It’s time once again to highlight some of the best posts and resources I’ve seen in and around the blogosphere that feature video production and digital storytelling in the classroom.
Classroom Production Examples
Karen Thompson shared these movies by Cindy Huson which are a simple yet ingenious and amusing way of teaching vocabulary words.
Steve Katz has a fun video production of Paul Revere’s Ride, The Minutemen.
Ann Oro shares a sixth grade example explaining population density.
Brian Crosby has several examples of science demonstration films.
Classroom Struggles and Triumphs
Kevin Hodgson shares Scenes from a Digital Storytelling Project. This post has several parts and they’re all worth reading. Kevin shares with great honesty the process of making movies in class including problems of technology and classroom management.
Mr. Mayo connects his students via Skype to another classroom making movies to learn about the process of filmmaking and posting those videos online. Anyone starting out with making video in the classroom can benefit from what the students themselves share about the process.
Silvia Tolisano of the Langwitches blog shares her experiences using a green screen in class.
Kids and Online Video
Dean Shareski explores the pain of a bullied students’ internet pleas in a post that speaks to the power of video as a form of communication sometimes more powerful than the written word.
On a related note: Should you let teeny boppers be Youtube Stars?
Guides and Tutorials
Richard Byrne provides this free printable guide to making movies on the web.
Lifehacker offered a complete beginner’s guide to editing movies.
Showing Movies in Class
In a case of be careful what you wish for, special education teacher, Elona Hartjes shares what happens when her district finally unblocks Youtube and she struggles to develop an acceptable classroom policy.
Inspiration
7 Great Cell Phone Videos. Use what you likely have readily available in your classrooms.
The Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock. These are great. You too can shoot like you know what you’re doing.
Here’s a late 90’s Beverly Hills high school musical version of Star Wars. Great fun if you like Star Wars and musicals.
12 Gorgeously Designed Vimeo videos from Mashable.
Thank you to the teachers who’ve shared their work online for everyone to benefit. Please feel free to share your own links in the comments.
I have been using video in my classroom for years, but I have recently tried some new things in my class this year. I had 7th graders create stop motion movies about ancient China. My 8th graders create video book reports. Stop by my Facebook page Ideas for Teachers to see the stop motion video and http://www.ideasforteachers.org to see the video book reports. We are doing a lot of cool stuff in class, and I am sure many of you are too. Check out the website and Facebook to see how we are using video in our classroom. Thanks!
There are so many great videos out there for use in the classroom. They really help drive the point home to students by using different techniques to hit visual and audio learners. Sometimes a video can explain a topic or much better than the teacher could verbally. My favorite use of videos is for a “virtual field trip.” They are a great way to show students places and things too far away to travel to such as the Smithsonian Museums.
I think it is the parents and teachers who should make education relevant to students. Technology must become nothing more than a tool. Where alll are able to have access to hardware and applicationsif needed.Laptops, iPads, and laptop computers — paid for with the help of state dollars — are becoming an increasingly popular sight in classrooms.