Visualisers can transform teaching and learning in the classroom but they are also a powerful presentation tool for teacher training and Continual Professional Development (CPD).  

As an example of ‘disruptive technology’, your HUE visualiser can act like a jet engine for learning and power training, and building professional capital in a range of contexts.  

The HUE HD Pro comes with HUE Intuition software which allows you to record videos with sound and save them locally, email them or upload them to YouTube. This opens up a whole new world for CPD purposes and here are 10 good reasons for using a visualiser.   

1. Getting colleagues onboard

It would be nice to imagine that there has been ubiquitous adoption of visualisers in classrooms but not all colleagues have climbed onboard, and some still need convincing. One of the first tasks of CPD and training, therefore, is to show, tell and share with staff just what visualisers can do and to sell their benefits. It will provide them with a real sense of “what can technology do for my practice?”.

This involves sharing videos of you and other staff using their HUE cameras illustrating just what they are capable of and how they can be used and integrated across the curriculum for teaching, learning, assessment, classroom management, inclusion, engagement, parental conferences and more. 

The next step is to train staff in using visualisers rather than just expecting them to fend for themselves. For example, you could show how a colleague uses their HUE camera for annotating and editing images in real time. When they realise that it’s possible to add text of different sizes and fonts, select existing text, rotate, add colour, underline and even delete annotations, they’ll be itching to try it out for themselves.   

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2. Lesson observation

Perhaps the most effective use of your HUE visualiser is for micro-teaching and lesson observation. Although teachers are familiar with being observed in person, visualiser-enhanced professional development can be a central part of the way teachers learn in schools.

The idea is that teachers watch a recording of a master teacher modelling a teaching practice and then try the same themselves, also whilst being recorded. The master teacher can watch the recording and provide performance feedback on how a particular practice or strategy was implemented. This can include anything from questioning skills to non-verbal communication and can provide the little nudges needed to improve performance.    

3. Live action 

If you are an expert in your subject or you have a reputation for classroom craft then live streaming is a great way to support your colleagues during their non-contact time. All HUE cameras are Plug & Play and can stream video footage with just about any app that recognises a USB camera.

Staff can watch a colleague teach live and learn from their tried and tested methods. This is an easy way for fellow teachers to capture tips and techniques that they might find useful and may wish to adopt.    

4. Self-observation

One of the ways to improve our teaching is to simply watch ourselves in action and that doesn’t always have to involve our colleagues. Sometimes just watching ourselves, self-reflecting and self-critiquing is enough to iron out some weaknesses but also build on our strengths.

Recording video of ourselves is essential because we don’t have a clear picture of what we do when we do our work.    

5. Tutorials

Using your HUE HD Pro camera you can create video tutorials, instructables, wiki-style Hows, step-by-step guides and teacher hacks on pretty much any curriculum subject or professional development area you want. 

These can then be accessed by your colleagues at any time remotely and watched over and over again. A library of professional development videos can quickly be built up.

6. Flipped learning

When it comes to remote education, live learning isn’t always best and can be less effective than asynchronous approaches. 

Ofsted, (2021) note in their research that “Using recorded lessons produced externally can allow you to easily draw on high-quality lessons taught by expert subject teachers.”

Flipped learning may not come naturally to some and learning this practice from those with experience can prove invaluable.

What a HUE HD Pro is ideal for then is providing students with a video before their lesson so you can use actual class time for discussion or analysis or for practical demonstrations.

Research has shown that reviewing materials beforehand yields significant improvements in engagement, test scores, and overall long-term learning.

7. Video conferencing camera

With applications such as Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other video conferencing applications, you can use your HUE HD Pro to talk to and see other classrooms or virtual guest speakers anywhere in the world. These are therefore perfect opportunities to involve CPD guests to talk on a range of training needs and to be a live presence in your school without actually being there physically. 

The HUE HD Pro camera is especially useful for carrying out live video experiments and video conferences with other schools.

8. Remote learning

Lockdown learning caught virtually all teachers on the hop as many teachers had no training in using visualisers. Yet they are a brilliant way to help students feel as if they’re learning in the room with the teacher and can help unlock learning. 

This is especially helpful with schools that are implementing hybrid teaching for students learning in-class and online as this is likely to be a way of life for some while yet. 

As Ofsted (2021) comment in their research, “Until mass vaccination is achieved, local lockdowns, class and year group bubbles and individuals self-isolating are likely to remain part of daily life.”

This means your HUE HD Pro is going to be an invaluable support.  

9. Distance learning in class 

One of the most effective ways to build professional capital is to support colleagues in using their HUE HD Pro in a socially distanced classroom context. 

Post-lockdown, teachers will be concerned to keep their classrooms as safe spaces to learn and this is where a visualiser can really help. When close interaction is off-limits then your HUE HD Pro can be an easy-to-use tool for keeping teaching and learning up close and personal without compromising health and safety guidelines.      

10. Comparative judgment

When it comes to training staff in assessment using a comparative judgment (CJ) approach then your HUE HD Pro can help compare work examples and discuss. This helps staff improve their guild knowledge and develop their assessment by pairwise ranking skills. 

This is also the opportunity to promote the use of visualisers for CJ in class where students compare and contrast pieces of work.       

And finally…..

Your HUE HD Pro is a versatile multi-tasking tool that can be used for any subject and, despite their many advantages, they are still not widely used for CPD or training. 

Although they have a firm foothold in the classroom, it’s high time they kicked down the staffroom door and made their presence known there too.

The dynamic relationship between technology and pedagogy is challenging teachers to transform their practice, something the pandemic has forced us all to do.

Ironically, COVID-19 has contributed to teacher self-efficacy through an intense journey of discovery, experience, reflection and professional development and adopting new ways of working, a place where their HUE HD Pros have played a starring role.    

For many, using a visualiser has upskilled staff,  teachers have gained digital proficiency and this has led to an improved learning experience for their students. 

At only £49.95 + VAT you can afford a HUE HD Pro in every classroom.

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Guest post written by John Dabell.

John trained as a primary school teacher 25 years ago, starting his career in London and then teaching in a range of schools in the Midlands. In between teaching jobs, he has worked as an Ofsted inspector, national in-service provider, project manager, writer and editor. You can follow him on Twitter @John_Dabell.

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