THE ROOM AND MAKE SURE IT IS ZOOMED OUT SO THAT
  THE WHOLE CLASSROOM IS IN THE VIEWFINDER
• MAKE SURE THE TRIPOD IS ADJUSTED FOR AMPLE
  HEADROOM FOR YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS
• ONCE YOU ARE READY TO BEGIN RECORDING, EITHER
  USE A REMOTE CONTROL TO BEGIN RECORDING OR HAVE A
  STUDENT IN THE BACK OF THE CLASS START THE
  RECORDING. YOU SHOULD KNOW IT IS RECORDING BY
  SEEING A RED LIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE VIDEO
  CAMERA. OR HAVE SOMEONE ELSE VIDEO YOUR LESSON!

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TAPING SMALL GROUPS

• PLACE THE VIDEO CAMERA ON A TRIPOD WHERE MOST OF
  THE STUDENT FACES CAN BE SEEN. IT IS ALRIGHT IF
  ONE STUDENT IS UNSEEN.
• FOLLOW THE HEADROOM TIPS TO SETUP THE CAMERA.
• FOLLOW THE PZM TIPS FOR SETIING UP THE MIC.

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DUPLICATION

• USE A PAIR OF RCA CABLES TO CONNECT THE VIDEO
  CAMERAS AUDIO AND VIDEO INPUTS.
• SET VCR TO LINE IN FOR RECORDING AND POWER ON A
  TV FOR PREVIEWING THE DUPLICATION.
• SET YOUR VIDEO CAMERA IN THE VCR MODE.
• PRESS RECORD ON YOUR VCR AND THEN PRESS PLAY
  ON YOUR VIDEO CAMERA.