Meet Your Objectives: School Video in Your Lesson

The use of school videos within the classroom has been proven to greatly enhance the learning experience for both the teacher and the student. After all, students of today are used to interactive digital experiences that move. Trying to compete with that on a daily basis can be draining for a teacher and you should look for technologies that can be implemented into your lesson plans to improve the experience for you and your students.

Video as a Tool

Video can bring a variety of benefits to the classroom, the least of which is the ability to change things up a bit. The experience allows your students to travel without ever leaving the classroom; move through time while sitting still; and experience new technologies or processes that would otherwise be off-limits due to accessibility.

School videos provide you and your students with the opportunity to learn about and experience things that would be difficult or impossible without the visual component. They can be used to promote positive behaviors and to motivate, while they extend the lesson you have given. Video also works to strengthen the lesson for students who learn best with visual tools.

Background

The use of video and other technologies in the classroom has been extensively studied. While some may have set out to prove it ineffective in the classroom, the reality is that school videos are effective, especially if you maximize the tools available to gain the most benefit.

Use the zoom feature to get a closer look at detail; don’t be afraid to use time-lapse or frame stops to allow students to explore different perspectives or create their own; manipulate sound and visuals to create a learning experience that demands students think for themselves.

Active Learning

Using video in the classroom is an excellent tool for promoting active learning. You can use the experience to help students engage in the process as it often better matches their mental capacity for absorbing information. Allow students to be curious and speculate about what will happen in the video; prepare pre- and post-viewing activities that promote independent thought and group discussions; and consider the following the enhance the experience:

• Focus questions – keep students keyed into specific concepts
• Viewing worksheets – in various forms, this activity requires students to become more actively engaged in the video
• Viewing with stops – when carefully chosen, stop points enhance attention and engagement with the video topic
• View without sound – allows students to provide the narration and predict what will happen
• View without visuals – students visualize the content to enhance learning
• Post-activities – encourages students to use the information they just gathered

Principles for Use

To ensure the best viewing experience, always preview school videos before using them in your classroom. This will allow you to adequately prepare pre- and post-viewing activities for your students. This process will also you to prepare and hold discussions with your students as to why you are even watching the video and what they should expect to gain from the experience.

Remember that while viewing students can easily fall into television mode where they are really just zoned out while watching the video. In such a scenario, your teaching goals will fall short and the student gains little from the video. Instead, modify the experience by stopping the video and discussing the content. You can also view just parts of the video or stop it before it actually ends so students can come their own conclusions.

Video Evaluation

When trying to determine whether or not a video is suitable in your classroom, consider going through the evaluation process with a group and view the video from a student’s perspective. Remember to review evaluation criteria while viewing the video and examine the entire resource package.

There are both good and bad things to look for in your evaluation process of school videos. On the positive side examine the video for variation in the presentation; age-appropriate humor; organization in sections; and opportunities for individual thought in the viewing experience.

Things that should throw up a red flag include the excessive use of talking heads; illegible or poorly designed titles; unnecessary recitation facts; over simplification; lack of relevancy; inconsistency between visual and narration; pacing issues; excessive use of slides; poor role-modeling; and an overuse of special effects. Any of these should clue you into considering moving on to another video option.

If you’re ready to stop making mistakes using video in the classroom and maximize the potential benefits of the experience, your next step is to download a free copy of “The 7 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make Using Video in the Classroom” from the link below right now.