How might you use video to support learning?
Videos in the classroom can be used for a variety of reasons such as when you have something you need to show or explain to the kids that you do not have the resources for like science experiments that the school does not have the resources to do, for language if you are teaching a language unit which you do not have the ability to teach such as pronunciations or grammar rules for.
Videos can be used to give students different perspective or voice to listen to and watch instead of it being the same teacher’s voice and perspective the entire time. Videos can also be used to look at things that the students cannot see themselves either for it taking too long or for it being too far away such as in the case of erosion during an earth science unit or watching different environments and their ecosystems. Videos could also be great for situations such as de-synchronized learning like during COVID for teachers to be able to record videos for students to watch on a topic at their own pace as they work through projects or for a student to re-watch if they are behind on a project and need to review information about the assignment.
Also, videos are just fun like the stop motion videos we did in class, creating something like that as a class is a great way to teach students some different types of creative work or showing them what went into making some of their favourite types of media including the YouTube stop motion videos.
We learned to make screen casts which I definitely struggled with especially since I find it so odd to talk to myself or to a screen, I did try my best and though I may not enjoy it nearly as much as talking face to face, it is an option as a teacher. This screen-cast that I made is very minimal since I was honestly just glad to have made it this far with having recorded it.
The screen cast I made was made with Screencastify about epicbook.
I personally feel that I would avoid creating videos like this since I strongly dislike having to listen to my own voice, especially recordings and do not think I could handle listening to myself while editing it. Though I can see myself really enjoying using videos from district resources or from YouTube, or even having students make their own stop motions. Having videos from resources or from YouTube can be great for students to get a different perspective or to have a break from my own speaking as well during times when they need to be listening. Having students make their own stop motions like we have also done in class as a great way of practicing their collaboration and using their creativity while also practicing patience since it does take quite a bit of time and effort to create a stop motion video.
A drawback can definitely be that students do spend so much time looking at screens and I would like to limit such contact when possible during the school day to have them have more interpersonal work and more time unplugged which they may not have lots of outside of school. Another drawback is one that I experienced lots when I was in school, I was in french Immersion and there were very few resources in french for our curriculum in BC that we had available so I have concerns about the availability of resources that meet your needs as a teacher your your class especially as someone who is planning to go into teaching french Immersion myself.