Reflection number three

This week we were required to look at 3 different digital technologies for use in the classroom to improve learning outcomes; images, audio and video. While I can see the benefits of each, as you know I have a special interest in film and television so the choice to focus on digital video was an easy one for me. Although I have spent a lot of time watching movies and shows and brainstorming my own ideas for screenplays I have had only a small amount of experience in the actual putting together and editing of footage for a video. Before today I also hadn't really thought about the benefits of using video's in the classroom for improving learning outcomes. There are many different ways video's can be incorporated into the classroom both as a tool to assist students learning and encourage higher order thinking.eg. acting as a visual aid or stimulus, or as an activity for students, to develop their technological skills as well as to increase their learning outcomes. During senior English in year 11 and 12 we were often asked to write persuasive essays, stories or feature articles pushing a particular point of view, positioning viewers to feel a certain way or appeal to the senses. Often we were asked to respond to a statement or the opinions of classmates on current issues. We were forced to express ourselves and evoke the emotion of readers through words. In this context the incorporation of video's can assist learning outcomes in two different ways. Firstly if the students were asked to make a video rather than write an essay they would be able to use powerful photo's, pictures or film to show their point of view. Sometimes a picture can speak a thousand words. Students would learn how the use of the slow motion effect on a video or the black and white effect on a photograph can enhance the power of a captured moment, how it can force a viewer to feel sad or reminiscent. They would also be able to add a song to evoke more emotion or add auditory narration if they wanted to add opinions, explain facts or tell a story. Using a video in this way encourages the same type of thinking but allows students to express their thoughts through a different medium. Secondly a video can be used as stimulus material, weather the teacher presents the students with a video or they view each other's and are then asked to respond, they are able to engage in higher order thinking. I made a video earlier today using Pinacle video studio, using a collaboration of pictures and film of my trip to Cambodia. I used pinnacle over movie maker simply because I have had a some prior experience with it. Although I picked it up quickly and it was usable and would probably be quite user friendly for older students, I would probably like to further investigate some of the other movie making programs to see if their scaffolding would be better suited for use by amateurs. I did find it very easy to upload my video to a youtube channel and embed it into my blog, so that also opens up the option for video sharing and collaborative learning. The following is Coldplay's music video for their song Strawberry Swing. I just thought it was a really cool example of a stop motion video which is one of the styles of video editing. Obviously this is professionally made and would take unbelievable hours of work but it would be a good example to show students to get them really excited about making a stop motion video of their own. It shows how you can make a moving 'movie' with an arrangement of still pictures/drawings with a voice over lay. I thought this would be cool idea to try with a young group of students, maybe grade 2-5. Perhaps it could be based on a nursery rhyme or on a story the students write themselves. The students could draw the pictures of the story and then record them narrate over top. This provides the opportunity for a lot of creative thinking on the students part, from the writing of the story, to the drawing or laying out of a backdrop, to taking the photos and then to making them into a video. For younger grades the lesson may not be in the video making itself, maybe the teacher could actually put it together but in the creative process. This is also a great opportunity for collaborative learning and it gives the students something to be really proud of. They can then upload it to their youtube channel or the class or individual's blog. The stop go video also opens up the discussion of how animations are made.Wow there's just so much I could write about the benefits of using video's as a technology in the classroom but I think you get the idea that there is multiple uses and multiple learning experiences to be had with this wonderful technology across all ages and types of learners.