VSTE

Virginia Society for Technology in Education

video

Lights, Camera, Learning: Why Video is the Star of Education

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Written by VSTE Board Member Chrystal Elmore (@elmore_chrystal)

In education, tapping into students' innate abilities is key to fostering meaningful learning experiences. One powerful tool that aligns perfectly with students' natural inclinations is video. Let's explore why integrating video into education is not just beneficial but transformative:

  1. Students are natural storytellers.
    It's no secret that students possess a natural inclination towards storytelling. Video provides them with a medium to unleash their creativity and storytelling process. Whether it's crafting narratives, presenting ideas, or explaining concepts, students can harness the art of storytelling to deepen their understanding of the subject matter.
  2. Most students already spend a lot of time watching and making videos.
    In today's digital age, students are immersed in a world of videos. They spend hours consuming content on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. By incorporating video into education, educators can leverage this existing interest and familiarity to create engaging and relevant learning experiences.
  3. Encourages students to be creators, not just consumers.
    Video empowers students to transition from passive consumers to active creators. Instead of merely absorbing information, students become actively involved in the learning process. They take ownership of their learning journey, exploring topics, conducting research, and producing content that reflects their understanding and perspectives.
  4. Allows students to create personal connections to the content.
    Video offers a platform for students to personalize their learning experience. They can relate course material to their own lives, experiences, and interests, fostering deeper connections with the content. This personalization not only enhances engagement but also facilitates long-term retention and understanding.
  5. Enables Multimodal learning.
    Every student learns differently, and video caters to various learning styles. It combines visual, auditory, and sometimes even tactile elements, making it a powerful tool for multimodal learning. Whether students prefer visual demonstrations, verbal explanations, or hands-on activities, video provides a versatile medium to accommodate diverse learning preferences

Looking for some inspiration on how to incorporate video into your classroom? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Create a personal/subject narrative
  • Record Interviews
  • Stop Motion
  • Make a video tour of significant locations
  • Record Video Self-Assessments
  • Book Reports
  • Step-by-Step Videos
  • Newscasts

Our district uses Canva to create videos in the classroom. Canva for Education is like the Swiss Army knife of design platforms—it's versatile, user-friendly, and packed with features tailored specifically for students and teachers. With Canva, students and teachers have access to templates, stock photos and royalty free music to use in their videos!

Incorporating video into education offers students a dynamic platform for student expression, engagement, and learning. So let's grab our cameras, cue the lights, and embark on an educational adventure where creativity knows no bounds. After all, in the grand production of learning, every student deserves a starring role. Lights, camera, learning—action! 🎬✨

Cultivating Voice and Choice with Choice Boards

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Choice boards have been a hot topic in recent years, and whether you have dove in or not, here are a few tips for making choices boards purposefully and engaging for beginners and choice board lovers:

Make it FUN and Engaging. Consisted a theme that the students will connect with.

What standards do you want to cover? Keep it manageable and concise.

Consider the modes that students will use to complete the activities. You want to have something for auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic learners, but also keep the rigor similar for all modes.

Keep in mind the amount of time they will have for the assignment(s).

Be prepared for early finishers and slow starters.

Here is a short video that goes into greater detail with a few examples of how to construct the boards.

Written and produced by Jennifer Blais. Jennifer is an ITS for Salem HS and Green Run HS in Virginia Beach. You can connect with her on Twitter @MsJenBlais and see more of her work on her YouTube channel.

Webinar: Dr. Penni Sweetenburg-Lee

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In the April 2021 edition of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar, Dr. Penni Sweetenburg-Lee, Director of Training & Alumni Development Programs for the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, discusses the organization's work and the services they provide to the people of Virginia.

The webinar is hosted by Dr. Nicci Dowd.

Webinar: Share Your Story, Get that Job

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In the second of two March 2021 editions of the VSTE Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Webinar, Katie Fielding asks some relevant questions: has the past year made you think about changing schools, changing roles, or moving into educational leadership? Do you remember making a portfolio in your education program that involved a lot of page protectors and slipping in pieces of evidence? Or maybe you haven’t given your digital portfolio an update in a while.

Watch as Katie offers guidance on creating a portfolio strong both visually and content wise that will allow you to “Share Your Story, Get that Job”.

The webinar is hosted by Charles Randolph.

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.