A New Way to Engage: Using Video Creation Tools in the Classroom

Overview
Teachers often struggle to engage students when teaching concepts that are, quite frankly, boring.  We have all taught lessons that we knew the students would not enjoy, but are an essential part of the conceptual framework of the subject, so skipping the lesson was simply not an option.  Why not transform these boring lessons into fun, engaging lessons by integrating video creation tools!

Why Video Presentations?
Using video creation tools provides a platform for all students to demonstrate their understanding of a concept in their own unique way.  By providing the opportunity for students to be creative with their video, engagement increases exponentially which leads to a better understanding of the once "boring" concept.

One common fear that teachers have about using technology in their classroom is that it will shift the students' focus from the subject content to the digital tool being used.  Good news!  Video creation provides a content-centered approach to learning.  Students must first have a solid understanding of the concept being taught before creating a video presentation that displays their understanding of the concept.  This allows video creating to integrate seamlessly into any lesson across any subject.

The Tools
Students at New Century Middle School have used video creation tools for a variety of projects across many different subjects.  Here are the tools they used along with their finished products:

Touchcast (iPad and iPhone)
This tool is free and includes a variety of effects including green screen, virtual whiteboard, unique sounds, and many other virtual apps (called vApps).  Students used Touchcast to create videos discussing economic issues in social studies.  They researched an economic issue in America, then created a video to present their findings and give their opinion on how to fix this particular issue.






WeVideo (web-based)
WeVideo is a web-based tool that allows you to easily edit video clips from your computer.  This is a great tool for students who are using Chromebooks.  Students used WeVideo to create videos for Red Ribbon Week detailing the dangers of taking prescription drugs.  This particular video won second place in a drug prevention video contest.






Splice (iPad and iPhone)
The easiest of the tools to use, Spice allows you to create videos using pictures and video clips from your device.  Because of it's ease of use, minimal class time is needed to teach students how to use the tool.  This particular student used Spice to create a digital "book report" on a novel they read in class.  




The Bottom Line
The next time you are looking to increase student engagement during a lesson that is far from exciting, have your students create a video presentation.  Then watch in amazement as your students create digital masterpieces that helps boost engagement and leads to content mastery.

Teacher Spotlight - Joshua Cassellius Union Pines

Today I bring you some integration ideas I learned from Joshua Cassellius, a spanish teacher at Union Pines High School. Mr. Cassellius has been doing an exceptional job, smoothly incorporating technology into his daily instruction. He was an early adopter of Google Classroom to manage workflow and now runs a largely paper free classroom. Mr. Cassellius understands well that Chromebooks are a teacher’s tool for instruction that doesn’t fit every instructional situation. Accordingly, students move their devices back and forth from desktop to backpack efficiently several times in a class period.

Mr Cassellius has been particularly good at using Chromebooks this year to 1) increase student-teacher communication and 2) increasing the rigor of student mastery assignment through creation, collaboration, and publication.

In a recent training session we discussed Today’s Meet. Mr. Cassellius volunteered to his colleagues that he uses it with great success. He make one “room” per course, sets the time limit for 1 year, and posts the entrance code on the “About” tab of the course’s Google Classroom page. Before tests and quizzes he asks students to post any questions they have to the wall. He credits the anonymity afforded by Today’s Meet for the increased increase in student requests for help and as a result better student performance on the quizzes. Similarly he solicits student responses in spanish to verbal questions and as responses are collected peers critique the grammar and word choice without the fear of judgement by peers.

http://blogs.nvcc.edu/kriddick/files/2013/10/todays_meet2.jpg

Mr. Cassellius has also asked that students work in groups to create video presentations with cell phones and WeVideo to demonstrate their mastery of elementary spanish. This one activity allows Mr. Cassellius to reach all 4 of the central components of spanish skill instruction: speak, writing, listening, and presentation. The task is made challenging and relevant because these students have to collaborate with each other to produce mastery work while navigating the non-native language.  

Here are a few sample products by Mr. Cassellius’ students

Learn more about Mr. Cassellius’ tools featured above by clicking the icons below

Southern Pines Primary Students React to...The Device Pilot

Friday, November 14th was a big day for the elementary schools of Moore County. This was the day that devices were delivered to Highfalls Elementary, Westmoore Elementary, and Southern Pines Primary School to be put in the hands of students so that our district could get input from students and teachers as to which device they should go with as move towards our 1:1 goal. Here at Southern Pines Primary, two second grade classes received a cart of Chromebooks to test out and two first grade classes got their hands on a cart of Samsung Galaxy tablets.

It was love at first sight. These students have truly enjoyed the opportunity to test out the Chromebooks and Samsung Galaxies. Their eyes light up when I walk into their classrooms because they know they usually work with their device when I'm in the room. It's hard to have a bad day when you have kids running up to hug you when they see you. To give you an idea of how these students feel about the pilot devices, as well as a taste of what they can create with them, here's a video I made with a Samsung Galaxy using WeVideo.

Find out more information about our Elementary School Pilot by visiting our website here.


- Clint Rogers

What is the difference between an App and an Extension?

In the Chrome store, you will notice that there is a section to select Apps and a section to select Extensions. What is the difference between the two?

Chrome App - Chrome Apps are really just websites that allow you to accomplish a certain task. If I wanted to create a video on my Chromebook, I could go to WeVideo.com or click the App for WeVideo. Downloading apps from the Chrome store allows us to have quick access to websites that we use on a regular basis. Apps are categorized in the Chrome store. This helps me when I am searching for a good website/app to use for a specific purpose. **Note:  Apps now also include many offline-capable applications that work similarly to traditional PC or MAC programs- opening as a separate window.  You can find these under "For Your Desktop" and they're also marked with a lightning bolt in your search results**

Chrome Extension - A Chrome extension gets it name because it actually extends your browser's capabilities across many websites. These capabilities could be anything from taking a screenshot, creating a screen recording, having text read to you, etc. For example, I used a Chrome extension called Webpage Screenshot to take the screenshot you see in this post and to annotate that screenshot. That extension works no matter what webpage I am on. 

Students at Elise Middle School Show Off Their Chormebook Skills!

   

   As students and teachers continue to explore the possibilities with the Chromebook, they will find many ways it can be used to enhance instruction! Mrs. Reynold's 7th graders at Elise Middle School, were instructed to develop a product, and make a video commercial. To create their video, Mrs. Reynolds' students used WeVideo, where they were able to edit and add effects. 

   Click on the links below to check out some stellar student work with WeVideo!

https://www.wevideo.com/view/172342071

https://www.wevideo.com/view/173303445

https://www.wevideo.com/view/173334256

6 Quick and Easy Ideas to use Fresh-Out-of-the-Box Chromebooks

So you've gotten a class set of Chromebooks. Now what?  

Check out 6 easy ideas you can take and use with students while your laptops still have that new Chromebook smell:

1. Research and Note-Taking with Google Docs:  Students research topic(s) and record notes into Google Doc to share with others or save for themselves.

2. Vocabulary Work:  Students create a Google Doc of words and research definitions, record in own words, and insert visual representations for each word.

3. Create and Share with Drawings:  Using Google Drawings, students create posters, flyers, handouts, signs, etc.  Can do solo or invite group members to a shared document.

4. Jigsaw with Google Presentations:  In small or large groups, one student creates a Google Presentation and shares with other members.  Each member is then assigned one piece of the larger puzzle to create a new slide to report back what they learned.

5. Quick Feedback / Backchannel TodaysMeet:  Create a Todaysmeet.com chat room and allow students to use space to respond to questions, reflect on presentations or videos as a group, or stage lively debates.

6. Play, Explore, and Create: Allow students to explore web apps for music/video/animation production.  Great ones to play with that are easy to get rolling:  uJam, Wevideo, Animoto, Picmonkey, and Voki.

Featured Chrome App: WeVideo

WeVideo: Video Creation for the Cloud Generation

Whether you're looking to make a detail oriented video where your students are flexing their creativity, critical thinking, communication and collaboration muscles or you just want to quickly put something together as your lesson activator, WeVideo can be your "go-to" video creating app in your 21st century classroom.

With an easy-to-use storyboard editing interface, WeVideo makes creating your own videos a pain-free process. Or you can step your game up and use the advanced editor mode for all of your students who like to go above and beyond the call of duty.

One of the most convenient features of WeVideo is the publication of your videos.

Once you've synced your google account with WeVideo, you can upload your video to your Google Drive.

If you haven't already, give WeVideo a shot the next time you or your students want to create a video.

- Clint R