I have spent most of my time in the last few weeks making videos with students and teachers. I am finding that the more time I spend watching and helping students put videos together, the more highly I think of video projects in the classroom. Video projects are one of the times where I have observed students actively engaged in thinking about what they are doing, which doesn’t always happen.
Here are some reasons that videos should be a part of every class in every school no matter the age being taught. Granted, I have only worked with 5th through 12th graders, but I think in the right setting, any age of student can handle the basic process with some guidance. Okay, here’s the list:
1. High student engagement.
2. Real student thinking.
3. Collaboration with peers.
4. Students learn to work through a process.
5. Exercise problem solving skills.
6. Learn a valuable 21st Century skill.
7. It’s totally free (if you already have the equipment)
8. It is fun! (This is my favorite)
Great list, and certainly, something to be passed along to teachers wanting to dip their toes into video but not sure how to explain the rationale. I wonder if you could annotate the list further, showing what you saw in the categories (yep, even the fun one). I’m not trying to load up your plate, but I think it would be very valuable, given your experience.
Thanks
Kevin