I am old enough to remember film projectors.
Back in the day, the projector’s whirring reels held all manner of fascinating information—from presidents to dental health.
The films were quite a novelty in the age of only three TV stations and single-screen theaters.
Even then, teachers understood a variety of delivery methods can make any subject more interesting.
Now with the plethora of media available to our classroom teachers, video becomes much more than a delivery method.
It is a way to customize our content and engage our students in constructive learning.
Using Video in the Classroom
Teachers choose videos that supplement their curriculum, hoping the images will better reach visual and auditory learners. The videos should be one of many exposures to the content, usually reinforcing a print source such as a textbook. Sometimes a video can introduce a subject. In other instances they serve as review (Educational Resource Acquisition Consortium, 2005). They can often extend the learning with visual details, context, setting, and emotional impact.
The key to making the video an active learning experience is teacher preparation. Simply showing videos does not automatically increase learning (Havice, 1998 & Havice, 1999). It is imperative that one incorporate sound pedagogy, as in all lessons. Before the video, activate background knowledge in small groups or with a class discussion. Use only the segments of the movie that are applicable to your subject. Give a viewing assignment, something to watch for during the movie. A graphic organizer can help students keep notes.
While viewing, press pause often to hypothesize, predict, or reflect on what has been seen. If the material is familiar, view the action without the sound and have students narrate. The more the students interact with the video, the more learning will occur. After viewing, students should pair and share what they have seen, quickly write a few sentences about what they learned, or engage in other active review methods that get them talking about or sharing the material in the video (Using Video Effectively, 2007).
Creating Teaching Movies
There are thousands of educational movies available. But sometimes, a teacher cannot find exactly the right one. With today’s easily accessible multimedia tools, teachers can make movies that meet their needs with a minimum of effort. Always mindful of copyright laws, teachers can combine photos, charts, recorded video clips, text, and narration into custom-made learning tools. Students’ needs can be directly targeted without distracting information. Local places and people can be incorporated. Videos can be customized to the school building, showing procedures, school expectations, or examples of student performances.
Teachers can also make movies to be used as part of a student’s portfolio. For instance, a short clip can illustrate a child’s progress on some of the more abstract reading tasks such as word attack and prosody. This can be used in parent conferences to break the jargon down into observable behaviors everyone can understand (Teacher created video, 2002).
A great instructional video starts with a great plan. Focus on what is necessary to meet your teaching objectives. StoryBoard Pro from Atomic Learning is a great free resource for planning the sequence of the movie, with lots of tips for a professional product. Microsoft’s Windows Movie Maker and Apple’s iMovie are two common programs for beginning movie editors. Both come pre-loaded on all their respective brand’s newer computers. A digital camera or digital camcorder can provide the images. Import video and photos from other sources in accordance with copyright laws. Add narration or music as necessary. The movie editing programs have many gadgets available for combining shots effectively. The idea is to create a teaching and learning tool, not necessarily a feature film. Follow the same procedure for showing a teacher-created movie as for any other movie.
Student-Made Movies
If it is so easy to make a movie that demonstrates a teacher’s grasp of content, why not have students show what they have learned the same way? Many arguments against student-made movies come to mind immediately--time restraints, lack of equipment, learning curve for the technology. Then there is the looming 600-pound gorilla: standardized test prep does not allow deviation from the tested curriculum.
On the other hand, giving the students control over the creative decisions promotes more motivation and learning than teacher-directed activities (Walery, 2007). Students will create their own understanding through interaction with the content. As they plan, organize, shoot, and edit their videos, they are becoming experts in the field—however limited that field may actually be. They learn that they have capabilities to plan and execute a real-world design project (Basden, (2001). Assigning video puts the students on the other side of the camera, the productive and rewarding side (Richards, 2006). The deep learning that comes from manipulating, analyzing, and synthesizing the concepts creates the kind of thinkers necessary for standardized test success, and more importantly, real-world success.
It is possible to begin small with the videos. To orient students to the technology, assign groups to record and present a movie featuring students reading their poetry, or doing a lab activity. This gives them a chance to work with the software and hardware without the research aspect. During this phase, the teacher can work out the roles in the small groups, address problems in the procedure, and resolve any technical issues.
Movie making can produce large files, so there need to be limits on the length of movies. Flash drives are a storage option that will allow students to save temporary files and work at different computer work stations (Walery, 2007). Many video formats are used today. It may be necessary to use an RCA or S-video cable to import some types of video (Frequently Asked Questions, 2007). A digital media converter program will convert files to compatible formats.
Create a timeline for production as well as a rubric for assessment. Make these clear to students ahead of time. Assign roles such as director, script writer, and video editor (Bourgeois, 2007). Have students articulate their job descriptions so there is no question who is responsible for what. Brainstorm as a whole group, then break into teams to storyboard. The teacher acts as a facilitator to keep small groups working toward their goals. Daily group reflection time can help refine the process and motivate all students to solve technical and personnel problems.
Conclusion
Teachers have a great deal of choice in the current multimedia environment. Whether they are showing videos, making videos, or supervising student movie makers, the ability of video to affect student learning is undeniable. The key is to make the content accessible to students. When they have time to interact with the information in the video—whether they are the viewers or the producers—they have a better chance to grasp the content.
Thoughtful planning for viewing videos is a must. Creating videos offers a new creative outlet for educators to meet specific needs. Student-made movies are worthwhile learning experiences capable of teaching many layers of content, skills, and work habits. Teachers owe it to the multimedia generation to embrace the new technologies and use them to increase student learning.
References
Basden, J. (November 2001). Authentic tasks as the basis for multimedia design curriculum. T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved June 28, 2007, from http://thejournal.com/articles/15659_4.
Bourgeois, M. (2007). The production process. In Teacher’s guide to making student movies. Retrieved June 30, 2007, from http://content.scholastic.com/browse/subarticle.jsp?id=3482
Educational Resource Acquisition Consortium. (May 2005). Using educational video effectively: A guidebook. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from http://www.bcerac.ca/video/UsingEducationalVideoEffectively.pdf.
Frequently asked questions. (2007). Windows XP. Retrieved June 30, 2007, from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/moviemaker/create/faq.mspx#EUEAC.
Havice, W. L. (Summer 1998). A comparison of college students’ achievement following traditional and integrated media presentations. [Electronic version]. Journal of Industrial Teacher Education.
Havice, W.L. (Winter/Spring 1999). College students attitudes toward oral lectures and integrated media presentations. [Electronic version]. Journal of Technology Studies.
Richards, L. (Summer 2006). Making movies in the science classroom. [Electronic version]. Science Scope, 29, (8), 55-6.
Teacher-created video portrays students’ skill for parents. (June 2002). E-school news. Retrieved June 30, 2007 from http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showstory.cfm?ArticleID=3769.
Using video effectively. (2007). KQED. Retrieved June 28, 2007, from http://www.kqed.org/topics/education/educators/videoclassroom/effective.jsp.
Walery, D. (January 2007). Video editing for the masses. T.H.E. Journal. Retrieved June 28, 2007, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/19911_3.
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