Digital Video Goes to School

Handler, M., & Hoffenberg, H. (2001) Digital Video Goes to School. Learning & Leading with Technology. 29 (2), 10-15

Students are developing a plethora of skills during the process of creating a video; there are technical aptitudes involved in making and editing videos. Moreover, this is a huge opportunity to develop and sharpen visual literacy skills. In addition, through the thought process of the brainstorming and pre-work of the video, pinpointing the ideas that they want to focus in on and identifying the details of their videos, students are working on their higher-level thinking skills of analyzing and synthesizing information. Videos are the perfect format for a culminating activity of project-based learning, such as: documentaries, newscasts, infomercials and video clips for multimedia presentations and web pages.

Types of curriculum characteristics that make sense for video, as expressed by Helen Hoffenberg and Marianne Handler, are: emotion, a process, change over time, heritage or culture, a phenomenon in nature, memorable experiences and a process slowed to view frame by frame, in order to gain a better understanding. Planning ahead is the greatest basic guideline for video usage; to commence a video project, it is recommended to choose a subject that one is familiar with. After the subject has been chosen, it is really important to think about the audience and the reason for the video; planning and storyboarding are crucial at this stge. Next, the types of shots that are necessary to convey the message or concept taught should be planned beforehand, as well; this includes, but is not limited to: close-ups, distant, or mood shots. In addition, the type and quality of audio necessary should be considered, including the usage of an additional microphone. The relationship between visual communication and the content should be at the forefront of thought as the students work on their video project. Shooting the movie with a camcorder can begin once all of the planning has been executed; then the editing process will take place after all of the shooting is done.