Image by OsloMetX from Pixabay
Before and after videos can sometimes be embarrassing. After reviewing literature for creating video texts, I quickly realized my initial introduction video was cringe worthy. Before the video began, a glaring mistake was made. Turner and Hicks (2017) state that video should be recorded in horizontal orientation. That was the first of many mistakes. I thought my initial video was pretty good, but after analyzing the video through a more informed lens, I am a bit red-faced. This blog is a summary of the most important points I learned by researching the revision process. I hope my reflections will help my students, parents, and colleagues learn from my mistakes.
Our lives, and the lives of our students, are saturated with video texts. Video text may be in many forms--from live events captured on a mobile phone to scripted films or television shows. As video text has become such an important communication tool, we as educators are responsible for helping our students make smart decisions concerning writing, producing, and critiquing videos (Hicks, 2013). We as educators must model good writing and production skills when we deliver content to our students via digital media.
There is a definite craft involved in creating the various types of videos. The setting, lighting, costuming, acting, and camera angles all play a role in live action productions; the timing and sequence of images, narration, sound effects, and music come into play when designing basic videos. Either way, digital writers have to make decisions about how their words, spoken and written, connect to and enhance what's happening on screen. (Hicks, 2013, p. 108)
Creating video text is neither quick nor easy. The writing element involved requires writing and revising. The use of sketching, storyboarding, gathering and creating images, and editing are tools that create good writers as well as good producers of video text (Hicks, 2013). Lawrence (2008) lists the steps for college level and professional writing as: draft, revise, edit, review, and publish. I edited my initial introductory script to make it less informal as my audience had changed. I also added tips for creating good video texts.
During the pandemic, I was required to deliver instruction to my fifth grade students remotely. As a math teacher, using video instruction was the most effective way to demonstrate concepts. As I had a Mac computer at home, I taught myself iMovie and used that platform to record my videos. I then exported my lessons to YouTube to make them accessible to all students via their ChromeBooks. For my revised video, I used iMovie again as it was one of the recommended tools for creating digital video texts (Hicks, 2013). iMovie is easy for students to use to record and edit on their iPhones.
When revising my introductory video, I asked myself the questions: "Who is the audience? What do they need to know? What is the overall purpose of the video? What actions, if any, do you want the audience to take after watching the video?” (Lawrence, 2008, p. 101). These questions helped me revise my script and the setting of my video to create a more professional video. The suggested tips for editing video offered by Hicks (2013) assisted me in correcting the background, lighting, and transitions to make my video more professional and effective.
Before--Poor lighting, orientation, and distracting background
References
Turner, K. W. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts. Heinemann.
Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: composing texts across media and genres. Heinemann.
Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.
Hey Nikki, I really enjoyed reading your blog post. You did a great job with creating a professional setting, adding lighting, and angling your camera. When I first started using technology in the classroom, I mainly saw it as a tool for students to create presentations. With technology becoming more a part of our everyday lives, it is important to teach students that there is still a craft to creating digital content that involves the writing process. In chapter 6 of Crafting Digital Writing, Hicks (2013) mentions having students step away from the computer and begin creating an outline or storyboard. I think this is a good practice because if students especially K-5 students have a computer in front of them, they are going to get distracted with searches or want to jump ahead in creating their presentation. As teachers, we have to teach them patience with the process of being a digital writer.
ReplyDeleteHey Nikki, you did a great job with resubmitting your video. I could immediately see a difference from the back ground, to the lighting, and adding visual elements to your videos. I liked the before and after shots to give a clear visual of the differences. I enjoyed learning how you already use iMovie in the classroom. Hicks states, "Video texts of live events with real people of scripted, well-produced television shows, films, of hand-drawn, computer, or stop motion animation and many other forms may be the form of digital writing many of us need to learn to convey information in the twenty-first century (Hicks, 2013, P. 104). That quote made me think of how you have already conveying information in the form of digital writing with students and how your revised video is an example of some of the elements Hicks stated. Lastly, the quote "Students must learn how to use various images, video clips, and sounds to develop a coherent message" (Abdi Tabari and Mahmoud, 2015). describes why video texts are important and how those different elements enhances a video.
ReplyDeleteAbdi Tabari, Mahmoud. (2015). CRAFTING DIGITAL WRITING: COMPOSING TEXTS ACROSS MEDIA AND GENRES - BOOK REVIEW. Journal of Teaching English with Technology (TEwT). 15. 71-74.
You did a great job with recreating your video! I enjoyed learning about your process using imovie, I have not tried using it yet. Digital texts is such an important skill to teach our students. According to Hicks (2013), “literally thousands of hours of video texts are created, uploaded, and viewed every minute of the day” (p. 104). There are so many other skills that can be practiced while creating digital texts! More bang for your buck!
ReplyDelete