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Digital cameras have changed how quickly and easily teachers can share their cla: ss activities with the wider world. Teachers are not limited to 12 or 24 photos of unknown quality. They are not limited to tiny digital video tapes that are hard to view and share. Digital still cameras, solid state video cameras, and cameras in mobile devices can be synced to a computer and shared on the web.
Earlier this year, I worked with two teachers on taking FlipVideo camera footage and creating a movie. (Too bad these are no longer in production.) They downloaded the video to their computer. Using Windows Movie Maker, they clipped and combined the video parts. Titles and transitions came next. In just a few hours, an amazing product was made.
I look back to the 90s when I made my very first digital video. The ten minute video file completely filled my parents’ computer. It stressed the machine beyond its capability. Today is so very different. Movie Maker and iMovie are programs that come with the standard operating systems. For a basic user, these are simple and powerful enough for basic videos.
Today I videotaped an extraordinary teacher in her guided math practice. From an hour of FlipVideo footage, I will create small clips that showcase the different parts of her math classroom. Within a week, other teachers will be able to see how her class works, other than just hearing descriptions. The creation of these short videos will take just a few hours, rather than the weeks (ok, months) it took me to do video editing in the 90s.
For those of you just starting to look at video editing options, here are some tools to get you rolling.
Basic Desktop Editors
Online Editors:
Wrong format? Two Converters
What is your favorite video tool?