Video to pique interest, create perplexity and inspire inquiry

This is one of the reasons why I follow Twitter…it leads me to new understandings and ideas that I can’t wait to use.

New possibilities for using video  to generate questions came about from a Twitter by Trudy Sweeney that led me to Learnist and then  Mind Shift/ Teachers’ Guide to Using Video by Catlin Tucker who has created this wonderful document listing the best channels and video collections.  She points out that it is the teacher’s role to curate educational videos. She also describes what makes a good video and how to blend videos into the curriculum. She even has ideas on how to use Socrative to create interactive activities for flipped lessons

Beautifully produced videos from NOVA showing the miracles of science; inspirational TED Talks on topics ranging from sustainability to gender inequality; behind-the-scenes views of the international space station on Reel NASA; a walk through the world’s most impressive art collection at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) — these are all part of the rich mix of content that gives students access to a world of subjects.  Catlin Tucker

It is her section on how to use video to pique interest, create perplexity and inspire inquiry that I’m most interested in.  Today I was introducing the 6 D’s for a lesson and the scenario took too long, I knew I had lost my audience.  How much better would have been a video? So much can be conveyed in 60 seconds using imagery, film and key words.  My scenario got lost in the explaining. It needed to be short to create interest for discovery and inquiry.

The relevance of Tucker’s article to my own unit on animation is timely as just today I was discussing the Australian year 8 curriculum and requirements for students to produce digital media and visual displays.

The benefits of using video also extend to students displaying their work. As Tucker points out, it is also important for students to be taught to become their own creators and to self- publish on YouTube or Vimeo that can provide a global audience for students’ multimedia projects, giving their work another layer of relevance.

Finally, another inspirational article that supports the 6 Ds look at Mind/Shift’s article on PBL How to Trigger Students’ Inquiry Through Projects.

Now, this is my absolute final find from Trudy Sweeney’s Teet. EdUnderground | A Subversive Innovation Lab For Educators and how to create a personalised learning environment.

 

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