Tools for Educators
Using Video With English Language Learners
- A Pilot EVC Program with Bank Street College of Education
- During the spring semester, EVC partnered with the Bilingual/ESL Teacher Leaders Academy (BETLA) at Bank Street College of Education providing professional development seminars and intensive in-class support for teachers to integrate video production into ESL and bilingual classrooms.
- Angela Milton worked with a fourth grade class of mixed English Language Learners and native English speakers, who received pull-out services to prepare for the end of year English Language Arts test. Angela’s students explored topics such as bullying, African cultures, and "what we want to change in the world."
- Joani Ramirez integrated video into two of her 8th grade social studies classes where her ELL and bilingual students chose to create documentary shorts on topics including gangs, sex and teen pregnancy, academic achievement, drugs, alcohol, crime, and people without families.
- At a culminating BETLA presentation on June 21, 2010, Joani and Angela screened samples of their students’ media projects and reflected on “lessons learned” using video production with their English Language Learners in elementary and middle school. Their reflections included the following:
- The video projects provided a truly authentic language and literacy learning experience where students:
- Journaled after every lesson
- Wrote and evaluated the quality of their interview questions
- Practiced listening and writing skills in order to add subtitles in English and Spanish
- Student engagement was high throughout the project, especially when they filmed street interviews and when they made major decisions about the "story" or message they wanted to create.
- Students felt empowered and the perception of "what they could do" changed dramatically both amongst themselves and in relation to non-English Language Learners.
- Students had the opportunity to use high order thinking skills throughout the process without the anxiety of lots of text.
- There was a need to scaffold in a variety of ways to ensure that the students understood specific concepts and continued developing their language skills.
- As Joani Ramirez explained, “Working on this project has reinvigorated my teaching experience with my two classes and [EVC Media Educator Coach] Miriam Neptune's help has been invaluable.”
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