Instructional Video

Here is my instructional video that I created based on Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken."



In considering what lessons or activities could be enhanced by using this technology, I immediately thought of it as a way for students to share their understanding of a piece of literature or poem, looking, perhaps, at symbols and themes within that work. This is the concept behind the instructional video I created. I would implement it in a book or poetry unit, having students first analyze a piece of literature, learn the technology, create their video, and then share their products with the class. Many students, who may have difficulty writing a report explaining a theme or symbol may find it easier to create something like this.

However, another way instructional videos could be used is by the teacher as a way to introduce a subject or to teach a concept. This could range from the book "trailers" we saw in class to videos introducing a theme for discussion. The possibilities really are endless in the ways short instructional videos can be implemented in the English classroom. I believe they are a great way to engage students' attention and to allow them to create their own interpretations of literary works.

Instructional Video

For my instructional video, I decided to do a visual of Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken," which ties in the symbolism in the poem. This type of project could be done by students or presented to students to help them grasp the basic imagery, theme, or symbolism in a poem. Here is the link to my storyboard. I had a very hard time uploading it in the format which I originally made it in. The pictures did not transfer to google docs and the file size was too large for my website, so I just had to make do without the pictures. Instead, I posted their links.

Copyright Assignment

This video, posted by a math teacher, is a clip from the old television show Abbot and Costello. It is good, in that it demonstrates to students all of the tricks that can be performed with numbers. However, it goes over the three minute limit for video sharing by six seconds. Therefore, the only thing this teacher needs to do to improve this video is to cut off at least six seconds, which is doable.

This video on writing offers a lot of excellent quotes from renowned authors. It is good that the creator tells who said each quote, however, he or she does not offer a source to find any of the quotes. Also, the music playing in the background is never referenced, but plays for two full minutes. This is an issue only because this video is posted on the internet; otherwise, it would not be an issue.

Change in Plans

As I continued working on implementing Voice Thread as a digital storyteller, I decided that it didn't work for what I was trying to do. So, after seeing it demonstrated in class, I decided to look into prezi.com instead. I went through the tutorials and tried to think of different ways I could implement this technology in the classroom. One thing I thought of was using it as an outline before drafting a paper or report. This way, the students are creating a visual aid that they can later use when presenting the report to the class. Therefore, they are outlining and making the presentation at the same time.

Here is the lesson plan I created for this idea.

Here is the sample book report I created using the technology.