Using video in the classroom can be an exceptionally effective tool for enhancing student learning.  Video provides students the opportunity to see so many things that might be hard for them to visualize on their own:  to see the people and places they are studying, to see concepts and skills put into action, to see and hear first hand accounts and diverse perspectives.  And that’s just a few ways video can be so helpful.

Video is also an excellent way for students to demonstrate their learning and to develop the critical and creative thinking skills essential to their future success.  Creating videos means students have to explain their learning in their own words and select words and images that best convey that learning to others.  Students must prioritize, analyze, and synthesize.  Creating video also helps students develop their aesthetic sense. And, with over half of our collection available for download, students can incorporate excerpts from Educate.Today videos in the videos they create.

Using video can be a challenge at times, but there are ways to maximize comprehension and develop critical-thinking skills in your students while viewing video and to guide them to the successful creation of their own videos.  The goal is for kids to be engaged, active viewers and to create videos that enable their audience to be the same.

The resources below are designed to give you some suggestions on how to use video in your classroom for whole class, small group, or individual student learning, offer you some sample student worksheets and reflection tools to enhance student viewing of videos that you or they choose for them to watch, and provide some sample lesson plans where students create videos as a way to demonstrate their learning. 

Additional video creation activity ideas can be found with hundreds of videos throughout the Educate.Today website. To utilize the entire collection, become a member and search by keyword based on the topic you are studying in class.

AND DON”T FORGET–As a member of Educate.Today, you and your students have the opportunity to submit videos of their own creation on topics within our focus areas for us to consider for publication and sharing with all ET members world-wide.  If you have student or teacher created videos you’d like us to consider for publication on Educate.Today, send us the completed form you’ll find here and we’ll get back in touch. 

To view the member-created videos we have published, click here or select the Member Created Videos link available on the Member Features and User Help page.

Additional Resources:
Some Ideas for Implementing Video Into Your Classroom
Video Reflection Worksheet
Predict, Reflect, Question Student Worksheet
Vocabulary Interesting to Me Worksheet
Journal Entry Worksheet
Sample Video Creation/Reflection Lesson Plans Incorporating Educate.Today Videos