Do Your Students Want to Be Hollywood Stars?

They can be if you use video cameras in your classroom.

Introducing the Video Camera:

How Can a Video Camera Be Used in a Classroom?


Video cameras can be used in a myriad of ways in the classroom. Some ways to use a video camera in lesson planning include videoing:

• a scavenger hunt for letters, numbers, or shapes



• a “cooking show” where the students use fractions in cooking and explain the process of baking cookies ("The Iron Chef" or “The Next Food Network Star”)



• students in costumes delivering a speech they wrote for a historical figure



• a re-enactment of life in a different place or time



• grandparents or other senior citizens from the community being interviewed on a particular subject and have students write an article based on the interview



• a commercial for a product students design



• students going on a nature hike and recording what kinds of organisms live around the school or the pollution they see on school grounds



• a service announcement about a topic like pollution



• students acting out a story they’ve read or written



• a newscast where the students are the anchor person, weather person, sportscaster, and camera person.



• students acting out community helpers



• the alphabet with letters and sounds for practice at home



• a commercial about a book the students have read which encourages others to read it.
  

Also, teachers can use video cameras to create their own helpful resources. These include:

• filming lessons for absent or struggling students that can be viewed at home through a class Wiki site



• videoing samples of student work as part a portfolio, which saves physical space



• making “How to” videos for the beginning of the school year that explain the school procedures, like how to walk in the hall versus how NOT to walk in the hall



• producing specialized video clips for special needs students in order to help them revisit basic skills



• filming a student reading out loud or explaining how to solve a math problem in order to document a student's growth



• catching students doing positive things and videoing them. Wouldn't parents love to see that!



• recording themselves teaching so that they can improve their teaching methods

What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Using a Video Camera?

Most kids like to see themselves on the television screen. Therefore, video cameras are a good tool to use to get students excited about their assignments. Also, YouTube is all the rage these days so why not tap into your students' natural enjoyment of videos and let them be the stars of their own assignments? Additionally, video cameras are versatile and can be used for lesson planning in any area of education. Using video cameras improves collaboration skills and increases creative thinking, too. Finally, using video cameras addresses multiple intelligences.

Although they are a great tool for the classroom, video cameras have some drawbacks. First and foremost, they are expensive to buy and many school systems don’t have them available for use in the classroom. Also, if you are allowing students to do the filming, then you have to consider that video cameras can be broken and are expensive to fix or replace. Additionally, some cameras can be complicated for young students to operate effectively. Finally, in order for a video camera to be effective in the classroom, a teacher must not only understand how to operate the camera, but also how to edit the film, transfer video to the computer, and how to get the video to play on the screen so the students can see their end product. (Movie Maker or iMovie software can help in editing a movie for show.)

Who is the Intended Audience?

This product can be used by anyone who can afford it and can understand how to operate it. At school, the video camera can be used by students, teachers, and administrators. However, its use in the school can be beneficial to many people who see the videos produced, including parents, other schools, school board members, and the surrounding community.

I Love It! Where Can I Get More Information on Video Cameras?

For an overview of using video cameras in education visit Keith Lightbody's Digital Video in Education.

Also, Keith Lightbody has a lot of good information on a variety of technology tools at Technology in Education.

If you want tips for producing videos in the classroom, check out the site from the Nevada Community School District.

How Useful Is a Video Camera in the Classroom?

Using video cameras can be a rewarding and fun way to teach students in the classroom. I believe that any tool that can enhance learning, like video cameras, is useful for teachers. I will enjoy using a video camera in my classroom.