VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

VSTE Voices

Making the Cut for 2021: Video Editing Options for Your Instructional Videos

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We made it to 2021! Although, 2020 was a year that was filled with the unusual, the unprecedented, and the undesired, it was definitely a time that all of us had to learn new strategies to reach and teach our students. This in a way, was one of the most exciting years I’ve seen in educational technology as most of us dove head first into the world of virtual teaching and learning, picking up new tools and techniques that will serve us well in the coming years. For that part, I am thankful and anticipate some amazing advancements in our field to help promote and cultivate what has started to take root throughout the world of education.

One of the most exciting parts of this new territory, is the use of video instruction that we have seen surge in our classrooms. Pre-2020, most of us used some form of video instruction be it YouTube, TeacherTube, Vimeo, or those huge laser disks from the early 90s that are still hanging around some Biology classrooms. In 2020, there was a surge of teacher created videos, personalized for their individual classrooms, as the blended learning model began to roar like the MGM lion before a long awaited action film.

And with this surge, came the cry for ways to edit, clip out, and enhance videos before release. Classrooms have become mini studio offices for many divisions as teachers create countless clips for their students. This being the case, I thought it would be beneficial to list some of the the best video editing options I have found that won’t break the bank and will give you the cutting edge you need to make amazing videos for instruction.

Camtasia
screenshot of camtasia programOne of my favorite video editors on the market today is Camtasia. It has been my go to software solution for creating and editing videos for many years. Although it comes with a $250 price tag, it is definitely worth every penny as it has built in green screen/color remove, audio enhancement, clip speed adjustment, and even cursor and gesture effects to make your videos sparkle and shine. The built in library of lower thirds, transition effects, background audio, and intros make this a top choice for anyone looking to up their video creation game. Being the powerhouse it is, Camtasia will only run on a Mac or PC. Never fear Chromebook users, yours is next in line.

Clipchamp

Screenshot of clip champ pluginFor the Chromebook users out there, let me direct your attention to Clipchamp, an amazing cloud based video editor that gives you a production studio inside the comfort of your favorite browser. With transitions, textoverlays, and a stock footage library, Clipchamp gives other video editors a run for their money, especially when it comes to users with limited hard drives and processing power. Another amazing feature recently added to Clipchamp is the ability to import and edit videos you have stored in your Google Drive. As with many services today, Clipchamp is free to use unless you want some of the more advanced features such as custom logos on your videos, picture in picture, and higher resolution exports. Prices range from $10-$40 per month with varying levels of awesomeness packed in each step.

iMovie

I wouldn’t be much of an Apple enthusiast if I didn’t mention their go-to FREE video editor that is available on MacOS and iOS/iPadOS. Although not much has changed in iMovie in recent years, it is still a top contender for the amateur instructional video creator, especially with iCloud integration that allows you to work on a video project using your iPad, then move over to your Mac or your iPhone as needed, or vice versa. If you have an Apple product, I would highly recommend checking into iMovie if you haven’t already.

Adobe Premiere Rush

screenshot of adobe premiere rushFor the Android users, Adobe has you covered with an amazing resource for creating video productions. You’re possibly familiar with or have at least heard of Adobe Premiere, the high end, Hollywood quality video editor that can do about anything you want in regard to special effects and video wows. Enter, Premiere Rush, Adobe’s mobile option that doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles as its parent product, but has enough to keep you busy creating amazing videos using your Android, iOS/iPadOS, or desktop. The free trial allows for limited exports but at $10 per month, it’s definitely a great and affordable option for your video editing needs.

There are so many other options out there for you to choose from when it comes to creating and editing your videos, far too many to name in a single blog post. Options like HitFilm, WeVideo, Filmora, and FilmoraGo, are definitely worth looking into if the ones mentioned above just don’t seem to fit your needs, and if you still don’t see one you like, it’s worth a Google for sure. The biggest and most important part of finding the right video editor for your instructional videos is finding one that works for you. Happy editing and Happy New Year!

Written by Daniel Vanover. Daniel is a Technology Coach for Wise County Public Schools with 14 years of experience in education.  He holds a M. Ed. in Educational Administration and Supervision from Lincoln Memorial University and is a Google for Education Certified Trainer.

Providing Quality Feedback with Hippo Video

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Professor James Pennebaker from the University of Texas at Austin noted that in the history of learning research, the role of feedback has always been paramount: “When people are trying to learn new skills, they must get some information that tells them whether or not they are doing the right thing.” While feedback is widely accepted as essential for meaningful learning, it is often something that teachers struggle with the most. During the pandemic, as students and teachers have been thrust into uncharted territory with some or all learning online, feedback has become even more critical for student success. This has forced many instructors to get creative in the use of online tools to provide feedback in a number of ways. One such way, we can provide our students with timely and in depth feedback, is by utilizing a number of video tools such as Hippo Video that will help students grow in their knowledge and skills.

Why Feedback Matters?

While the term feedback is used to describe a wide range of comments in the classroom, feedback is elementally information about how we are doing in our efforts to reach a goal (Wiggins, 2012). Beyond value statements, advice, or simple evaluation, feedback is observable and always goal oriented. Supported by decades of education research, the idea that we can produce greater learning by teaching less and providing more feedback is recurring, (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2000; Hattie, 2008; Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001). It is more than a grade, a checkmark, or advice, helpful feedback is goal-referenced; tangible; actionable; specific and personalized; timely; ongoing; and consistent (Wiggins, 2012).

In the traditional classroom, that feedback is an ongoing process of feedback loops between the teacher and the students as well as between students. In the online classroom, feedback can occur in online live sessions but for many instructors feedback is relegated to the comments inserted in a Google Doc. But is that the best or only way to provide effective and timely feedback? Not if you have a tech tool like Hippo Video.

What is Hippo Video?

Hippo Video is an easy video creation tool for teachers or students. It allows you to record a digital whiteboard explainer, lesson activity or lecture, interview through webcam or screen record an entire web browser, including audio to boost engagement rate and video for nonverbal cues. Hippo Video is browser based or you can utilize the Chrome extension to quickly launch it to use it with webpages or other applications. It offers a simple interface that allows you to login with your Google Account and record in just a few clicks. When you are done you can edit and export videos into multiple platforms or formats ranging from Youtube to Google Classroom to Google Drive or download them.

The Benefits of Feedback with Hippo Video?

So you have assigned an essay for your students. They turn it in through your LMS and you begin the long and often arduous process of providing comments and corrections. This can take hours and hours and I often find myself wanting to say more but feel pressured to give “timely” feedback. Then after I sent my written feedback, I still have students who do not understand or need more information to be able to improve their work. This is where using video feedback tools like Hippo Video really can help save time AND provide more detailed feedback for your students. With video feedback, you are able to provide detailed feedback in a way that is more economical for the learner and can be watched again and again to help them edit their work toward the specified goal.

Hippo Video is essentially a screencasting tool that allows you to record your screen, audio, and even video. In this application, I primarily use the screen recorder and audio to focus attention on the student’s work. Thinking back to Wiggin’s definition, helpful feedback is goal-referenced; tangible; actionable; specific and personalized; timely; ongoing; and consistent (2012). Using video feedback helps you to focus the students attention to their work and provide clear evidence of their learning and progress to their goal.

The video can be watched on any device and repeated if necessary making it tangible and very personalized to the student. Because you can quickly and easily produce unlimited quality videos, you can make this type of feedback timely, ongoing, and consistent as well. While, video feedback is a great way to utilize Hippo Video, you can use it to create a wide variety of videos for your students and they can even create their own videos to demonstrate their learning. Give it a try by installing from the Google Chrome Store.

References

Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. New York: Routledge.

Marzano, R., Pickering, D., & Pollock, J. (2001). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Stenger, M. (2014). 5 Research-based tips for providing students with meaningful feedback. Edutopia, August 6, 2014. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger

Wiggins, G. (2012). Feedback for learning. Educational Leadership.Volume 70 Number 1 Alexandria, VA: ASCD, pgs 10-16.

Written by Heather B. Askea. Heather is an Instructional Technology Coordinator at The University of Virginia's College at Wise Center for Teaching Excellence. She is also a member of the VSTE Board of Directors.

DEI Task Force Mentoring Committee Launches Webinar Series

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Join us live for the inaugural episode of our webinar series on November 30, 2020 at 11:30 am. The series, hosted by Charles Randolph and Jennifer Orr, will highlight the work of VSTE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force and bring our viewers information for educators around Virginia. Meet members of the task force and learn about our professional development and mentoring work.

photo of Charles Randolph

Whether you are a veteran or a newcomer, the webinar hosts welcome you and look forward to sharing ideas with you. Stay tuned for future webinars.

Join us on Zoom

How I Became a Believer in Maker Education

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My first experiences with maker education came while serving students at a juvenile detention center as an Instructional Technology Coach. I knew that maker education had the potential to empower our students and transform how they experienced learning.photo of a bamboo plant Then, one student made me a believer. One August, we had a 17-year-old male enter our facility. He was a newcomer to the United States, his English proficiency was limited, and he had little formal education. The allegations against him were serious and he was struggling with depression and anxiety. He was a student in crisis and nowhere near available for learning.

For months, our school staff struggled to support this student and engage him. One day, we had a breakthrough. The student’ science class was studying plants and had been nurturing beans, avocados, and corn under a grow light. The student started to take an interest in the plants, offering to be their primary caretaker. Seeing this interest, I immediately went to our principal’s office and retrieved her lucky bamboo plant, which was on the brink of death. His science teacher and I challenged the student to revive the principal’s plant.illustration of a 3D model of a planter

I could not have imagined what happened next. Over the course of a few months, the student propagated a new plant from the remains of the old plant and gave it proper nutrients, skills he learned from watching self-selected YouTube videos. He designed and 3D printed a superior container, ensuring the plant’s roots would have better drainage.

Then, he learned the basics of soldering and constructed an Internet of Things device that constantly checked the soil’s moisture level. If the plant’s soil was too dry or too wet, the device would push a notification via Blynk to the principal’s smartphone. He proudly shared his project goals with anyone who would listen, including the center’s administration.

Seeing his project come to life was incredible, but it pales in comparison to the changes within the student. The student’s mental health started to improve, and his confidence grew. His rate of English acquisition exploded. He discovered a love of learning. He no longer wanted to retreat into his cell; he yearned to be in school. The student’s new love of learning drove him to enroll in GED program. Maker education re-made and saved that child. In education, we often speak of teaching the whole child. Witnessing the power of authentic learning convinced me – maker education addresses the whole child and must be available to all students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a rapid re-imagining of our lives and institutions. As we trailblaze the wildernesses of virtual and concurrent learning, our challenge is to keep learning personal and experiential. Bringing maker culture into our virtual and in-person classrooms is daunting, but possible. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it has affirmed that there is nothing educators cannot do. The past several months has challenged us in ways we could never have envisioned, but, when I imagine what can be, I find myself energized and full of hope.

Written by Tim Cruz. Tim is the Coordinator of Instructional Technology for Prince William County Public Schools. He is driven by the belief that every child, regardless of situation or circumstance, can accomplish amazing things. Connect with Tim on Twitter at @twcruz.

Google Educator Group NoVA (GEGNoVA)

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What is a Google Educator Group?

Google Educator Groups, GEGs, are communities of educators coming together to share ideas, build connections, and help each other grow. From the very start, GEG NoVA has been a community of lifelong learners - people so dedicated to their craft that they take time out of their personal lives to join us and learn even more. That dedication to students, families, and communities keeps us going. While GEGs are considered local groups, members are not required to live in that area. You can be a member of as many GEGs as you would like! Additionally, membership is not limited to teachers. Administrators, coaches, students, or anyone interested in using Google tools to facilitate learning is welcome to join. 

What inspired us to start GEG NoVA?

GEG NoVA was born out of our passion for both educational technology and community-oriented organizations. Theresa and I met through EdCamp NoVA, an unconference at which participants decide the topics of discussion on the day of the event. We both were passionate about how this learner-centric PD could engage others. We eventually both ended up joining the planning team for EdCamp NoVA, but soon realized that a semi-annual event wasn’t enough. It was from that motivation to find and create learner-centric, in-the-moment PD that GEG NoVA was created! 

Why are we community-focused?

We believe that it’s through open and honest collaboration that education can truly thrive. With this in mind, all of the work and content that GEG NoVA puts out to the world comes from our membership. By focusing on building up each other, we not only share our wealth of knowledge, but we build the leadership capacity of everyone involved. For some of our members, this might be the first professional development organization they’ve ever joined. As a community, we want members to build on that courage to put themselves out there and develop into well-rounded leaders, able to make real change in their schools. 

How can you connect with GEG NoVA?

As a community, we are active on multiple platforms including Twitter, Google Groups, and YouTube. Are you interested in getting involved in GEG NoVA’s leadership or presenting a topic to the community? Fill out our interest form!

Follow us on Twitter for the latest updates: @GEGNorthernVA

Join our Google Group!

Watch our previous webinars on Youtube!

Check out our website for more info!

Written by Tyler Witman. Tyler is an Instructional Technology Coordinator for Arlington Public Schools and co-founder of the Google Educator Group of Northern Virginia.