Video in the Classroom

    Let's start with an assumption: For students today, the preferred medium for communicating, interacting and learning is video. To clarify, video is not just about films and television. It's also about YouTube and Vimeo and Instagram and Snapchat and Facebook Live.  It's a single word that embodies the non-stop fascination so many students have with captured images that tell a story or capture a moment.
    Derek Martin, veteran US English teacher, not only grants the assumption, but also has found ways to act on it. He has, over the years, re-shaped his teaching strategies to actively include and create video content. Derek, like many teachers, has come to see that students learn content, process information and form associative links more powerfully through lessons with a video component.

Albert Camus' essay, "The Myth of Sisyphus," explores existentialism.

     Each year, in Derek's senior year World Literature class, students learn about Existentialism through the writings of certain authors. In this class, you'll encounter Camus, Kafka, Borges, Sartre and the like. You'll grapple with existentialist philosophical challenges as you discuss the nature of Existence, Essence, Freedom, Responsibility, Time and Authenticity.  What do these words represent as we try to live out their meaning? Is a life of value if it always falls short of the goals each of these words implicitly suggests?
    Existentialism is, to be sure, a difficult idea to learn. It's abstract. Sometimes discussing the topics associated with existentialism seem to lead participants down a rabbit hold of "what ifs" and "it depends." It would be helpful if students could use more concrete tools to learn about such abstract ideas. For Derek, video is the solution.
     As part of the unit on existentialism, students will work in teams of four or five students to create a film with an existentialist theme. Films are often school-based because the scene locations are very available.  Some examples of plot lines might be the challenges of being a social pariah, a student witnessing academic dishonesty or a teen trying to break loose from overly restrictive parents. The key is that in the film existential concepts are presented, hopefully in intriguing and subtle ways.

    When more than one group creates a film exploring the same theme, an opportunity for conversation is created. How and why do the portrayals of the theme vary? Is one approach more effective? Why? These conversations deepen a student's ability to think critically. And what about the process of adapting ideas and writing to a visual medium. According to Martin, it's another excellent example of how critical thinking is developed through the creation of a film.

    Derek's rationale for the film assignments? "Films add a layer of visible tangibility that helps students learn and remember."  And it's not just the visual cues that help students to learn. A good film will have a powerful audio track that might feature dialogue, music or sound effects that can really add punch to images.  That "visible tangibility" helps students remember and respond in special ways.  It's why when you ask students "Have you read 
this?" you typically get a lackluster response but when the question becomes "Have you seen this?" the response is most often an animated, enthusiastic yes.

    I've taught filmmaking for years and have used posts in this blog to offer the opinion that it's a terrific course for students because it helps them get more familiar with technological tools. Filmmakers must be conversant with an array of digital devices, must be conversant with file formats and need to be adept with editing and other software.  This skill set can translate easily to other areas of technological learning. 
    Derek understands the centrality of technology in creating the film and that's why when he begins to build his film groups, he always starts each group with a student who has advanced knowledge of film editing software. That student will not only help ensure the end product is technically solid but also will help mentor others in the group. That mentoring will come after the camera is put away and the students huddle around the computer to make editing decisions. Our "tech expert" might be at the dashboard, but it is the group that talks through the end product. In the process, two things happen. One is that all the students learn more about the editing software. The other is that all the students again engage in a critical thinking activity.
     "Students live in a video world." We can all think about ways to use that fact as we craft our classroom lessons. This doesn't mean we show movies all day or have students endlessly create films for every class.  It does mean, however, that finding appropriate ways to integrate some video learning activities into your curriculum can help promote learning and critical thinking. By any standard, these are good curricular outcomes. See for yourself in the films above, each completed by a group of World Literature students.