Why don't classes be video'd or livestreamed?

[Anonymous]

Serious question:
We are not yet facing this but i have many, many friends with MS/HS kids. And when the kids miss for illness (or some other reason, but mostly illness) it's very hard to get caught up.

A) Is this case? How does your kid catch up for illness (esp. multi day illnesses that just have run the course)?

B) Couldn't any catching up be negated by livestreaming the lectures? I know it CAN be done b/c a couple of teachers at the HS do it. But, why isn't it done by everyone? If deterring truancy is the issue, then only distribute a code for the online lecture upon "cause" being shown (note from parent that the child is ill)?

Is there any push for this? Seems like a minor increase in burden (if there is any b/c it seems like the out of class time helping a kid by answering questions for things they missed would be a bigger burden).

[Anonymous]

I have to think it's more than a "minor increase in burden". It would require a significant technological effort.

[Anonymous]

The grammar in your subject line makes it harder to understand your point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The grammar in your subject line makes it harder to understand your point.

I was on my phone typing quickly after a discussion on the matter with an acquaintance. I'm sure you get my point. But, are choosing to be an asshole grammar police instead. Mission accomplished.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have to think it's more than a "minor increase in burden". It would require a significant technological effort.

Like what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to think it's more than a "minor increase in burden". It would require a significant technological effort.

Like what?

Setting up videocameras in every classroom, troubleshooting issues with the cameras/streaming platform/etc. Then dealing with micromanagement from parents who are watching all this just to criticize the teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have to think it's more than a "minor increase in burden". It would require a significant technological effort.

Like what?

Video cameras in each classroom. Bandwidth for the school to livestream 100 classes at a time. A service to host the streaming.

Not a minor expense, and how much time does the teacher spend troubleshooting when something isn't working?

[Anonymous]

Class is not just a lecture to be watched. It is a community to participate in. If you are just watching from behind a screen you are not part of the classroom community.

[Anonymous]

it's a great idea. It could be expanded substantially to allow students to take classes for which there is insufficient interest at any one school but across the system there may be enough interest to create a 'virtual' class. It could allow leveraging the best teachers to create 'MOOCs' that all students could access. Imaging having access to TJ teachers while at your home school. It could result in substantial reductions in transportation expenses. It could address the problems with teacher absences that require substitutes - just live stream another teacher's lecture to the hall. It's not a technological challenge (unless you're a technology consultant looking for a fat contract to install a few cameras). I'll be dissed for that but just look at You Tube for how easy it is to live stream presentations.

I've found the Stanford Online High School that presents an interactive curriculum for 'home schoolers' - they get a great education with completely interactive involvement with teachers and 'classmates'. This is the wave of the future. Instead of scrambling to find teachers who can teach difficult subjects, Principals can leverage good teachers and video their lectures, with supplemental instruction locally. Students can construct curriculums at their own speed - advanced, remedial and everything in between, consistent wit their interests, ambitions and regardless of their age. The 8 yr old prodigy in math can attend his MS english class and take advanced calculus on line. He's with his 'social' peers and still able to be with his 'virtual' academic peers.

This has a lot of potential for increasing efficiencies in addressing ESOL, and SpecEd as well. Ed programs are including artificial intelligence so they can tailor their presentation ofthe material and their questions to the comprehension level of the student. This is a big step forward. Check out the offerings on the Khan academy website.

There's also great potential for tutors to provide individual support to students in the classroom and/or in the Learn periods/lunch and after school. Imaging when the teacher's presentation to the class is livestreamed and a virtual tutor can supplement by addressing questions that the student might raise.

My son is already doing this as he tutors his classmates in Chemistry - so they get a study packet online and share in GoogleDrive and he skypes a conference call with 2-4 fellow students while he works the problems on Google Drive. His peers can ask questions and watch the solution be worked in real time. He's not being paid enough (yet) but this will evolve.

This is going to be a big challenge to the established public school structure but it is clearly the way to improve learning outcomes and use resources more efficiently and FCPS had better be on the leading edge of this!

[Anonymous]

Not to mention all of the support to make sure it was working on computers at the student's home, as well, as having to accommodate for the variety of types of computers (not just PC vs Mac, but also what system they are running, if things are up-to-date. On top of that, not everyone has access to a computer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Class is not just a lecture to be watched. It is a community to participate in. If you are just watching from behind a screen you are not part of the classroom community.

I agree. I think about the groups in my classroom, the math and reading workshops, etc. I don't think anyone would gain much by watching through a video stream. I know the OP mentioned MS and HS, but my guess is many are no longer teaching through the old school lecture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The grammar in your subject line makes it harder to understand your point.

I was on my phone typing quickly after a discussion on the matter with an acquaintance. I'm sure you get my point. But, are choosing to be an asshole grammar police instead. Mission accomplished.

It was a pretty long original post and you are asking for a lot more work to be done by our teachers. What I got was the impression that you want a lot more out of our teachers but couldn't take the time to type your opinion up properly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Class is not just a lecture to be watched. It is a community to participate in. If you are just watching from behind a screen you are not part of the classroom community.

I agree. I think about the groups in my classroom, the math and reading workshops, etc. I don't think anyone would gain much by watching through a video stream. I know the OP mentioned MS and HS, but my guess is many are no longer teaching through the old school lecture.

Also, there would be legal issues ---kids being photographed and all that. It could also stifle some kids--and discussions.

Aside form the technology expense, it would be time consuming.

If a teacher does nothing but lecture, it might make sense. But, that is rare these days--and, for the most part, a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:iIt's not a technological challenge (unless you're a technology consultant looking for a fat contract to install a few cameras). I'll be dissed for that but just look at You Tube for how easy it is to live stream presentations.

Yeah, sorry, I do have to diss you for this. It would involve a lot more than "installing a few cameras." Just to toss out a few things... Even letting alone setting up cameras that would cover the room, unless you expect that the teacher will just stand at a lectern the whole time, the sound quality issues would be ridiculous in a class full of kids. The bandwidth required to stream this stuff would be considerable, especially if you're talking about multiple classes at a time. As others have mentioned, there are significant privacy issues involved with broadcasting where minors are involved and likely to be captured on audio/video. Plus, as a public school system, the stream/recording would have to comply with ADA requirements which are substantial (and substantially expensive to comply with, which is why for-profit companies like Netflix have to be forced to do it by the courts).

I can understand why people suggest this, I really do, but it's more complicated than it might initially seem. Privately created and streamed YouTube videos of individuals just aren't the same thing at all.

[Anonymous]

I think it is a great idea. I also think that it should be made free to students from low HHI families but that others should pay a fee for this convenience .

Problem is that if these are going to be videoed then the teachers can be made obsolete and schools can do away with hiring more teachers. However, they can certainly do something like Khan Academy or even Great Courses. As long as people can make money and it does not take jobs away from people, it will get traction.