Let's begin by pointing out all the videos you will need...
The Early Childhood handbook is a bit complicated when it comes to the number of videos that you will want to record. There are two clips that you will need for Task 2 and the bulk of this post is about scoring well on those Task Two videos that are required.
However, there are other video clips that you are allowed/encouraged to submit for Task Three and you need to be aware of those as you are in "recording mode."
List of Required and Recommended Videos for Early Childhood
Requirement: You are required to have 2 instructional videos for Task Two. More about that in the next section of this blog.
Recommended: There are other videos that are suggested for Task Three. These are pieces of evidence that could also be document files or audio files, but often the best practice is to record a video. These "optional" Task Three videos are:
Two Learning Experience Videos - For each focus child, 1 video or audio clip of no more than 7 minutes in length, showing the child's language/literacy development.
Two Work Samples - If your assessment is oral, then you will need to video record your students. For each of the two video/audio work samples there should be no more than 5 minutes per focus child.
Two Feedback Files - In order to give developmentally appropriate feedback, it is recommended that you audio/video record your feedback. These files should be no more than 3 minutes per focus child.
One Vocabulary Use File - You have the option of recording and submitting an extra 5 minute clip that showcases your class as they practice vocabulary.
There is a possibility that you would submit nine video clips with your edTPA!!!
Let's focus on the Required Clips first...
One of the more frequent questions that I get is...
"What do I need to record for Task 2?"
Your official edTPA handbook tells you this on page 21:
"Clips should demonstrate how you interact with children and create a positive learning environment to support
active, multimodal learning language and
literacy learning in an interdisciplinary context"
This fits very well with the central focus of the Early Childhood handbook. (Click here to read about that.) In other words, you will need to record learning experiences where the learning goal is language/literacy development. You will need to include interdisciplinary connections and the children need to be active and the activities need to be multimodal.
For Mamaw Yates resources that are appropriate for the Early Childhood handbook, click here.
Making a Level Three
When thinking about the evidence that you want to record, the best approach is to make sure that you have evidence for a level 3 before looking at level 4 or 5. In most cases, you cannot achieve a level 4 or 5 unless you reach level 3 first. Think of level 3 as the cake and levels 4 and 5 as the icing.
Using a tool such as this, will make scoring well on Task Two easier.
The rubrics associated with your Task Two videos are Rubrics 6, 7, 8, 9. To make a level three on those rubrics, you should have video evidence of these things:
A positive learning environment. Specifically, you will need evidence of:
YOU being respectful towards students,
your rapport with students
mutual respect among students
a low risk learning environment
Students are engaged in learning experiences that promote language/literacy development.
children need to be active when their language is being developed. Examples are:
singing & dancing
play & movement
hands- on: crafts, drawing, painting, manipulating clay or playdough
talking or writing
Evidence of YOU connecting new learning to prior learning learning.
For example, you are introducing the letter M and you say, "Who remembers the story about Curious George we read yesterday? What animal is George? (monkey) The word Monkey (write it) begins with the letter M."
For example, if your literacy/language goal for the learning segment was the letter b, then a science connection could be learning about Bats. Your video clip shows you making this connection and you explain the connection in the commentary.
SAMPLE:
"In Clip 2, I made interdisciplinary connections in ways that deepened children’s development of language and literacy. In order to promote a deeper understanding, I embedded the disciplines of math and social studies into the language and literacy learning experience. I embed the discipline of math and children were able to figure out (using the vocabulary word “cost”) if the amount of money I had (in examples using the number $10, $3, and $5) was more, less, or equal to the amount of money for the cost of the banana (which had a $5 label on it) and this is demonstrated from 3:01-5:01. I also embed the discipline of social studies because children are differentiating between needs and wants and are able to tell the difference between the two (at 0:24-0:33, one child is able to say that a want drink is a soda). Incorporating math and social studies into the learning experience helps children put visuals (like the banana having a “cost”- math concept- and the want and need/nutritious foods- social studies concept) to their vocabulary definitions for cost and nutritious to practice where now, they have more descriptor words for scenarios they can apply/use them towards..."
Trying for Level 4 and 5
After you have concentrated on making level 3, you can add in any evidence that could help you get a level 4 or 5 on rubrics 6-9. In most cases, the attainment of a level 4 or 5 doesn't have to do with specific behaviors or activities in your videos. Instead, you reach a level 4 or 5 based on how well you incorporate the behaviors/activities that you would have already planned in order to get a level 3.
Note: Scores above 3 on Task 2 rubrics are quite rare.
Evidence that your learning environment/experience is challenging (Rubric 6, level 4)
Evidence that you have encouraged the expression of varied perspectives (Rubric 6, level 5)
Evidence of using multiple modalities in your learning experience. (Rubric 7, level 4)
Evidence of linking personal, community, or cultural assets. (Rubric 7, level 4)
Evidence that you have built off of student responses (follow-up questions). (Rubric 8, Level 4)
Evidence that your interdisciplinary connections are embedded in your lesson rather than added as if it were an afterthought. (Rubric 9, Level 4)
Recording your Instruction
For your Task Two, you need
2 video clips
Total time of the clips should be no more than 15 minutes. Your total time cannot be less than 3 minutes. When you add your time from Clip 1 to your time for Clip 2, the total cannot be less than 3 minutes or more than 15. (Clip One + Clip Two = 3-15 minutes)
This is the challenge: Submitted video clips for Task 2 must be continuous and unedited, with no interruption in events (e.g., you may not edit a video clip to remove "quiet time" when students are working independently, edit out physical transitions, or edit out disruptive behavior).
Before you record, test your camera and microphone. You will want to make sure that
the children's voices need to be heard - this will likely be the greatest challenge,
at least 4 students need to be seen in the course of your video, and
during the course of your video, be sure that YOUR face is shown.
More Details Abou the Other Recordings...
There are other things that you will need to think about while you are recording. There will be recordings that you need for Task 3. Read your handbook for Task 3 to understand more.
Select two focus learners before you record for Task Two - The type of evidence needed for Task Three causes me to encourage you to choose your focus learners before recording your instruction for Task Two. This is because of the evidence that you need for Task 3 needs to be collected during the time that you are teaching and recording. In choosing your focus learners, think about the range of ability within your class. One of your focus learners should have a learning need but don't choose someone whose needs are so great that the work is too difficult for them. The other focus learner should be more representative of the ability level of most of your children. It will be important that you have chosen these children in advance so that you can make sure that you get the video recordings that you need for your artifacts.
Once you've chosen your focus learners, be prepared for these additional recordings:
Part A: Video or Audio Evidence of Learning - In addition to the work samples that you collect for Task 3, you are asked (not required) to submit additional videos called Part A Evidence of Learning, one for each of your focus learners. These video or audio recordings show evidence of each focus child’s development of language and literacy related to the learning segment. This could be video of the focus learners in a small group setting, one on one session, or whole class. If it is a video in a group setting, then you will just point out which student is the focus student when writing your commentary.
Part B: Work Samples - You will need a work sample from these focus learners. This will be a "copy" of their common assessment. It may be an image of their work or a video recording. It's very likely that these will need to be recorded!
Part C Evidence of Feedback - It will be important to audio or video record your feedback. I talk more explicitly about feedback here. Since your children are probably non-readers, you will want to audio or video record your feedback. Note: your children do not need to be present when you record your feedback. Although it is nice to see the children this isn't required.
Part C Evidence of Vocabulary Use. Evidence of vocabulary use may come from (1) the video clips from Instruction Task 2, (2) an additional video clip of one or both of the focus children during the learning segment, AND/OR (3) the evidence of learning from Assessment Task 3 (Task 3 Part A Evidence of Learning). When you write prompt 3 on the Assessment Commentary, you will point out evidence of when students used, attempted to use, or struggled to use vocabulary.
Remember, take things a step at a time and ask for help when you need it!
Check out this great Task Two Planning Tool:
Don't Let edTPA Stand in Your Way!
Mamaw Yates
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