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You’ll flip over pocket video cameras
Video can make the educator a star
A popular gift item the past two holiday seasons, pocket video cameras are one of today’s hot classroom tools. Sometimes called “Flip Cams” in reference to a leading brand, these lightweight and small video cameras make it simple to shoot and play video.
The devices work much like digital still cameras; recording video is generally a matter of pushing a single button. Video files are transferred to your computer via USB port and are ready to share online, e-mail or burn to a disc using included software.
In addition to pocket video cameras, the latest iPod Nano and many smart phones have video-recording capabilities, which makes much of the population amateur cinematographers.
Classroom vérité
If you already have a pocket video camera or are in the process of writing a grant to procure some for your classroom, the Internet is chock-full of ideas for using the devices with students. A note of caution: You must have your administrator’s permission in writing (e-mail is acceptable) before you record students, and you will likely have to secure written permission from all parents before starting your project. Also, follow your district’s policies regarding the recording and posting of student work online.
Educators across the globe have generously shared their tips for pocket video camera use. In an example of crowdsourcing (see Tech Term), U.K. educator Tom Barrett has compiled a growing list of educator-submitted ideas on his blog, http://edte.ch/blog. Barrett’s “Interesting Ways” series includes ideas for using many different tech tools in the classroom. The pocket video camera uses he has compiled include filming children for language assessments at the preschool level; recording students completing an activity (e.g., making a salad), and then having them write instructions based on the video; and documenting field trips.
The (not-) silver screen
Several websites feature videos for and by educators and their students:
- YouTube (www.youtube.com) is the most famous and, in many ways, the Wild West of video-sharing sites. An otherwise-innocuous YouTube video might be accompanied by offensive comments and questionable “related” videos. That’s why the website SafeShare.TV is such a boon to educators. Enter a YouTube link at www.safeshare.tv, and the website will generate a new link at which you can watch the original YouTube video sans comments, video suggestions and distracting advertising.
- TeacherTube (http://teachertube.com) contains both videos for student viewing and teacher professional development. Videos can be downloaded, and the site makes it easy for users to tweet good finds or share them on Facebook.
- WatchKnow (www.watchknow.org) bills itself as “Videos for Kids to Learn From. Organized.” The nearly 14,000 videos on the site have been reviewed by a panel of educators and are organized into categories including language arts, physical and health education, and the arts.
TECH
TERM |
Crowdsourcing: |
Outsourcing a task normally performed by an individual to a crowd through an open call on a social networking site. In an education context, an example of crowdsourcing would be an individual teacher asking a group of educators for lesson solutions rather than developing the solutions as a solo endeavor. |
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