Monday, November 22, 2010

Video Production as an Instructional Strategy: Content Learning and Teacher Practice

Norton, P., & Hathaway, D. (2010). Video production as an instructional strategy: Content Learning and teacher practice. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education,10(1). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol10/iss1/currentpractice/article2.cfm

This study examined teacher-learners’ reflections about the use of video production in their K-12 classrooms for evidence of content learning, the factors facilitating teacher use of video production, and the challenges teachers reported. Findings demonstrated positive content learning outcomes as measured by objective tests, rubrics, and anecdotal evidence. Integrating video production facilitated connections to content, student motivation and engagement, the use of alternative assessment, and shifts in teacher identity. Challenges faced by teachers included issues related to equipment, logistics, and time. The study concludes that video production, when understood as an instructional strategy and not as an object of study, has an important role to play in K-12 content learning.


Transforming Practice: Using Digital Video to Engage Students

Hughes, J., & Robertson, L. (2010). Transforming practice: Using digital video to engage students. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol10/iss1/languagearts/article2.cfm

In this article the four pedagogical components outlined by the New London Group (1996)—situated practice, overt instruction, critical framing, and transformed practice—were used to focus attention on the case studies of three beginning teachers and their use of digital media (particularly the creation of a digital literacy autobiography) in an English language arts methods class and their subsequent and transformed use of digital media with their own students in the classroom. Their shifting perceptions of multiple literacies were explored, as well as how these shifts in thinking helped shape or transform their ideas about teaching and learning language arts. Through the analysis of the three case studies, four persistent themes were identified related to students’ use of digital media both in the program and in their teaching practice. Specifically, these themes focus on the performative, collaborative, and multimodal affordances of digital media, and they tap into the potential for using digital media as “identity texts” in student learning.

Digital Video and Teaching : Suggestions for each subject

Bell, L., & Bull, G. (2010). Digital video and teaching. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1). Retrieved fromhttp://www.citejournal.org/vol10/iss1/editorial/article1.cfm

Subject Area
Student Activity

Social Studies

  • Watch video clips of people and places outside of students’ local experiences and historical reenactments.
  • Analyze video as a historical artifact or scrutinize political ads or product commercials to encourage critical thinking.
  • Create mini-documentaries about historical events to hone research and interpretive skills or make movies about current cultural customs and traditions to broaden students’ perspectives.
    (Hammond & Lee, in press)

Science

  • Watch video clips of phenomena that engage them in scientific questions, elaborate on or apply a concept, or invite observation and inference.
  • Analyze video to make predictions, find patterns, take measurements, or determine classifications.
  • Create video of events and scientific phenomena that students have an interest in exploring further or that present students’ understanding of a concept.
    (Park, in press)

Mathematics

  • Watch video-recorded events to visualize mathematics in nature and art and to set contexts for mathematical inquiry.
  • Analyze motion mathematically or examine the pattern and symmetry of choreographed dance, for example, or marching bands.
  • Create video that enacts a specific function or solves a mathematical problem or demonstrates understanding of a mathematical concept.
    (Niess & Walker, in press)

English Language Arts

  • Watch video that engages students in meaning making and interpretation.
  • Analyze video to consider the effectiveness of combinations of spoken word, print text, soundtrack, image, and motion.
  • Create video as a multimodal text to express ideas and connect with an audience.
    (Young & Kajder, in press)

Reading

  • Watch video as a prereading visualization activity that builds prior knowledge and engages students in the topic or view video renditions of fiction and drama for critical comparisons.
  • Analyze students’ reading performances for self-reflection and feedback.
  • Create videos that demonstrate reading and composition skills or reading comprehension.
    (Michael McKenna & Carrie Simkin, personal communication February 16, 2010)

Physical Education

  • Watch video of others’ skill performance to learn techniques.
  • Analyze students’ skill performance for both self-evaluation and teacher feedback.
  • Create digital video clips of others’ skills or performances to demonstrate understanding or make fitness/wellness advocacy/public service announcement videos for an audience.
    (Jennifer Krause, personal communication, February 13, 2010)

Languages Education

  • Watch video clips of everyday conversations in films or television broadcasts or music that can be replayed and processed in multiple ways.
  • Interact with native speakers through live video conferencing.
  • Create video of student conversations or skits or narrations of past events that demonstrate language mastery.
    (Ruth Ferree, personal communication, February 16, 2010)

Impacting Academic Achievement With Student Learners Teaching Digital Storytelling to Others

Figg, C. & McCartney, R. (2010). Impacting academic achievement with student learners teaching digital storytelling to others: The ATTTCSE digital video project. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 38-79.


University researchers, teacher candidates, language and technology instructors, student learners, and families from diverse backgrounds partnered in an invitational teaching/learning experience—middle school student learners teaching their VIPs (very important persons) how to create stories and construct digital movies with reference to their family history. Prior to a university-based workshop, 2 weeks of structured activities using the Model of Digital Storytelling (Figg, 2005) focused on rich language development, oral history, and movie- making technology in a community-based summer enrichment program designed for underachieving student learners. Teacher candidates facilitated the workshop interaction between student learners and their VIPs. Data sources included interviews, exit surveys, reflective journals, research field notes, and student/parent-created artifacts. All participants were positively impacted through this digital storytelling process. Noted improvement of writing and technical skills, increased motivation due to VIP involvement, and greater awareness of future educational opportunities for student learners were among the key findings of this study.

History of video edit software

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_editing_software

Timeline list of all video edit software. Includes release dates.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Digital video for every classroom

http://www.techlearning.com/article/2166

In this article, many levels of digital video in the classroom are explored, from the simpliest to more challenging types. It discusses a "scaffolding" system, where students learn how to make a simple video and then can progress to more complex videos as they become more comfortable and excited about the process. This article is useful to access what level of video your students should be producing.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Writing with Visual Images: Examining the Video Composition Processes of High School Students

Bruce, D. L. (2009) Writing with Visual Images: Examining the Video Composition Processes of High School Students. National Council of Teachers of English. 43(4) 426-450. Retrieved October 21, 1009 from www.ncte.org

In this article, High school English students create music videos using a variety of storytelling and multimedia skills. They work in groups to create these videos over a semester long project. This article is a great example of a long term video project in a classroom setting. The complexity of the creative process, as well as the frustration of technical issues during the production and editing processes are described in depth. Overall, the students showed great preference to video making over writing traditional papers.


Link

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Creating classroom media with various tools

(2009, May) The A/V Club Next Generation. Technology and Learning. 29(10), 27-28, 30-31. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from Wilson Web database.

This article explores how 3 teachers with various backgrounds transformed learning in their schools with the aid of digital media.

The first one is a teacher with a digital media background transformed a high school communications department with creative usage of modern media applications. He guides the students through the applications to create a digital portfolio that can be used for finding jobs after graduation. The school district invested in his program when he was able to convince them that digital media is used in all industries today. He stresses that these classes will make them better prepared for any job and the projects are as realistic as possible. A list of applications and hardware used in the class is given.

The other teachers focused on in the article made their own mark in their classrooms with a variety of mediums such as SMART Boards, to Google Earth, to social networking. This article overall will be of great help to my project because it gives realistic and highly varying examples of successful video creation incorporation into classrooms.


Engaging Students in Cross-Curriculum Video Making

Kulla-Abbot, T., Polman, J.L. (2008, Spring) Engaging student voice and fulfilling curriculum goals with digital stories. THEN: Technology, Humanities, Education, and Narrative, 5, 38- 60 Retrieved October 13, 2010, from EBSCOhost Discovery Service.

This article emphasizes the collaborative aspects of student created digital video. The variety of tools now available for video creation is immense. In these projects,g projects, groups videotape, edit, and create digital stories, which incorporate multiple media, and deal with issues of point-of-view, context, and communication of ideas. The article discusses an example of story telling through digital video creation in the classroom. This project gave students experience with creative, narrative and persuasive writing. When completed, the videos showcased grade level curriculum and integrated communication arts with social studies, science, and technology. This thorough example of digital video in the classroom is a great resource for those looking to incorporate student created video into any k-12 subject.

Shooting Classroom Video

Van Horn, R. Shooting Classroom Video. (2001 October) Phi Delta Kappan. 83(2), 2. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from EBSCOhost Discovery Services.

This article discusses the complexities and challenges encountered by a teacher creating digital videos in his classroom. He gives suggestions for creating higher quality presentations via various video cameras and audio accessories. He gives a variety of ideas for all stages of the production process, from how to set up your shots to post post production. His suggestions would be invaluable for a video editing novice in the classroom.


From Watching Newsreels to Making Videos

Hammond, T. C., & Lee, J. (2009, June/July) From Watching Newsreels to Making Videos. Learning and Leading with Technology. 36(8), 32-33. Retrieved October 13, 2010, from EBSCOhost Discovery Service.

This article discussed the power of creating video in the history classroom. It explains how videos' stop and go flexibility makes it of great use in history classroom. Digital video can be used as a catalyst for students' critical thinking and analysis. Teachers can create mashups for vides to identify how media messages were conveyed during critical historical events. The article stresses that the most powerful way to immerse students in critical thinking is by making them create video documentaries. While gaining a firm grasp on content, the students can develop their research and critical thinking skills. In addition they learn how to use historical artifacts and interviewing skills.

Video making in the classroom success story

Carl, J. D. (2008) Making History. Technology and Learning, 28(7), 26. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Wilson Web database.

This article gives an example of a highly successful use of video editing projects in a high school history classroom. The students created documentaries on the local community history with an emphasis on veteran affairs. It describes how a teacher with no video production background whatsoever, taught himself how to create documentaries. He then encouraged his students to create mini documentaries on local history. The collaborated with the local community to create and then revise the documentaries for accuracy. In addition to learning about local and veteran history through making the documentaries, the students learned filmmaking and took a highly active role in learning.