We will be asking you to videotape at least one lesson on your long practicum and, to do that, you will need permission from the parents of your students. Most students will have signed some form of consent for photography at the start of the year. You need to find out who has consented and if the permission given extends to you taking video and still images for your educational purposes, namely for use in your ePortfolio and for the analysis of a videotaped lesson.
Here is a form you should use to get the required permissions, if need be. Be sure to add in the details where prompted and, before you copy the letter to send home, to proofread the file to make sure it reads in a way you’re comfortable with. While the gist of the letter should remain the same, you can feel free to make subtle tweaks to the style:
[NOTE: This is a different form from the one I first posted. There were some significant concerns with a lack of clarity in the original letter. – LH on 3 Nov 2010]
Print out one, copy as many as you need for the students in your home room, and hand them out. Set a due date and over the Tuesday visits collect them in. You have a lot of time on your hands now so you can chase those who have late forms. Also, this will give you another opportunity to connect with the students in your class.
Cheers,
– Lawrence