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Kodak's ads have it right: there is nothing more delightful to film than the beauty of young children. With the market full of films with similar titles to those listed here, it is necessary to know how to choose among them. What distinguishes a film production by Davidson Films is the careful research that goes into the scripting, the selection of world class experts as consultants and narrators and the meticulous camera, sound and editing work that allows viewers to actually see and hear children doing the things that textbooks tell them they do. PLAY: A VYGOTSKIAN APPROACH With Deborah J. Leong, Ph.D. and Elena Bodrova, Ph.D. This film offers both theoretical and practical perspectives on dramatic play. Using enchanting sequences of young children playing house, doctor’s office, rescue squadron, and trick or treating, the theoretical positions of Lev Vygotsky and other prominent theorists have taken in systematically studying play are illustrated. This film carefully reviews the traditional ways of studying play: the Freudian-Eriksonian emphasis on its emotional content, the Piagetian view of its importance in symbolic representation and the social psychological approach of looking at how play contributes to socialization. Lev Vygotsky’s unique contribution of seeing play as an arena in which a child can begin to master her own behavior is carefully detailed. The video ends with practical suggestions for fostering high level play in early childhood settings. (1996) 26 minutes $250. View a short clip from this film. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-60-3 [ BACK TO TOP ] NOURISHING LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD With Alice Sterling Honig, Ph.D. Using vignettes filmed at an exemplary children’s center, students are introduced to the vocabulary of language studies. Dr. Honig describes the development of spoken language in infancy, toddlerhood and early childhood. She details strategies caregivers should use to nourish language development during the early stages of language acquisition. The video abounds with excellent examples of adults interacting verbally with children, illustrating Dr. Honig’s ardent belief in the importance of language to the intellectual, social and emotional development of young children. (1996) 31 minutes $250. View a short clip from this film. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-55-7 [ BACK TO TOP ] GROWING MINDS: COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY CHILDHOOD With David Elkind, Ph.D. Nothing in human experience is quite so astonishing as the enormous changes that occur during the five short years that transform the newborn into the actively curious, exploring kindergartner. This video examines the work of Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, illuminating the similarities and differences of their contributions to our understanding of the cognitive development of young children. Dr. Elkind uses their research and his own work to look at three aspects of intellectual growth: reasoning, visual perception and the use of language. Children are seen both in interview situations and busily participating in an accredited child care center to illustrate Dr. Elkind’s points about their ever changing intellectual abilities. (1996) 25 minutes $250. View a short clip from this film. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-48-4 [ BACK TO TOP ] HOW CHILDREN LEARN Using animation and jargon-free narration, this charming film summarizes what is currently known about learning from brain research, cognitive development research and contemporary educational practice. Designed to be used as an introduction to discussion of school and teaching practices, this film also serves as an introduction to the study of learning in introductory education and psychology classes. Animation depicts the firing of synapses, the growth of dendrites and the concept of the brain plasticity, making the point that learning is as basic a human activity as breathing or eating. Factors that lead to school success are presented in a model that reflects the work of Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky without mentioning them by name. This video can thus serve as a starting point for a range of audiences interested in educational matters but leery of jargon-filled expositions. In 1998, this film won the prestigious Silver International CINDY Award. (1997) 23 minutes $250. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-56-5 [ BACK TO TOP ] BUILDING LITERACY COMPETENCIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
With Elena Bodrova, Ph.D. and Deborah J.
Leong, Ph.D. We have always wanted all children to read and write fluently. But
with our growing dependence on computer based communication and the
return of public interest in early schooling, much attention is being
paid to the attainment of literacy. Fortunately, some of this
interest has resulted in careful research into what skills,
understandings and attitudes are necessary prerequisites for success
in the primary grades. Filmed in several lively preschool and kindergarten classrooms,
this film reviews the underlying cognitive, social and physical
requirements for all formal education and then presents the literacy
specific understandings and skills that are being widely cited, but
not always adequately described. With instructive visuals from
exemplary classrooms, serious scholarship and clever graphics are
combined to introduce students to the current vocabulary and concepts
of the development of literacy. Rejecting the "either/or"
approach of the reading wars, this video presents an integrated vision
of how the precursors of literacy grow from appropriate experiences
provided by thoughtful adults to the children in their care. The film divides the literacy specific understandings and skills
into two interdependent sets of competencies. The understandings and
motivations that make reading an important activity are called the Communicative
Aspects of Literacy. These include: Purpose of Reading, Concepts
of Print and Comprehension of Text. These continue to grow throughout
a reader's lifetime. The other set is labeled Literacy Skills
and includes Phonological Awareness, Letter Recognition, Alphabetic
Principle, Sound/Symbol Correspondence and Encoding/Decoding. With amusing animated graphics and film of busy children in
preschool and kindergarten classrooms, this film illustrates and
clarifies terminology like phonological awareness and sense
of narrative. Skillful teachers are seen using engaging activities
that foster literacy growth for their young children. Seeing film
sequences
of children involved in activities that foster growth in these areas
enables students to put images to vocabulary that is new to them.
Clever graphics and fully rendered definitions help them visualize the
organization and content of the many factors involved in becoming
literate. This video reviews the underlying cognitive, social and physical
requirements for all formal education, and then presents the literacy
specific understand and skills that are being widely cited, but not
always adequately described. (2000) 30 minutes $250. View a short clip from this film . Go to the complete discussion of this film.Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-71-9 [ BACK TO TOP ] MARIA MONTESSORI: HER LIFE AND LEGACY With Annette Haines, Ph.D.
Montessori’s conception of the changing roles the classroom environment and teacher should play for students of various ages is presented with carefully shot film of toddler, preschool, elementary school and secondary classes at work in accredited Montessori schools. Students will also learn of Dr. Montessori’s own dramatic life through archival visuals and will be challenged to think about what they think are the components of exemplary educational practice. (2004) 35 minutes $250. View a short clip from this film. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-76-X [ BACK TO TOP ] PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT: A TEACHER’S WAY OF KNOWING With Samuel J. Meisels, Ph.D. Our system of education has relentlessly compared one student to another via letter grades and standardized testing. The shift to a developmentally appropriate curriculum has spurred a new look at the methods used to evaluate children’s educational progress. Dr. Samuel J. Meisels presents the rationale behind the current move to performance assessment in primary grades and early childhood settings. The film includes a general introduction to the necessary components of assessment and demonstrates observation against a standard, collection of documentation for a portfolio, participation in parent-teacher/student-teacher conferences, and the use of these tools to make evaluative judgments of a child’s progress. The film proposes that a wider range of information is possible when assessment is a part of daily classroom life and not a once a year event. This is an excellent introduction to assessment issues for teachers-in-training and in-service training at a district or site level. (1993) 21 minutes $250. Go to the complete discussion of this film. Visit our Support Materials section to view or download the Learning Guide and Discussion Topics for this film.
ISBN: 1-891340-61-1 [ BACK TO TOP ]
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Born
more than 25 years before Piaget or Vygotsky, Maria Montessori understood the
constructivistic nature of all learning. |
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