In our Feb 11 class, we explored how videos can be used as a powerful educational tool. We started by discussing some of the video experiences that helped us learn throughout school. One of the common things mentioned by people were YouTube videos, specifically educational accounts that simplify the content being taught (khan academy, amoeba sisters). Some of the benefits of using education videos in the classroom is making the content more fun and engaging, as well as providing students with a new frame to look at the content.
We also learned about different types of video content, like screencast, which records the screen along with a voiceover explaining what is being shown. I found this particularly interesting as it allows teachers to give clear visual instructions. I am guessing these are even more prevalent and important skills to know since the pandemic, which made personal connections harder with remote learning. We also talked about the power of timelapse videos, which are great for showing processes (a science experiment or art project) without making the students sit through the entire thing in real time.
The guest speaker, Rich McCue, gave us a brief presentation on video editing and showed us some of the equipment available at the library, including a green screen and a podcast room, which I will be keeping in mind for future projects. During the hands-on part of class, we practiced creating and editing our own videos by incorporating sounds, images and using basic editing techniques like trimming and splitting clips. I unfortunately couldn’t save the video I made in class since I used a school computer and the file was too large to send. Since I wasn’t able to keep it, I decided to try screenrecording on my iPad for my inquiry assignment. I filmed myself drawing an image on my iPad, which was a fun way to practice the skills we learned.
One cool tip we covered was how to embed Youtube videos into lessons more effectively. You can choose to only show a specific section of the video by using the share box and clicking the small square in the corner. You can also add subtitles, adjust playback speed and even use analytics to see how long the students actually watched the video for. We also briefly talked about creating GIFs from videos, which could be a creative way to highlight key concepts in the classroom.
Overall, this class really showed me how much potential video has in education. Whether it’s creating your own content or finding existing resources, videos offer so many creative ways to engage students and enhance learning.