Hoffenberg and Handler state in the article 'Digital Video Goes To School' that “this generation of K-12 students lives in a visual world” and the digital video projects being undertaken in classrooms are providing students with opportunities for meaningful, motivational and relevant learning experiences. Kearney and Schuck (2006) assessed the authenticity of learning in digital video projects, and found that students were able to experience a sense of ownership when the project is open-ended, allowing for creative expression.
Digital technologies have made the creation of videos for educational projects easier than ever before. Analogue video may have been cumbersome, expensive, and often difficult for an amateur to achieve a high quality outcome, but digital video breaks down these barriers. Equipment is relatively affordable and the majority of modern computers (both Macs and PCs) come preloaded with editing software.
Teachers who provide learning experiences with digital video are allowing students to use higher order thinking skills, but must teach the skills related to the project. Inexperienced students cannot be expected to pick up a camera and run with it, any more than a student who has never been taught to write can create a novel on their own. Students must be taught the importance of planning ahead, how to consider the audience and purpose, and spend time story boarding, before even considering the types of shots needed.
Hoffenberg includes a necessary reminder in the article for teachers wanting to incorporate information technology into the classroom; “educators must aim for curriculum-driven technology use, not technology-driven curriculum”. It has become clear to me over the course of the semester that “it is not the technologies themselves that are so important; rather, what is important are the ways that we use the technologies and think about them” (Harel, 2003).
References:
References:
Harel, I. (2003). Sand castles go digital. Retrieved April 4th 2011, from MaMaMedia Website http://www.mamamedia.com/areas/grownups/new/21_learning/sand_castles.html
Hoffenberg, H. & Handler, M. (2001). Digital video goes to school. Learning and Leading with Technology, 29(2), 10-15.
Kearney, M. & Schuck, S. (2006). Spotlight on authentic learning: Student developed digital video projects. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 22(2), 189-208.
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