Reflection: Video Technology in the Classroom

Video technology can be an excellent tool for teaching students to work collaboratively.  Students can be given a task to create a movie for class.  An important parameter is that each student must be both an actor and director.  This will better ensure that students work collaboratively and not have them organize into a hierarchy.  With each student invested in both the acting and directing, the students will realize that no one person is more important than the others for the finished product.

However, working video technology into the present curriculum can be a challenge.  First, there must be enough digital cameras and computers for each group to work.  Otherwise, groups will have to work at different times on their projects which will split the classroom, instruction, and time of the teacher.  Second, with state content standards and the tremendous emphasis placed on standardized tests, many schools may not feel that a teacher has time to commit at least two to three days or more to a video project.  Video technology can be an extremely creative learning experience for students but challenging to implement in the classroom.

Smartboards are an emerging technology that combines a computer touchscreen with a whiteboard.  They are very useful in the classroom because class materials such as videos, powerpoints, concept maps, etc., can be presented to the class and saved on the computer.  The interactive nature of the smartboard allows for more hands on learning by the students.  Another emerging technology is an application for the ipad that allows a person with autism or other learning disability, who does not speak, to communicate with the people around them.  There is also text to speak software that reads texts for students who have learning disabilities such as Kurzweil 3000.