Creating Video-Based Projects

Back in college, I had wanted to major in Journalism and minor in Education. It was my way of putting my two passions together with the idea that after school I would work for an educational newsmagazine or Scholastic; something of that nature, ultimately writing about education. However, it wasn’t until after I had started that I found out my college didn’t offer minors in Education and at the time thought I would never have an opportunity to put the two together again.

I went on to graduate with a degree in Journalism and spent time working as a writer for a federal government agency.  How I became a teacher is another story for another time, but put simply I wasn’t happy and after working with one of the local high school marching band programs, I realized what I missing.

Over the years, I’ve continued to hone my Journalism skills writing newsletters, emails, and developing Professional Development sessions. Then I started making videos.

I was hesitant at first as I was never great on camera, preferring my writing in print, so I started out with a lot of graphics and voiceovers, but have grown to be more confident in front of the camera. It’s just another medium to teach in! But I do truly love the magic to creating something on camera and looking at things from a different perspective activating my curiosity about what else I could make; what students could make, that has pushed me to learn more.  

Video can be entertaining, informational, persuasive, humorous, and a bit escapist.  It’s easy to share and in the YouTube generation is a vital skill for students. Our students use video to learn new skills and share information, but they will continue using it to give presentations, connect with colleagues or supervisors, or inspire thousands. Think about how often your students use videos and the potential for what they could do with it!

In December, I had the great fortune to present at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) conference on this very topic!  But instead of showing teachers how they could create videos, I wanted them to place it at their students’ feet and let them move from being consumers of videos to creators and having the confidence to create video-based projects.

In the presentation, my co-presenter and I identified and shared 6 different projects students could create. I organized them from beginner level to more advanced, building up students’ skills with each project type.

It wasn’t until I was thinking up topics to include in the blog that I realized I had brought the story full circle. Those college dreams subtly were at work the whole time and while I focused on the enjoyment it would bring me, I have been humbled by what I see students create when I show them how to work the camera, give a tutorial on the video editing software and the quick tips I give as they cut and splice clips together.

Here’s where you can access the presentation. I hope this will give you some ideas on how to get started. Next week, I’ll go more into the Storyboarding process, which is a large component in working with videos, and the following week talk about which programs you can use. My presentation focuses on WeVideo, but there are several other programs out there too!