the lives of teachers

I wrote a couple of weeks ago about some of the possibilities opening up with new digital video recorders, and I’d like to explain in a little more depth a particular project I worked on with a class recently. This represents a full cycle of work over a number of lessons.

Step One

Everyone is familiar with youtube, but it is not the only video streaming site in town. Videojug is devoted specifically to instructional videos, submitted by both amateurs and professionals. The site is searchable and browsable, so the first task was for students to go and find a video and prepare to report back to their peers in the next class.

Making a how to video

I recommend you choose a suitable video yourself and go through the process as a class first. With this particular class, we had just finished a unit in the textbook ‘Face the Issues’ (a high-level book using authentic US radio recordings from NPR) in which two experts discussed how to buy fresh fish. This video followed on neatly.

Step Two

Students got together in groups to talk about the videos they had watched. Then they decided what they would like to teach someone else to do.

How To Prep List

Storyboard

The story board was important not only for the students to visualise what they wanted to do, and to increase their efficiency when actually making the videos, but was also important for me at the editing stage.

Step Three

We watched this video in class and discussed good technique – basically, I wanted to make sure that the students thought about camera angles, camera movement, lighting and sound.

How-to video checklist

Students then went away in groups and made their videos!

Step Four

Each group returned and gave me their video camera and thier story board. I put each set of raw files into a separate folder, then edited each one together in iMovie using the storyboard as a reference, and uploaded it to vimeo (password protected). It really doesn’t take long, and was no bother for me. I’d love to show you one, but in fairness to the students (in various regulations) I’m afraid I can’t. Take my word for it, they were fantastic ; P

Step Five

Students went away and watched their videos, and completed a reflection on the task.

How-to (Self Evaluation)

Conclusions

Students responded really positively to this task, and came up with some really creative and interesting work. They sourced props, scouted locations, came up with scripts and detailed storyboards…. mostly in their own time. I still think that recorded and transcribed conversations can be very valuable, but handing over as much control as possible to the learners is a wonderful feeling.