Digital Video

It can be so easy to create a video! The video embeded below just is a short compilation of a few photos from my trip to Brazil, Argentina and Peru in 2012, with accompanying music. I used the Windows moviemaker, which was a breeze even though I had no previous experience with the program. An important issue to remember when uploading video and other digital media to the internet is the rights of individuals pictured in the media. All individuals pictured in my video have provided consent for the images to be uploaded to this publicly accessible blog. 

 

Digital video is something that I did personally use during my high school years, mostly watching films in english or history class.  My opinion is that video is  a fantastic tool to support learning, but it has not been used to its full potential in schools.  Students need to do more than just watch videos - they need to learn to create, collaborate and critically analyse using digital video.  In this modern world, video and digital imagery are everywhere.  Thus, the skills to use and make meaning from video are essential literacy skills. 

In terms of using digital video in a maths and physics context, one particular idea that I love is using motion analysis to investigate 'real world' examples of mathematical concepts such as sinusoidal relationships. There are several free motion analysis software programs that can follow a particular object in a video clip (eg. a rollercoaster ride) and allow users to analyse position, velocity, acceleration, momentum etc. 

Of course there are drawbacks in using digital video in an educational context, as indicated in the below PMI analysis.

Pluses:
 

• Windows Movie Maker is easy to use
• Videos cater to a range of learning styles
• Fosters media and technological literacy, creativity and critical thinking skills

 

Minuses:

• Videos can sometimes take up a lot of disk space, and take a long time to buffer when completed
• Younger students may find the programs difficult to use and may need explicit instruction

Interesting:

• Digital videos can be used for learning across all KLAs.

References: http://jabryan.iweb.bsu.edu/VideoAnalysis/index.htm