VideoZone
About The Project
This project focuses on using digital video in the classroom. That is, actually recording footage, or displaying live pictures in the classroom, not using existing footage, (e.g. teachers tv, etc. Though this is also good!)
A few years ago I attended a course on the use of digital media in the classroom. The first part of the course focused on the using video. It covered various techniques and ideas, none of which were maths based, (as so often happens in non-subject specific courses).
I liked the idea of using video in the classroom and had used it before, (see investigations). It can be motivational and the current generation of students have grown up in an age of multimedia. This is how they get their information and entertainment, maths lessons must seem boring in comparison!
This project is my attempt at using digital video effectively in the classroom. It contains a range of ideas, all with lesson plans, that can be adapted to fit in with different topics and different age groups. All of the ideas have been tried out successfully with my classes and some of the footage is included.
A summary of each section follows below.
Live Demo
Projecting onto the whiteboard, video of a demonstration as it happens. Examples include, constructions, using a calculator, reading scales and drawing graphs. This technique can be applied to any situation where you want to demonstrate something that would otherwise by too difficult for the whole class to view sensibly.
Mechanics Experiments
Videoing mechanics experiments, then using the freeze frame and frame advance features of the digital video camera. This allows fairly accurate measurements to be made at 0.04 second intervals (25 frames per second). This data can be used to find velocities and allow comparisons between actual and theoretical situations.
Video Plenary
Recording students summing up key points at the end of a lesson. This footage can then be made available to students during revision time.
Representing Data
Human graphs! Using students to represent themselves on a large graph, videoing it and playing back to the students. Then they have to recreate the graph on paper. This technique could be extended to coordinates, plotting graphs, constructions, transformations, etc.