Making the Most Out of Classroom Videos

Watching instructional videos has been a part of classrooms for a long time.  As we've gotten a few weeks into our work with Chromebooks I've heard of several teachers using them to deliver instruction through video.  With so much great content out there, it comes as no surprise that this would be one of the first benefits we'd make use of.  I can't help but think back to how the use of visual media in classrooms has changed over time.

Some of us remember the old film reels, or hoping we could be the lucky student that got to move the slide at the sound of the beep.  Next, we were on to VHS tapes and televisions in classrooms.  DVDs got in the mix, and soon we could project a nice, big picture on our screen that previously only saw light from our overhead projector.

Now, we have the Internet and all that comes with it.  We can find content on YouTube, YouTube EDU, Teacher Tube, Vimeo, Khan Academy, and other sites.  We can find it quickly, it is always there for us, and we don't have to worry about returning it on time if we borrowed it.  We can even make our own!  As classrooms move to more blended and flipped learning environments, videos have an even larger part in student instruction.

What used to be a whole class activity can now take an individualized approach.  Everyone can still watch the same video, but a teacher can now have groups or individuals watching different videos at the same time. The teacher can also move away from leading the entire group through the video, and  have time for conversation with individuals or groups in class while the remainder of the class is still involved with the task.

While this substitution is easy enough we also have some extra benefits that are worth knowing about.  Along with watching a video in class we usually have students either taking notes or answering questions about what the video is covering.  There are some tools that can help achieve those tasks!  Both of these are simple to use and add some great benefits.

One is VideoNot.es, a simple and open-source tool that allows students to take synchronized notes with videos.  After a note is taken, students can click on the line of notes and the video will go back to the relevant part.  Best of all, it is integrated with Google Drive.  This allows students to have their notes saved automatically with the availability to refer back to them, and the video, later.  The notes can also be shared with others just like other Google Docs.  

Another is eduCanon.  This is another free tool (a premium version is available with some extra features) that will help with student engagement, holds them accountable, and lets you monitor understanding of the video's content.  It also helps you move a lesson to a more "flipped" experience.  With eduCanon, you can tie questions and other html items into the video.  Your students will answer the questions when they come to them and provide you with live feedback. Take a moment to watch this introduction.

If you try either of these tools in your classroom let me know.  I'd like to know what you think and how it went for you!

Here We Go! Now Where Do We Begin?

NASA, We Have Liftoff!  Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!  On Your Marks, Get Set, Go!

However you want to say it, we are in.  There is no turning back now!  Marshalltown Community School District has officially stepped into a new world in education with classroom sets of Chromebooks available for students in 3rd and 4th grade and in 7th -12th grade science classes. It is exciting knowing that we are starting down the road of 21st Century education and will have tools in our students hands to help us encourage collaboration, communication, creativity, and higher order thinking skills.  I cannot wait to see the great things happening in our classrooms.

Where do we begin?  I encourage our teachers to start small.  Our comfort levels are all different.  This is a new way of teaching for many of us, and it is a new of learning for many of our students.  It is okay to dip our toes in before we really take a dive, but don't worry - the water is warm.  No one is alone through this, and if something doesn't work just like we thought it would, it will be okay.  It's not the first time we've had one of those "not as we intended" lessons as teachers and it won't be our last.

Remember, we're doing what we already do everyday.  It all comes back to good teaching.  Think of the new access to a Chromebook as you would any other tool your students use in the classroom.

Start with thinking of ways to Substitute what you are doing in your room already, and look for some benefits you may gain.  Does it make something faster, easier to plan for, more engaging for students, or promote some peer collaboration?  You don't have to start out reinventing something new!

Take an exit ticket for example.  I've heard several teachers talk about how this would be a good first exposure for both them and their students.  I've made this help sheet to guide you along if you need it.  You might also want to check out this blog where Google Certified Teacher Melissa Murphy gives an example of an exit ticket, and promises to show a favorite Google form every day this week.  You can copy the form she shares and use it for yourself if you'd like. (After you click the link just go to File and Make a Copy.

Whatever you decide to do, remember we're in this together.  Don't be afraid to take some risks, try something new, and have some fun doing it.  Your students will appreciate the use of technology in your classroom and be eager for more!

Did you try to do this or something similar with your class?  Leave a comment and let us know how it went!