Creating resources to support the use of digital video in literacy Kathryn Joy Aboyne Lodge School Hertfordshire LEA December 2003

The LEA Project To develop material which offers guidance, support and literacy lesson resources for the digital camera

School Context 1 form entry primary school in St. Albans Children from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities Work to be undertaken initially in Year 1 and Year 6 classes

Aspects of work in school Curriculum development – to embed the use of digital video in the literacy curriculum Work with Year 1 on the subject of ‘information’ Work with Year 6 on writing scripts and making short ‘films’

Planning and Preparation School invested in 4 digital cameras – cost of £85 each from TAG Staff training organised – some attended Herts course, others came to ‘in school’ training run by county ICT adviser In class, needed to be sure of extra adult help for initial stages (e.g. student) and enough space for filming to take place Some parent help enlisted (Year 1) Use of PC’s for editing – where and when?

Curriculum development Staff meeting – all class teachers identified objectives from the National Literacy Strategy which they felt could offer opportunities for the use of digital video National Literacy StrategyNational Literacy Strategy Year 1 and Year 6 to trial the work in 2003/04 – view to embedding it in the curriculum across the school for 2004/05

The Year 1 project Working with a parent in groups of 4 Talk first – what is information? Shown how to use the camera Looked around school for examples of information

TTTT hhhh eeee Y Y Y Y eeee aaaa rrrr p p p p rrrr oooo jjjj eeee cccc ttttChildren working in groups of 6 Scripts written in literacy lessons, other films watched for filming techniques Storyboards agreed in groups Shown how to use the camera Films made independently in groups (some lunchtimes needed) Work evaluated

Recording the work Evidence:Scripts in children’s books Storyboards Clips and Films – held on school PC’s Evaluations of what learnt, written by the children

Benefits of class work All children very motivated by the work True sense of ‘purpose’ to the work (especially the script writing) Collaborative working in mixed ability groups Speaking and Listening skills – language required Learnt new skills; use of the camera/ editing

And we had fun too!

Using the camera - issues Children: Not keeping the button down for long enough – encouraged to count to at least 5 when filming a clip Keeping quiet in the background, so speech heard Keeping out of shot (need to be behind the camera) Moving the camera slowly to avoid blurring Need encouraging to name clips as they go along, or is impossible to identify them Should delete as much as possible as they go along Management: Exporting clips from digital blue requires a memory stick or can be written to CD and played back through media player. Takes time!

What we learnt – by Year 6 You need a script so you can know exactly what to say and do, Tierney You have to speak loudly and slowly because if you don’t people won’t understand what you are saying, Zahin You have to keep the button still, Georgina You have to move slowly or else your film will be all wobbly and will be ruined, Curtis

You need to have one person saying ‘cut’ or ‘action’ or the camera person gets mixed up, Alice You need to use your storyboards to help you, Marissa Make sure that no-one except the actors are in the shot, Sophie Ellen When you forget your words, improvise!, Maddy

What next? Teachers to write literacy lesson plans including digital blue (Jan 2004) Foundation Stage to begin using digital blue camera for assessment purposes (Spring 2004) Curriculum map for 2004/05 to include opportunities for use of digital blue, both in literacy and across the curriculum

Digital Blue Aboyne Lodge December 2003

Resources available Lesson plans Lesson plans for the work undertaken Lesson plans Annotated copies of the NLS, showing opportunities for video work Extended version of ‘what we learnt’ what we learntwhat we learnt Follow links or all available from school: Back to presentation

National Literacy Strategy Y6, T1, T9: To prepare a short section of story as script (and then film it) Y5, T1, T3: To investigate how characters are presented, through dialogue, action and description Y5, T1, T5: To understand dramatic conventions including; how character can be communicated in words and gesture (and film the children ‘being’ the characters) Y4, T1, T24: To write newspaper reports e.g. about school events (and film the reports/ reporters) Y3, T2, T12/ T16: To identify the different purposes of instructional texts and write instructional texts (and then film children ‘doing’ the instructions) Y2, T1, T7: To learn, re-read and recite favourite poems Y1, T1, T12: To read and use captions, e.g. labels around the school (these can be filmed as found and read) YR, T7: To use knowledge of familiar texts to re-enact or re-tell to others, recounting the main points in sequence Back to presentation