Digital Videos

I personally enjoyed watching some of these videos. This is such a creative and unique way to actively engage students in the reading and writing process. While watching these videos I thought about my third grade students and how they would LOVE to partake in this kind of learning activity. However, a concern that I have had about implementing digital video is the amount of time that it takes to make one. There is only one of me and I do not have any assistance in the classroom. I have thought about enlisting the help of parents to help the students make digital videos, but they will need to be informed of its many uses. They may not be of much help if they are unaware of how to utilize the program and its features. I can just picture all of my students needing help with creating their digital video and me not being available to each of them. This is definitely a con to using digital videos in the classroom. I would say that another con is that some teachers do not use it correctly. I wasn't particularly impressed with some of the first grade videos that I watched. I felt that they were not well thought out and did not engage the children in using much knowledge. I understand that this is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, but it should also be educational as well.

I do believe that there are many positives to using digital videos in the classroom. First of all, children will be motivated to participate in class due to the fact that this is something out of the ordinary and that the child can take ownership of. I also think that this is opening a door for students to realize that there are multiple ways to demonstrate one's learning. Technology is a critical component of the job market. Understanding how to use this type of technology can help make a student more marketable in the future in the workforce. It helps to put the students a step ahead and also level the playing field for students that may not be successful at regular paper pencil types of activities.

The most influential video that I watched was the one titled My Shoes by Luciana Padilla. I was intrigued by this woman's story and how candid she was about her life. The use of digital video definitely helped enhance my experience with learning about her life. If I would have just read a paper that she wrote about herself, it wouldn't have had the same emotional affect on me. Hearing her voice and seeing her pictures really struck a nerve with me that made her life real to me. I thought it was a great video!

Overall, I believe that digital videos would be a great resource to use in the classroom.