Technology Has Devoured Delivery: Why Use School Videos in Instruction?

Quick History

The use of school videos and other multimedia in the classroom has contributed to the learning experience for years. From watching video tapes in the classroom to conducting distance learning, video has enhanced lessons and made learning more fun. The challenge in this technology however, is that it is limited to its entertainment value and the maturity of its audience. To gain the most benefit, you need to know how to overcome this challenge.

Capturing Interest

Video incorporated into education allows you as the instructor to capture your students’ imagination and interests. In fact, when technology is used, students are motivated to learn as they often don’t even realize they are learning. When you allow your students to be engulfed in a well-structured video experience, they can get excited to be in class.

Going Digital

While a switch to digital does not necessarily guarantee that your students will immediately jump on board with the lesson, it is an improvement over traditional video methods. Keep in mind that your students are becoming adept at using computers and are used to newer technology options. Using digital in the delivery of your school videos helps to better keep your students engaged in the lesson.

Digital video applications also allows for the use of distance learning in an interactive setting where you and your students can communicate via computers in real time. Digital options can also be used in the elementary space to create videos for a class project or an extension of an in-class lesson. The digital technology enables individual students to take ownership in the project and apply their own unique touch.

Digital Application

Beyond the technology advances offered by digital video are the benefits associated with its application. No matter what the subject matter is, you can incorporate digital school videos into any lesson in order to make the teaching experience more effective. Students even have the option of creating their own digital videos for other students in order to pass lessons along to those in a younger grade.

Whether the project is to create a video in your elementary classroom to be used by the kindergarten class, to capture a special event held at the school or within the community or to produce an archival project such as a yearbook, the use of digital video can allow for complete collaboration. Once the video is complete, it can be published on the Internet to allow parents, peers and other educators to view the students’ work.

Obstacles for Use

The application of digital technology in the classroom can be met with specific obstacles. Perhaps you are worried about your ability to effectively use the technology, which carries over into your ability to teach your students. This is an area where some training is necessary, but well worth the time investment and is very easy to master quickly. You do have the option of learning along with your students if such a process works well within your environment.

You can also run into financial obstacles when seeking to implement digital video technology into your lessons. Convincing administrators that this is a worthwhile expense can be challenging if they do not already understand the value. As technology becomes more commonplace within the school setting, some of these obstacles will diminish, but there are other workarounds as well.

Digital videos can be made and edited using simple and inexpensive solutions. This allows for quicker administrative buy-in and valuable student interactions. After all, neither is seeking state-of-the-art technology, but the educational benefit involved in the experience itself.

Summary

While the use of digital school videos will vary depending upon the age of your students, the motivation it can inspire in all learners is its most valuable aspect. By allowing your students to feel they are active participants in the process, students internalize specific knowledge and facts, learning whether they want to or not.

If you’re ready to start experiencing the benefits of using video in the  classroom, 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.