History and Getting into Character to Deepen Understanding

In History in Year 4, after the students have studied the journeys of early explorers and navigators, they look at the stories of people who had journeyed on the First Fleet.

They examine reasons for the journey, the people who travelled and their experiences following arrival.  Key to their study is an examination of different perspectives of people who were involved in the events of this time.    One of the assessment items they produce is an historical recount.

One option for the students in the presentation of this assessment item was to use green screening to ‘make their characters come alive’.   There was a group of ‘class experts’ to teach the students how to use this technique if they wanted to.   These students had used this technique for their ICT Explorer Project and there were also a number of students who had been mentored already by these students.    The use of student experts is another valuable opportunity that is revealing itself from this trial.

I happened to notice that the students were down in the Bunker involved in this session and popped in to watch for a while and not once was my input needed.  The students were running this part of the session with enormous expertise.   Of interest to me was that Mr Schutz had never used green screening before but was more than comfortable allowing the class experts to handle this part of the technical aspect.    Students learning alongside teachers in today’s world is necessary if we are to fully harness the opportunities that technology presents to us.  What Mr Schutz had recognised was that this technique was increasing engagement and motivation for some students and in doing so, prompting a higher level of academic work from them.    He was differentiating and by watching the students doing their presentations, I could easily see the benefits of allowing students to choose this technique.

The use of green screening was not compulsory.   The recount had to be presented orally but this could be done in the classsroom by standing up and presenting it to the class.   Those who had chosen to add the dimension of green screening had to go to the effort of selecting appropriate clothing,  changing hairstyles, adding dirt and grime to their faces and then selecting an appropriate background to replace the green screen.    All of this effort would have added to their depth of understanding of the concepts involved.

Sure –  this took more time and effort.  The students however, had set up the equipment and were providing the expertise.    Mr Schutz marked as he watched and also had them filmed so he could build on his assessment notes later.

I am looking forward to seeing some of the final products!

 

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The girls organising their iPad to film the subject but also to run an auto-cue app to assist with the reading of the narrative.

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This is what the subject can see.  Gen was looking at an iPad with an auto-cue of her narrative but then on the left she could see the green screen app with the historical background replacing the green.

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These two convicts are waiting for their time to be green screened!

photophoto2  alexextramisseed 

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