Video in the classroom

I think the use of video in the classroom is a wonderful resource that hasn't been fully integrated into technology. Much online content must be viewed and previewed before it can be shown to students in a classroom. And, much of the video is not the best quality. However, kids like tv and movies and video games. They enjoy the visual appeal beyond what we generation X folks could ever have imagined. We just need to tap into what we know works for kids and make it a teachable moment. If we can show a video clip in class and have students write about it or draw a picture to help them focus on the theme of a story or a particular character, haven't we transformed a "likeable" activity into a learnable one?

I know that my school district has purchased a subscription for video use. I understand that it has been a time saver for me. I teach 6 grade levels and often need to find different material for all six levels. Having a search engine that will narrow my topic is very time efficient and helpful to me. Yes, I know there are other materials out there. However, I value what the current subscription offers. And, I need to make use of it before the district decides it's not economically efficient enough to keep. When I can, I go out and search other material. And, I share this information with my staff so that they have additional resources as well.

As these teachers learn to take something like a simple video clip and make it a learning experience, I believe video/multimedia usage will increase in the traditional classroom.

AG