K to 5 Educational Videos

The Advantage of Educational DVDs

Wednesday, June 24th, 2009

I believe educational DVDs and videos help add interest and excitement to a classroom lesson. Textbooks and other types of written media, even when filled with interesting information, cannot carry us off to places the same way a school video can.

For example, I can read about an expedition through a Brazilian rainforest and get a sense of what it might be like, but seeing a well-produced video can make me feel as if I am actually there. I can see the trees and the wildlife, I can hear the sounds of the animals and birds, and I can practically feel the cool rain pouring down in an afternoon thunderstorm. These images and impressions are ones that I could not get from reading a textbook or even looking at still pictures.

School videos also appeal to a wide range of students. There are students who do not enjoy the reading process or find learning from books to be difficult, but almost all students enjoy educational DVDs and videos. I think they do a great job of holding the interest of nearly all learners, and they often have interactive content, such as interviews and bonus materials that make them a great classroom resource. Click here for some valuable information on how and why to use educational DVDs and videos in your classroom lessons.

Tags: educational videos, school videos
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School Videos as Part of Your Lesson Plans

Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009

A large percentage of the population is visually oriented, so the use of school videos in your lesson plans is important. It will help accomplish the aim of the lesson.

I had to put on a play with my sixth-grade class, so I chose a topic concerning the Native-Americans in our history. My lesson plans for the project included showing school videos of other classes putting on plays.

The class was able to see how an excellent performance could be accomplished. Two plays on related topics were shown. At times we stopped the videos and had a discussion. Input from the class showed they were picking up performance tips.

We could have just practiced. Showing successful performances reinforced the right way of doing things. A positive aspect was that the class learned an appreciation for theater.

School videos as part of a teacher’s lesson plans can be a good tool in education. It is the step before the hands-on of actually performing. The images of others playing parts will leave an impression in their minds.

A teacher should not just rely on the printed word or lecturing. It can become boring. The attention of the students should be kept focused, for class success.

Tags: lesson plan, school videos
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The Importance of School Media: Why You Should Integrate Technology in the Classroom

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

Teachers today face more opportunities to integrate technology in the classroom and encouragement to use new forms of school media. At the beginning of this school year, I was assigned a Macbook and projector plus all of the associated cords, plugs, and gadgets. As someone who had relied on the overhead and whiteboard, for me, the idea of using this new technology was both exciting and intimidating.

However, as the year passed I found myself feeling more comfortable with the new state of my classroom, and, more importantly, I saw how it engaged my students. It was nice that this new media saved me time and helped me to ensure that my content was up-to-date, but my students were far more interested in and appreciative of the lessons I presented with my new tools.

My ability to integrate technology in the classroom also helped my students appreciate the importance of technology education; I was an example to them of how understanding and using technology is a true asset in today’s job market.

School media and classroom technology are clearly aspects of today’s educational experience sure to grow in influence in the coming years. Schools in my district have assigned laptops to one entire school’s student population, and the wireless is set up at our high school to handle a computer on the desk of every student in every room.

School is training for the real world, and since our real world relies more and more on technology, of course our classrooms must grow in the same direction. Count me in!

Tags: classroom technology, school videos, visual literacy
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Why School Videos are Important

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

There are many reasons why school videos are important in school. They provide a visual to what is being taught in the classroom. They are interesting to watch because you are actually seeing what is being explained rather than just looking at a teacher the whole class period. Other than these two reasons there are many more to consider.

Usually when hearing that there is going to be a video during the class period, students will take this as a time to take a nape, pass notes, skip class, etc. Unfortunately, some students do this and some do not. I have asked some people how their views on videos in school were, and surprisingly, even some of the bad students said that they remembered a lot of the videos and that they wish they had paid more attention back then because it was actually interesting what they were “learning” from the videos. However, being a young teen in high school, they only halfway paid attention to the videos, which is why they do not remember all of them.

If we make sure that videos that are being displayed in the classroom are interesting videos then we have more of a chance that he students will watch them. Obviously choosing boring videos with a boring monotone voice explaining the video will be boring to them. The good thing about videos is that due to the visuals in the videos, students are more likely to soak in, and remember what they are watching, because it is more interesting when you see what is going on, rather than being explained it in class by the teacher, and having to use your own imagination to create an image.

School videos are a positive part of the classroom and should continue expanding young adolescent minds into the world of education.

By using videos consistently in instruction, you can take advantage of the natural interests of your students to watch and listen to teach your lesson objectives more effectively and more efficiently.

Tags: educational videos, school videos
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Making School Videos Interactive

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

Choosing the right school videos to supplement regular class work can be challenging. On one hand, you want to find a way to appeal to students on their level—and in the age of MySpace, YouTube and iPods, school videos seem like a good choice.

On the other hand, you don’t want the kids to just zone out or write off the video as boring simply because it’s being shown in a classroom. When it comes to class movies, students have a tendency to approach them the same way they look at healthy food—if it’s good for you, then it can’t possibly be any good.

I’ve found that the best approach when showing a video is to make it as interactive an activity as possible. That means pausing the video at certain points and having an informal class discussion about what has been viewed so far. Since most educational videos come with a lesson plan, it’s not very difficult to find useful discussion guidelines.

I also make it a point to ask kids what they think an answer or result will be (“How many salmon do you think will survive the migration?” or “How do think Einstein felt when his teacher told him he wasn’t intelligent? How would you feel if someone told you that now?” or “How do you think Helen Keller is going to get around the fact she can’t go to school with other kids?”) before I show them the result. This keeps them interested.

The best advice I can give, however, is to never rely on a video as the sole part of a lesson plan. A school video should never stand alone but instead should be merely a small part of an entire lesson plan.

If you’re ready to start to stop making “The 7 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make Using Video in the Classroom” and start experiencing the benefits of using video effectively in your classroom, your next step is to download a free copy of “The 7 Biggest Mistakes Teachers Make Using Video in the Classroom” right now.

Tags: lesson plan, school videos
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