I believe that using videos to teach students is a fantastic idea that relies on the preparation the teacher has made beforehand. A teacher may prepare a video for the class, but if it isn't well put together, or the teacher fails to incorporate a lesson or exercise to back it up, the idea will be lost. In the same way, if a student is assigned a project to make a digital story, the teacher must guide the student through the process so as to get the most out of the project. This is exactly the same for any lesson or project. I think that the new format is simply scary to those who are unfamiliar with its style. Stories are an integral part of our lives; we make decisions and formulate our ideas through them. Using these technologies are part of our culture now, and visual media has become a dominance in our entertainment and social lives. I think that using these technologies to our advantage as teachers will be a given in the near future.
Works Consulted
Demaria, S., Fuhrman, C. (2011, June). That's a Wrap! Telling Stories with Video. Learning and Leading, 32-34.
Lawless, C. (2008, September). Bloggers Beat: Unseen on the Screen. Learning and Leading, 28.
Stefan, I totally agree that these new technologies are a part of our culture now but I think we have different views on how effective this can be. We have to remember that there are different types of learning styles and not all students are visual learners. I feel that, since I am definitely not a visual learner, my stance is highly reflective on how I would like to be taught. I agree that attention is huge for this educational video thing to work but every time a teacher would put a video or movie during class I remember that I would either space off or fall asleep.
ReplyDeleteStefan,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I liked that you addressed not only the benefits that come from digital story telling, but also the challenges of it. I also found it interesting that you talked about how it is almost becoming the "norm" to utilize digital media in our education because it has become so prominent in our society. I'm glad you, too, will utilize video storytelling in a class of your own someday because the benefits clearly outweigh the challenges!
Hi Stefan,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first time reading one of your blog posts, but I really enjoyed seeing your view on the subject matter. In my opinion, there are two different types of teachers who utilize videos in the classroom. The first type is the teacher who does not feel like lecturing on a certain day, so they put on a video instead that barely connects to the lesson at hand. On the other hand, the second type is the teacher who searches far and wide for a video that they feel will truly be beneficial to the students’ learning.
I definitely agree with you that the purpose of the video may be lost on the students if the lesson is not properly incorporated around the video. Many people might say that showing a video in class is taking the easy way out. However, this is not true for the effective teacher who prepares a very solid lesson plan with the video as just an added resource. I personally believe that educational videos will become even more popular in the future. They would work great with the flipped classroom set up. Students could watch the video for homework and come to class the next day ready to reinforce what they learned the night before. I am a great proponent of educational videos because I remember things better in a movie format. I can read a history book and forget many of the details. But if I see the same historical facts illustrated in a movie’s plot line, I can remember them much better.
-Scott