Video Creation in the Classroom

Image source: https://teamreddot.com/video-content-creation-for-your-brand/

This fall I am finishing up my Technology Specialist degree with a course on video creation and production in the classroom. This was an interesting class to end my time at Dominican University with because it really pushed me to do things that felt new and uncomfortable. 

I learned that video creation can be time consuming and requires problem solving skills. You need to make a plan for yourself and figure out all the tools you will need. You need to write an outline of how the video will progress, different slides or images that will be used, information that will be shared, and shots you will want to include. When using new software and hardware, one has to  problem solve and learn as you go. There are so many resources online that can help you with this. I learned to use several new video creation apps. One was Green Screen by Do Ink. This is a kid friendly video app that allows you to create a video using green screen. I chose this app because I think it might be simple enough to use with my kindergartners and I wanted to learn how to use it. I discovered that using green paper as a makeshift green screen doesn't look great, but is passable. I learned that it might be worth it to invest in a green screen fabric. Another video app I tried during this course was Stop Motion Studio. This was a user friendly app that helped me to make a stop motion video. While it was fun to create this video, I'm not sure my students could use this independently. However, in a small group setting with teacher support it could be a great challenge for my students. 

Looking forward, I would like to put into practice what I have learned in this course. The tricky part about this is that I am teaching kindergarteners this year. Some aspects of video creation may be out of reach for my kindergartners but I can lay the foundation in tech skills this year to set them up for success as they grow. I'd like to teach the basics of video production through the use of the Clips app, which is a kid-friendly app that allows for some creativity with special effects. I'd also like to seek the donation of a green screen and organize a project for my students to share their informational writing topics that we work on in the spring. Another goal I have is to set up a "recording booth" in the classroom for higher quality audio capture. This would require the purchase or donation of a plug in microphone and something as simple as a cardboard box to help block out classroom noise. This will allow my students to narrate videos or record themselves reading their writing. I'd like to use the help of my instructional assistant during my students' free play time to lead a group of interested students in a video production center. We could support their use of the green screen, the recording booth, or even try stop motion video production. I'm looking forward to implementing these new ideas in my classroom and supporting my students' creativity and interest in technology.