Glenn Bull unveiled the new phenomenon of web videos in his article, "Video in the age of Participation". What a GREAT article this was! I think it really shown a light on what web videos were and how they can be used in the classroom. I think that videos in general are always useful and are a great way to break up a lecture, or use material to relate to an activity. When I present at my current job, I always try and use at least one video. However, my number one complaint, is that their old! I work for a non-profit agency and it's expensive to replace videos! Here's when the luxury of web videos comes in! They can be as current as 30 seconds ago and as cheap as free! Sign me up. I loved how Mr. Bull mentioned the PBS video's about Africa's watering holes!
Questions:
1. How do I get my school to provide subscription to these kinds of services?
Students spend enough money on materials that I don't want to bombard them with the newest latest and greatest tech materials. One way that I can minimize the expense, is by downloading them myself. Many companies have memberships for teachers that are cheaper than the "outsider" membership and it would benefit my students if I could download the videos ahead of time. Also, the article mentioned a non-profit org called Next Vista who provide the videos for free. It's important to research this. Also, we could do a cost/benefit comparison for our school board between DVD's and Web videos... which one is cheaper?
2. What is the quality of these videos?
I know that producers and directors and film editors spend many hours on editing and making sure that the sound and lighting are perfect before the videos go out. Some of the web video's I have seen are poorly made and not always visible. Maybe staying away from sites like You Tube and leaning more towards Next Vista will provide better quality videos. I'm not quiet sure though how to go about sifting through the quality vs. non quality videos.
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