Time management for a teacher is everything. Just ask Sabrina Barilone, ceramics and IB Art Instructor at Central Fine Arts Magnet and IB High School in Macon, Georgia. After 17 years helping students bring out their inner artist, she has now become a wizard in classroom time management. Her tech tool of choice is ScreenPal. With the help of her self-made instructional videos, she is mentoring the next generation of great artists, while reaching new heights in her teaching abilities.
Barilone, is a Georgian through and through. She graduated from Georgia State University with a bachelor in Fine Art in Art Education, concentrating on ceramic sculpture, Summa Cum Laude. She quickly landed her first job at Norton Park Elementary School. And over the next 15 years, she would reach for every grant she could get her hands on, enriching her students’ lives with art. She built partnerships with key organizations to help her students dive deeper into the world of art. From the High Museum of Art to the Atlanta Ballet and Symphony, she worked to bring art to her kids. In her latest endeavor, Barilone was recently appointed to the City of Macon’s Inaugural Public Arts Commission.
Seeing the Value of Video
As her career carried on, she eventually took a workshop on time management. It was there that she learned about ScreenPal. She jumped head first into videos.
“What made me choose ScreenPal is because I saw results immediately, and I saw the value. The time investment it takes to make a video was really worth it. Of course, as you are learning something new it always takes a bit longer, but as you get used to making the videos it really comes faster,” Barilone said.
Video Helps Cut Time In Giving Instructions
Many elementary teachers feel the pain of repetition. You give instructions to your class and you say them over and over again. Barilone recalls she would give the same instructions up to 6 times after she announced them to everyone. Those days nearly vanished when she began to use her videos in class.
“If I have a video, I can just hit play. And while that’s playing I can do something else like monitor the classroom or fill up paint trays,” she said.
How Video Has Helped Her Become a Better Teacher
These days Barilone’s focus is on older high school students. Her videos are used in class to explain student projects. She touches on the requirements and includes a demonstration of the technique and processes to elevate their work. Her classroom environment is flipped, where her students spend less time on the lecture and more time hands-on in the classroom.
“Making videos I feel like has made me a better teacher in some ways. It makes me plan ahead and really focus on what targeted learnings I want to cover. It makes me really think about using my time wisely and saying what I need to say. The key to engagement is to give a lot of clear ideas and teach technique in a very short amount of time.”
Barilone believes once her students have grasped the basic set of instructions, they can go back to the video to master the technique. “ScreenPal allows you to take your information and make personalized videos that fit your curriculum and cover your standard base. It really helps you focus on what is necessary.”
Saving Time With Video
Barilone’s art classroom is flourishing with video. She noted it’s efficiency in class and how it works for students. Now, while her videos play, she is able to take a step back and observe her students, seeing the whole picture. Some questions she asks herself: How are her groups working together with other individuals? Have students who missed class caught up? Are there some students who require more time to consume the content before they feel confident applying the knowledge to their current skills? Are they able to support and help each other?
She said overall, her investment in her flipped classroom has been well worth her time, “It allows me to multitask, and manage behavior. It allows me to be two people at once.” She also noted it helps differentiation. Some of her students worked quickly, or some needed more time, or others just needed her content on a loop. With her video stations set up throughout her classroom, she is able to reach all her learners, those who missed class, as well as her fast and slower learners.
For a teacher looking to get more of their time back, Barilone says put some work into your videos. Make them the best they can be and know you can always tweak or update them as needed. Although it may take you some time creating them, the investment in creating a flipped environment pays off huge rewards.
Share Your Story
ScreenPal would like to thank Sabrina Barilone. If you have a story to share, please email our marketing team (marketing@screenpal.com).
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