What are your students creating?

As an integration specialist and educator, I love when students create. When students are creating, something amazing happens, they own their learning. Their quest for knowledge becomes unstoppable and learning is authentic to them! This is where WeVideo comes in! WeVideo brings a relevant and meaningful way for students to create their own learning.

As I work with educators throughout my district and region, one of my favorite moments is when we brainstorm together about the many ways students learn, especially with video. Here are some of my favorite lesson designs:

First Grade

Each year we take our students on a virtual field trip to the St. Louis Zoo. From their classrooms, students talk with my colleague and I while we guide their learning by responding to their questions as we walk through the zoo using Google Hangouts. We discuss many species that live at the zoo, from mammals to amphibians to birds to reptiles. Following the virtual field trip, our students, with the help of their teachers, pick an animal and write about the characteristics of that animal. They also search for a picture or draw their own picture of an animal that interests them. Students then record a short story about their animal with WeVideo. One computer + one teacher + 23 students = an amazing video sharing what they have learned from their trip to the zoo.

6th Grade English Language Arts

Audience is important to the learning process. In a 6th grade ELA class, the traditional assignment for years was to write a paper, with informational text on their favorite rollercoaster. The students understand no one would look at their paper, except the teacher. Enter the transformational power of technology! This years assignment now involved an audience the teacher, classmates and the world. Students were challenged to research their favorite rollercoaster, locating information such as, the date it was built, speed, location, name, and amusement park. The result amazing videos including photographs, music, and text so much more than just a paper exchanges between one student and one teacher!

High School AP Government

What issues are important to you in this years election? High school students in AP Government were asked that question. Topics such as immigration, gun control, education, taxes, debt, planned parenthood, and more were discussed. Students used downloadable video clips from CSPANs website, video interviews recorded on their cellphones, and using WeVideo, they created an original video communicating the issues that are important to them. They were challenged further to persuade the candidates to discuss those issues. For high schoolers experiencing an election year, this was authentic, relevant and personal learning at its best!

Educator Video Tutorials

As I work with educators, I develop and produce tutorial videos literally every day, because of the great benefit for the learner to have someone to walk him/her through the how to process in user friendly lessons that build technology confidence, expertise and that can be viewed at any time and at the learners own pace. Over time, we have built a library of over 100 tutorial videos for students, parents, teachers, and administrators all shared on Google Drive. By using the screen record feature in WeVideo, creating tutorials becomes incredibly simple and efficient. With a click of a button, WeVideo is recording my screen and my voice. If I want to take it to the next level, I can add music, titles, callouts and more right in the WeVideo editor. Based on these videos, I have created a series called 30 Seconds of Google , which are half-minute lessons to share various tips, tricks, and features in Google. 30 Seconds of WeVideo is next to make its debut!

I get excited when I hear stories of students creating, because I know amazing learning is taking place in and outside of the classroom. To continue to inspire and challenge students to be about the business of creating, we will host our first annual film festival next school year. With WeVideo, the bar for creativity has been raised!

What are your students creating?

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