Google Video in the Classroom [Produced by the DCMP and Mathtrain.TV for Google]
If a picture speaks a thousand words, then, surely, video transcends language. As teachers know, video is an integral component in the differentiated instruction framework, allowing them to tailor the curriculum to suit each student’s individual learning style. Of course, as we all know, kids derive a great deal of their information and cultural awareness from television, movies, and the Internet, and using video to supplement classroom instruction can make almost any subject matter more interesting and compelling for today’s visual learners. Increasingly, educational book publishers and video producers have begun streaming their videos over the Internet in addition to, or even in place of, traditional physical media such as VHS tape and DVD. These high quality productions are made available at the click of a button (or rather, hyperlink) for use in a classroom setting, or for viewing at home as an adjunct to classroom teaching. In addition to the professionally produced videos most often used by teachers in the classroom, there are many user-generated educational videos available for free on video hosting sites such as Google Video, TeacherTube, and LearnHub. Almost all of the videos hosted on these sites can be downloaded in a portable file format (e.g., .mp4 or .flv) for viewing on a laptop or portable device using a media player such as iTunes or Miro. The vast majority of videos available on the Internet today, however, do not include captions for the deaf and hard of hearing. According to the Described and Captioned Media Program's (DCMP) Caption it Yourself™, or CIY, Web site: "Captioning is essential for children who are deaf and hard of hearing, can be very beneficial to those learning English as a second language, can help those with reading and literacy problems, and can help those who are learning to read." In addition to the obvious accessibility benefits, captioning also provides a searchable and linkable* text transcript which can be fully indexed by search engines to provide far more accurate search results than with keyword tagging alone. [*After clicking on the link to visit the Google Video page, it may be necessary to select the List View button. Click on the "Start playing at search term" link to jump directly to the corresponding dialogue in the video.] Of course, while no single-click method exists for creating captions, Google Video makes the process quite simple. As we will discover in the following tutorial, creating, uploading, and captioning your videos can be both entertaining and educational!
The Creative Process Producing videos in the classroom is a wonderful way to spark your student's imaginations and draw out their creativity. By uploading your videos to the Internet for others to enjoy, both you and your students will be able share your knowledge and creativity with your peers from around the world!