KIDS' REPORT CARDS --- ON VIDEOTAPE 

Honestly now, when was the last time you really got a good understanding from reading your kid's traditional report card?

Did it show what he was learning? Could it express enthusiasm or lack of it? Did it show the way he approaches a problem? What did it reveal about the school itself? A new day is dawning ... the video report card.

The parents of students at an opinion-writing class at San Diego State University in California get the grades and what lies behind them on their home television via videocassette report cards. Ninetyfive percent of the parents receiving the modern report video approved. It draws the family together and shows the rest of the family how brightly, or otherwise, offspring are performing.

Students have to request the video critiques and provide blank tapes. Currently the tapes are running about 30 to 40 minutes in length. An introduction segment starts the show which includes classroom activities, perhaps the student building or discussing something along with the evaluations of his work and work habits.

According to Professor Donald Sneed who heads the class, the new method of colourful dynamic visuals outshines dry, static print. "The standard university report card today is a computer printout, a piece of paper that only says A, B, C, D or F, he explains. "There is no elaboration on why the grade was assigned. On videotape, you can provide much more information. You can even zoom in on papers to provide specific examples of a student's work.

"Probably the greatest indirect benefit is what the student learns about new communications skills while helping to develop the report card video itself. Students are aware that it's now a video world and what was good enough for Mom and Pop won't cut it in the new age.

Not all educators think it's a great idea. Glen Broom, acting chairman at the same university's journalism department is not a fan. He claims that it takes too much time to prepare " ...(and because of that) you would not have time to do your job." Since electronic journalism is the dominant segment today, teaching things applicable to the future where the real jobs are, isn't what this "old world" journalism teacher feels is beneficial. Broom also objects to sending video reports to parents. "We are dealing with students here," he states. "My client is the student, not the student's parents." Yet if the student participates and volunteers and knows his parents will get a copy, how can that be an invasion of privacy? I suggest that chairman remember that parents' taxes pay part of his salary.

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