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Effective Videos

 


Beginning

At the beginning of June, I was given the task of recording a two minute video introducing myself to others in my first graduate class. I grabbed my phone and began recording. It took several tries with several different camera angles. Out of all of these tries, I did not like any of them. There was too much background noise coming from my house full of preteens and teens.


I remembered using Screencastify to record lessons for my class. So, I grabbed my laptop and headed to the front porch. I was mainly focused on the video being the required two to three minutes and what was happening in the background. A research project conducted by Naylor, et al. (2019) found that when teachers were given the task of making videos, their videos were complex and unspecific. This research did not surprise me. This was exactly like my first video introduction and the videos I have recorded for my class in the past.

My Learning

Fast forward a week and a half later. I was assigned to read about effective videos. According to Turner and Hicks (2017), effective videos have clips and still images, titles, transitions, and music. They also discussed how videos need to have a compelling story, connect to the audience, be concise, and make a call to action. 


After reading this new information, it made me connect to a commercial that still stirs my emotions to this day. I began to dig deeper into this commercial and found that it is based on a true story and the voice in the video is really Loretta’s husband.


My original video had none of these powerful things.


I knew I could do better. I conducted a Google search for "video editing." I found lots of software, but they all required a fee. I refined my search to "free online video editing." I came across Clipchamp. This is a free web-based video editing website. I really liked this site because it is free and I didn’t have to download anything onto my laptop.


Next I watched a tutorial video on YouTube so that I could begin editing. Thinking about what I learned from the textbook, I began first by thinking about the purpose of my video. I decided to make my “new” video a professional development for teachers learning about effective videos.


Once I had my purpose and my audience in mind, I began editing my video. I knew I needed to have video clips and still images. I quickly made some Google Slides to use as some of my still images. I then saved them as png files so that I could import them into Clipchamp. I added them to my video along with voice-overs and transitions.


I recorded a new video clip of myself introducing the next task. It was at this point that I added the original video of me just sitting outside talking. I clipped the video into three sections. Thinking about the information that I had learned from Turner and Hicks (2017), I added titles, captions, and still images. I also deleted an entire section of the original video.


My new video ended with a call to action. The last edit I made was adding background music. For the music, I also had to clip it into sections so that the volume could be adjusted. 


Engaging in the process was time consuming, but also a lot of fun. In an article by Naylor, et. al (2019), the teachers in the study reported that video editing was time-consuming, but became easier the more they used it. They also reported that working with other teachers was beneficial and helpful.


Now what?

While working on this process, I could definitely see myself using video editing in the future. I have always had a vision for videoing students and teachers at my school and creating videos about the 7 Habits. I have reached out to my principal about me heading up a technology committee at my school so that we can work together to create and share these videos with students, faculty, and the community.  As Turner and Hicks (2017) state, “the power of visual media is clear: moving or still pictures, narration and music, and the gaze of the camera all combine to make an immediate, and important, effect on viewers” (p. 85).



References

Good Housekeeping. (2020, February 3). The incredible true story behind Google's 2020 Super Bowl commercial. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/entertainment/a30751020/super-bowl-google-commercial-ad-true-story/

Halford, A. [JustAlexHalford]. (2019, March 19). How to use Clipchamp video editor (Tutorial). [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PEEP8rFuHI

Google. (2020, January 31). Loretta [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PW6SocCjTMM

Naylor, A., Spence, S.E., & Poed, S. (2019). Using video modelling to teach expected behaviours to primary students. Support for Learning, 34(4), 389-403. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9604.12274

Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Heinemann.




Comments

  1. Laney Graham June 22, 2021 at 10:12 AM

    Dana,

    I agree that Screencasity was one of the only resources I had used to record videos. This resource gets the job done, however, now that I have experimented with ClipChamp, this will be the way I create videos in my classroom from now on. I love how you mentioned having a plan the second time around changed the way you conducted the layout of your introductory video. Turner and Hicks (2017) mention a few documentary techniques being things such as: voice-over, montage, and exposition (p.85). After watching your video production, I feel that you mastered these criteria. I love how you included your original video embedded in your new one to show the pieces you edited. This was a great way to critique your own style and choice. Turner and Hicks also mention that there are so many details that go into video crafting that take time to create (p. 85). However, I feel the payoff is well worth it when you compare and contrast the features you were able to embed in order to enhance your video style.

    Thank you for sharing!

    Laney

    References
    Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument
    in the real world. Heinemann.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Katie MaddoxJune 22, 2021 at 8:43 PM

    Hey Dana! Screencastify is my FAVORITE! I am actually the reason our district purchased a license, because I kept complaining about the time limit. :) I'm actually going to look into their certification program to complete too!

    I also want to commend you on taking a jump to head up a technology committee to create videos for teachers and students. It has been shown that student attentiveness in class is higher when they have videos to view prior to class. This allows them to front load the content and focus more on the problem solving aspect in class (Holik, 2019). I also want to note how I believe your second video changed from more of a documentary type video into a video that incorporated more cinematic features from Table 5.1 in our text (Turner and Hicks, 2017). I also feel that your video gave me a better idea of who you are as a person, instead of simply a fellow classmate on a blog.

    References
    Holik, M. (2019). The flipped classroom and its impact on student engagement and academic performance in a culinary arts, career and technical education program. Journal of Research in Technical Careers, 3(2), 74-96.

    Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument in the real world. Heinemann. Technology and Engineering Teacher 80(20), 8-12.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The Hi-Tech Teacher, Valerie MatsonJune 23, 2021 at 6:26 PM

    I feel like your story is my story. I basically did the same thing when we were first assigned the task of creating a video to introduce ourselves to the class. Just like you, I was focused on what was going on in the background, making sure the video was the appropriate length, and unfortunately not much else.
    After reading the chapter on video as a digital argument, my whole take on video production has changed. Much like you explained in your blog post, I had not thought much about the elements that can enhance a video, such as the incorporation of still images, video, text, and music (Turner & Hicks, 2017). What a difference it makes! Your second video really incorporates a lot of those features to really "show" what your are talking about in your commentary. It really kept my attention throughout. I also like how you ended with a call to action by asking the viewers to see if they could identify the elements you incorporated.
    I love your idea of using your newfound recording and editing skills to create videos for your school! I can imagine how excited the students would be to get to be involved in a project like that. Another way you could get the students involved with creating videos in the classroom is by using Flipgrid. It is a video response tool that can be used by students to collaborate with their classmates and teacher (Miller, McIntyre, & Lindt, 2020). Students could learn about and practice using some of the elements of effective videos even when creating a video response to a prompt or question you pose in Flipgrid.


    References

    Miller, S. C., McIntyre, C. J., & Lindt, S. F. (2020). Engaging technology in elementary school:
    Flipgrid's potential. Childhood Education, 96(3), 62-69. https://doi.org/10.1080.00094056.2020.1766677

    Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts: Argument
    in the real world. Heineman.

    ReplyDelete

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