I had written a question for the group about what limitations video might have in revealing various qualities in our teaching that could help us improve. Jody wrote this response, and it is right on point, so I’m repeating it here:
I believe a couple of things. I believe your experience was true. I, also, believe that another eye (video camera or experienced observer) is going to see things we can’t/don’t see. The human mind can only do so much. It can really only attend to one thing at a time–much to my chagrin. The question, to me, is NOT which one is true, but what “new” information the “other eye” might give us to improve our instruction.
Examples: Even when we believe we’re going slowly enough, it’s probably still too fast for many. OR I believe I am getting excellent attention from all, but the “observer” sees kids off task and fooling around quietly and secretively. OR I know, from the animated faces and eager answers, that everyone is on board and is understanding, but the video eye shows that I haven’t done enough comprehension checks and the truth is that several kids are tuned out and the class is “flatter” in affect than I thought. Does any of this mean that my assessment was wrong? No, I believe it just means that any ONE person’s or tool’s assessment (including an administrator evaluating you/me) is limited. I hope this makes sense. I see the value in video. It’s not the same as live. There is no “one” experience. It is slightly to greatly different for everyone in the room. That’s why evaluation is so difficult.