Each student buys one blank videotape at the beginning of the year. Students tape each other at the beginning of the school year to record each student's current communication skills, self- esteem, knowledge of content areas, etc. Students tape each other before and after each major project. Students tape each other at the end of the year to measure final skills, knowledge, etc. The tape becomes a personalized video yearbook or video portfolio for each student.
Students take the videotapes home to show parents.
Teachers show excerpts from the tapes at Parent-Teacher conferences as a supplement to formal report cards. The Learning Helix Think of the classroom as a stage or studio in which students are constantly exploring, researching, publishing, presenting, and interacting. When students learn something new they must immediately show what they know as individuals and as a team. At presentation time, group the student teams in a circle. Have each team present to the entire group, then turn on the video camera and videotape the team which follows it.