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Amplify learning with video-assisted classrooms

How do you use video content in your classroom?

<p>A video-assisted learning &lpar;VAL&rpar; approach can drive competency across the board but requires some strategy&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;issuu&period;com&sol;multimediaau&sol;docs&sol;snnz56" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank"><strong>Read our full print magazine issue for Term 1&comma; where this article originally featured&comma; here&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;a><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Schools that benefit from VAL enable teachers to use video directly in the classroom&period; Teachers now have greater access to free and paid video content than ever before&comma; with educational videos and digital video libraries a readily available resource to facilitate learning&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Making video for the classroom is easier than ever too&comma; and teachers wondering how to integrate instructional video into their lesson plans should check in with their nearest school or local librarian&comma; who is likely already doing this to show students how to operate their digital library resources&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Video can be used in the physical classroom—whether teachers screen a full feature or documentary as part of an English or History unit&comma; show brief clips introducing a topic or play choice videos to help students task switch between subjects or activities&period; This can be particularly helpful for neurodiverse students who often struggle to transition between activities&period; Video is a flexible&comma; useful tool that schools can use in a variety of ways inside the classroom to complement existing curricula&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Here are some VAL considerations&colon; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Classroom design<&sol;strong>  <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It is important to weigh up how videos can be used effectively and how your classroom functions&period; If you are using a flipped classroom model&comma; then videos may not actually be played in-class but instead&comma; they’ll be played at home&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In hybrid classrooms&comma; where the need for a combination of face-to-face and distance learning models exists&comma; VAL can be useful in bridging the divides and bringing physically separate students together&period;  Consider seating and classroom layout—your teaching space is set up for small groups&comma; video played on small devices may function better than a single large screen&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>Devices set the stage<&sol;strong><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Simple video-assisted learning is easy to integrate with a monitor display&comma; a computer&comma; TV&comma; projector or even just a smartphone to begin with&period; The technology is out there to raise the bar higher&comma; of course&comma; depending on classroom needs&comma; learner preferences&comma; and budget&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Smart projectors&comma; interactive displays&comma; touch screens&comma; surround sound and immersive tech will give your classroom the VAL edge&period; Virtual and augmented reality are classroom realities available to make video really come alive&excl; Tech suppliers can often provide initial &lpar;or even ongoing&rpar; training&comma; helpful for teachers and teacher aides&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><strong>When should it be used&quest;<&sol;strong> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>One of the best times to introduce VAL is to engage students in a new topic of learning&comma; or to provide background before the learning objective is shared&period; Conversely&comma; it can be a powerful cementing tool to bring together strands of learning once an objective has reached its conclusion&period;  Inviting students to share video presentations on projects or topics works across most learning areas&comma; and video can also be integrated as a tool for self-reflection&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In this way&comma; there are few subjects that cannot benefit from VAL&period; Even the most practical of subjects&comma; such as hard tech&comma; physical education&comma; visual or performance art&comma; can benefit from the power of well-chosen video footage—allowing students to record themselves and critically reflect to improve their own performances&comma; or submit and share time-lapse videos as part of their assessment in food technology or wood work&comma; all help to develop new skills across a plethora of industries&period; Screen record is another useful feature for learning—teachers can record a short instructional video for students rather than having to spend half a lesson showing each individually&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Engaging students in at home learning can often be aided with the use of VAL&comma; as can creating an inclusive classroom that accommodates different paces of learning&comma; without the need for teacher repetition or delay&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Used creatively within a well-structured pedagogy&comma; VAL can create some of the most memorable classroom moments for your students&comma; facilitating an elevated learning experience&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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Heather Barker Vermeer

Heather has worked as a journalist, writer and editor in England and Aotearoa New Zealand for over 20 years. She fell in love with words when she received a 'Speak & Spell' tech toy for Christmas in 1984.

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