Video!

I love using video clips to support lessons. I think that there are so many great videos out there, although sometimes hard to find, and students can really benefit from the visual imagery, motion and audio.

The How-To video I chose is on how to create a Podcast, or audio track. I just recently learned to use the program discussed in the tutorial, and the end product was really cool. I made a documentary type project for another class that allowed me to narrate, use interviews and insert sound effects and music to create a piece that reaches multiple senses. I think that students would be very interested in creating this type of project. Students can create audio projects to express their own stories, analyze other works, act out literature and even write their own creative pieces. Students often connect with music, and this program can help relate sound with the spoken word.

I also picked a video that looks like a student project. Currently I am observing in a classroom where they create videos all the time. This particular project shows a student exploring literary elements in Shakespeare's Macbeth. I think that a video project can be a great way to make traditional texts more relevant for students. They can gain ownership of the material if they are able to create something of their own design and production.

The last video is informational about the serious topic of bullying. I used this video when I student taught to try and show the seriousness of bullying in schools when it came up while reading The Catcher in the Rye. This video is extremely serious and sad, but I think it was important to share with the students. Many were shocked at the information. Video clips can help bring outside information and the stories of others into our classrooms to help students understand and relate to experiences, causes and topics with which they might not be familiar.

So much potential, so little time! The only tricky part with using videos in classes is that major video hosting sites such as GoogleVideo and YouTube are often blocked in schools. While I understand the reasoning, this can also block many important and educational tools. But there is hope! There are sights such as zamzar.com that allow free video capturing and converting. I used this site when I wanted to bring online videos into classrooms where the internet or access to video sites was lacking. Hopefully there will be easier workarounds in the future, but for now this works!