Video

= =   By: Aaron Hohl, Carly Astle, Hillary Eakins and Kelly Tomlinson ** __OVERVIEW__ ** With our research we are focusing on two large categories of videos in an educational setting. The first one that we are focusing on is video conferencing because it allows students and teachers to connect internationally with various resources (i.e. traveling lecturers, other classrooms, etc.). Students and teachers who would otherwise never interact can collaborate in a way that provides diversity for a school that may be lacking. With the availability of webcams, more classrooms are able to have the access and ability to do video conferencing.

Next, we decided to look into other ways that teachers can utilize videos into the classroom. We found that this form of media can increase engagement and understanding in material that students may not find interesting on its own. When teachers bring in outside videos it can provide a direct interaction with historical voices, places, and experiences without leaving the confines of the classrooms. The visual aspects of videos can intrigue students and enable further understanding of previously one dimensional topic. Another aspect of videos in the classroom is the idea of students creating their own videos. When this method is used, it helps to further engage the students with the subject matte by allowing students to present their own ideas and interpretations of the subject. ** __FEATURES/FUNCTIONS__ ** || ** Feature/Function ** || ** Description/Purpose ** || || Student Creativity || Students can engage in material in a more interactive manner and are given the ability to show the class their personal interpretation. || || Increased Experience || Both videos and video conferencing can add diversity and a direct personal experience rather than simply relying on a textual explanation. || || Integrating Multiple Subject Matters || As students explore and interact with their specific subject matter, they are also learning about other subjects (i.e. technology, history, etc.) ||  __Classroom Activities__ Students will be video conferencing with Sherman Alexie, an author whose works the students have been reading in class. In addition to their readings, students have recently been studying Tribes of the Pacific Northwest in their history class. The target audience for this lesson plan is 7th graders who will need to have read the compilation of short stories that Alexie has written about growing up on a reservation. To become more familiar with technology To be able to ask the author questions about his writings as well as his experience growing up. Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression. c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. d. identify trends and forecast possibilities. Webcam Microphone Computer Notes and that they have taken on his work Questions that they would like him to answer Skype Logitech Students will be have to move to be able to sit around the camera, we will probably have to move all the students to one side of the room. After a connection has been made with Sherman Alexie via webcam, he will give a brief biography about him and talk about what factors he put into writing his stories. The students should be taking notes through this because they will be writing an autobiographical story next week. After Alexie has finished his introduction, students will then be given the chance to ask any questions they have, either about his works or about growing up on a reservation. Since we have block scheduling, students should each have an opportunity to ask Alexie a question before the end of the class. Students should be taking notes on the lecture to show that they are actually paying attention. However, the way that it is graded is based upon participation as well as their ability to tie in their personal history into an autobiographical story that they will write next week.
 * ** Technology: ** ||
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 * Activity #1 - Video Conferencing**
 * __Activity Overview__
 * __Target Audience__
 * __Goals/Objectives__
 * __Standard(s)__
 * 1. Creativity and Innovation **
 * __Materials__
 * __Software__
 * __Activity Description__
 * __Assessment__

This activity will help students understand the sort of technique and posture used by great public speakers of the past and present. By observing their body language and actual literary speech, students can develop a greater understanding of how to convey confidence and effectiveness in their own public speaking. Students will observe several different speakers from several different time periods and note some of the commonalities in speakers throughout time. The target audience for this activity would be middle school through high school students. Usually, students are not asked to speak in front of their peers in a presentation-type format until their secondary years of schooling. Speech classes will be most likely to utilize this sort of activity as students are attempting to learn how to effectively engage an audience and express their opinions or arguments to that group of people in a convincing manner. The students will become familiar with several aspects of public speaking. The students will be able to note how different speakers from different time periods and situations changed their style to be more convincing in their speech. The students will be able to use other speakers of the past and present to influence their own public speaking styles. The students will be able to provide examples of different ways one can appeal to audience and ways one can hurt their speech by how they act in the process. Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: a. plan strategies to guide inquiry. b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. d. process data and report results. An overhead video projector A computer connected to the internet A notebook to write down ways in which each speaker handled the speech positively or negatively For this activity, the teacher will need to be positioned at his/her computer and have the ability to search the internet for various speeches. The teacher may use completely random speeches about general topics or they may select historically popular speeches that students may be familiar with. After selecting an array of speeches, the teacher will play those speakers in action on the overhead projector for every student to observe. As the students listen and watch the speech, they should be concentrating on the mechanics of the speech more than the actual topic at hand. For students to effectively complete this task, the teacher may need to play the speech several times, or at least a small section, in order for the students to effectively concentrate their attention on the way the speech is presented rather than the content. After observing several speeches, students should have a conglomerate of many techniques and strategies that may increase the effectiveness of giving a speech of their own. They should have noted how the speaker used body language, tone, and vocal adjustment to convey their claims in the most convincing way possible. The assessment for this activity will require the students to give a speech of their own. After observing many different speeches, the students will decide on one of the more personally convincing presentations they watched and use many of the same techniques in a speech of their own. The students may use several different styles they have noted from different speakers, but it should be emphasized for students to try and concentrate the majority of their attention on one or two. By doing this, the majority of the students in the class will have differing speeches when it comes time for them to present. Students will be emphasized to be creative and even comedic in their personal speech to the class as they imitate and even impersonate a speaker of their choosing.
 * Activity #2 - Observing Public Speaking and Noting Techniques**
 * __Activity Overview__
 * __Target Audience__
 * __Goals/Objectives__
 * __Standard(s)__
 * 3. Research and Information Fluency **
 * __Materials__
 * __Activity Description__
 * __Assessment__

This activity would most likely serve as a final project after reading a play. It asks students to break into small groups and film an adaptation of a small piece of a play. It gives students a chance to learn about video making while also fitting into an English curriculum. High School students Students will be able to write, act in, and direct their own movie SWBAT use video making as a tool to create a polished project and enhance comprehension of a play. SWBAT re-write a play changing elements to give it a personal touch. (ie. modernizing language, changing the setting, etc) SWBAT view the entire class video and form a more complete understanding of the play itself Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students: a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes. b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression. c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues. d. identify trends and forecast possibilities. Video cameras Projector Copies of a play Windows Movie Maker I-Maker Div-X 1) After the play has been read the teacher should break the students up into groups of 5 or 6. Then, the students should be assigned a particular scene or act of the play (depending on how long the teacher wants the video to be). 2) Students should rework some aspect of their act or scene (for example, setting the play in a different location or time period, rewriting old language, etc). The students have the opportunity to be as creative as the want, as long as the basic characters and plot points stay the same in their video. The idea is to have students engage in the text. 3) The teacher should provide instruction on the use of a video camera. 4) Students should film their scenes or acts. This is the project they turn in. 5) Once all of the videos have been submitted, the teacher should edit all of the scenes together, forming one coherent movie. The class could watch their completed project as a way to wrap up the unit. The teacher should grade the videos based on how well the students adapted their portion of the play into a video. Creativity, group effort, use of the video camera, and relevance to the actual text should all come in to play when assessing this project.
 * Activity # 3 - Filming a Play**
 * __Activity Overview__
 * __Target Audience__
 * __Goals/Objectives__
 * __Standard(s)__
 * 1. Creativity and Innovation **
 * __Materials__
 * __Software__
 * __Activity Description__
 * __Assessment__

The activity I will be doing could be done using both Video Conferencing and Digital Camera Software. I will be having students create a period-related newscast for a book that is historically set. This will be a way of furthering students knowledge of the background of texts while getting an opportunity to be creative. This activity could work for visual and audio learners when they are watching the newscast, and could also be good for students who like to do research and who enjoy creative writing as students will create a script and do independent research for the making of the newscast. Students will become familiar with public speaking both from the aspect of creating a clear and concise script and reading in a way that can be understand and conveys the mood of the information. Students will learn how to operate different technology and how to edit a film. > 3. Research and Information Fluency ** Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students: a. plan strategies to guide inquiry. b. locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media. c. evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. d. process data and report results.
 * Activity #4 - Video Newscast**
 * __Activity Overview__
 * __Target Audience__
 * __Goals/Objectives__
 * __Standard(s)__**

Word Processor Digital Camera/ Skype Video Editing Software Individual Computers/ Projector Internet/ Search Engine I-Maker Windows Office Skype Students will be asked to split into groups and do research on the specific time period of the novel using search engines and other online resources. These students will then type their own script for the film they will make, and collaborate to pick relevant information to include. They will then assign roles and choose the students to perform the newscast. When the students are creating the film they have two options. In option one they can use a digital camera and editing software to give some wiggle room with mistakes (i.e. several takes, cuts, etc.). In option two, they can do a live broadcast from a separate room with Skype and practice as much as possible before hand. I feel that a good presentation would first and foremost cover the most important and well known events of the era, in addition to covering issues that may have been alluded to in the novel. The script would need to be handed in with the presentation and would need to show through research and critical thought. After this point the test would change dependant on the media used. I have chosen to include a rubric for the digital camera option.
 * __Materials__
 * __Software__
 * __Activity Description__
 * __Assessment__


 * Criteria || Notes || Points ||
 * Is the information relevant and well researched? || || /20 ||
 * Does the information relate well to the novel being read? || || /10 ||
 * Is the script clear and well thought out? || || /15 ||
 * Has the video been edited for clarity? || || /10 ||
 * Has the video fit within the time constraints detailed? || || /10 ||
 * Are the performers well prepared and emotionally connecting with the material? || || /20 ||
 * Has the video been shot in a coherent and professional style? || || /15 ||
 * Total || /100 ||


 * __Resources__**:

http://www.libraryvideo.com/articles/article13.asp ~This website gives a lot of valuable information regarding video use. It begins by listing many diferent benefits of using videos in the classroom such as hearing the voices of historical figures and "experiencing" different aspects of instruction which will assist them in developing a better understanding of the material. The website also goes on to talk about how to effectively use video in the classroom. There is also a resource section which briefly describes how teachers can find videos to use.

http://www.abdn.ac.uk/~clt011/video/ ~This website provides a lot of information, examples, and links to find out more about using videos in the classroom. It does a great job of revealing ways to use video by listing many different examples and suggestions/ideas of how to do so. This website seems to be the more valuable of the two but both seem relevant.

http://www.blendernation.com/2007/01/31/how-to-produce-a-good-video-tutorial/ ~This site gives tips on how to improve the video making process, including things that people may not be aware of, such as adding subtitles to allow for greater understanding. I used this tip for one of my other presentations and found that it added to the video immensely because people were able to better understand what I was trying to get across in the video.

http://g4tv.com/screensavers/features/46113/Easy-Video-Editing-Tips.html ~This website breaks down each component of editing a video. For those teachers who are new to creating videos they, like myself, may become overwhelmed with what to do first. This nice guide is helpful to make sure that the editing process is as quick and painless as possible.

http://www.needleworkspictures.com/vic/about/index.html ~This website is a site to advocate media in the classroom, especially video related, as a way of engaging students of urban backgrounds. It discusses how both making videos and watching them can enhance learning and gives examples of educational film projects.

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/ntti/resources/video1.html ~This website has a lot of great resources that are informational regarding the benefits of teaching with video, and provides lesson plans that incorporate video technology.

__**Presentation Resources:**__

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[|Link to written speech] 