Reflecting back on one of my predictions for this year, video IS hot. As NYSCATE continued, I heard from many different people about how excellent projects involved video. In a session I attended presented by Apple Distinguished Educator Carol LaRow titled Exemplary Student Technology Projects, ALL of the projects had video as the product.
Video is a powerful medium – and the reason it is a great learning tool is because it forces the creators to perform their knowledge, not just recall it. It is harder to manage video projects, the learning is messy, but it is so worthwhile. The tools for great video production arrived a few years ago, and we are finally starting to see the possibilities come to life.
Image: “Attic studio: Enough Computing Power?” by moriza, via Flickr
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5 responses to “Video is Hot”
We have been talking a lot lately in my Educational Technology course about using technology in the classroom. I personally am a big fan of incorporating technology from the teacher standpoint. I think of this like using video within lectures or presentations. I am also very interested in video as an assessment tool. I think the potential is huge for students to create projects and presentations on video. This would completely “force the creators to perform their knowledge, not just recall it” and that is the ultimate goal. I wonder if video would take more time to actually create the project than necessary. I know that many students are comfortable using PowerPoint and can make a presentation much more quickly than they could on video. I am sure video is much more effective in presentations but is it worth the time and effort to train students?
I believe it is worth the time and effort – not for every single learning activity, but for key times. Kids are incredibly motivated to do video, and it puts the control of the learning and product in their hands. That being said, there are ways to structure a projectso they do not have to spend large amounts of time on the techie side. The focus needs to remain on the content.
I went to NYSCATE 06 and attended several sessions. I found them to be worthwhile and informative. I agree with MRusso that video is hot. The cost of cameras has come down over the past few years. Most computers have video editing software on them, and students can easily learn how to use them. Videos are fun to use. Students are still required to learn all of the information necessary for the subject, but now have a new and unique way to present what they’ve learned. Carol LaRow’s session on student projects covered a wide range of student project possibilities – everything from student videos to podcasts to webpages. She showed how to make the connection between multimedia and curriculum. It showed that students enjoyed doing the work and that they really did learn more than if they did it the old way.
[…] In a post at the beginning of the year, Video is Hot, I talked about how video captures the minds of students. I have transformed my own thinking about this into what is called digital storytelling. This is by no means a new thing in education – its just that I’ve finally gotten to the point that I understand it enough to work with it more fully. There are lots of great resources available, many of which I have just spent some time with. […]
[…] The conference last year helped push me to where I am in helping learners tell their stories (see this post from last year). My presentation is on this page here at […]