January 20, 2010. An article entitled "Examining Student Thinking Through Video Analysis" by CCNMTL educational technologist Michael Preston appears in the latest issue of Educational Technology Magazine (Vol. 50, No. 1, January-February 2010), which is a special issue on video analysis in teacher education. In the article, Preston discusses how preservice early childhood teachers engage with VITAL, the web-based video analysis system developed by CCNMTL and Prof. Herbert Ginsburg of Teachers College.

From the introduction to the article:

For preservice teachers, videos of children interacting with other children or with teachers can serve as more than a repository of "virtual kids." An inquiry-based approach to watching such video, supported by tools that allow for frequent and close viewing, provides an opportunity for prospective teachers to develop their skills of observation and interpretation before entering the classroom. Furthermore, the in-depth study of videos - particularly if the videos capture situations that reveal something about children's thinking - creates a context in which teachers can act as researchers by gathering evidence, developing hypotheses, and coordinating this information as a guide for further inquiry and teaching. Over time, close and repeated viewing and analysis of video helps shift focus away from the teacher and to the child, and allows for a richer conception of the relationship between children's performance and understanding, to help better inform teaching.

Learn more about VITAL.