Naomi Meredith [00:00:00]:

How can you easily integrate video and audio production in the classroom but with a STEM twist? In today's episode, I will be sharing with you ways that you can integrate Earth and space science while creating video and audio produced projects. Video production is an essential skill that I believe all students should be able to learn in various capacities, whether you have students presenting on camera, which creating video and audio produced projects are actually standard. So take a peek at your common core state standards because there are standards that talk about this when creating digital pieces, but it's not just the presentation skills. There is a lot of work behind the scenes when it comes to producing video and audio shows, and they're very, very similar in the way that you produce them.

Naomi Meredith [00:01:35]:

So, of course, when you are presenting on camera, you have to be animated, but literally everything behind the scenes is almost exactly the same. I'm talking about when it comes to researching a topic, being able to look at all those various resources and put it together in a way that makes sense for a script, which is so important for our students to know. Likewise, think about all the technology skills that go into creating a video or a podcast. It can be really, really simple, but then also it can get really complicated when you are layering different elements. Likewise, there are all of the editing skills that can go into that production as well to streamline the project and make it exciting and engaging for your audience. These are just a few of the skills that I can think of off the top of my head. And, really, when I was teaching these lessons to my students in the k to 5 STEM classroom, I was learning a lot as well when it came to my own videos and my own podcast because there were some things that I needed to work on as well. But in turn, I was also sharing skills with my students that I was using with my own shows, and that was really valuable.

Naomi Meredith [00:03:01]:

Of course, not all of our students are going to be podcasters or YouTubers, but they are important skills to have that you can use in any job. Even just with my teaching job, I used a lot of video skills. At the same time I was teaching this unit with video and audio, I actually started up our school-wide video news, which I have a bunch of episodes all about that and a workshop that you can jump on in on if you wanna learn more about it. But I was doing that at the same time when I was building up this unit for my regular classes, and there was a lot of overlap with those lessons. But just thinking about my job as a teacher, like I said, having those basic skills when it came to creating videos, and, of course, I learn more and more. I'm still learning more. But having those basic skills of being able to create video really helped my job. And since then, those skills are still really valuable and important for a lot of the different things that I'm creating for my own business and contract work that a lot of people don't have.

Naomi Meredith [00:04:12]:

So this is something that we really need to think about for our students. Yes. The technology is going to change, but having those basic skills that can be improved on, and, of course, you can always learn new technology as you get older, but video and audio aren't going away. Sure. AI could be something added to it, but this is something that we really need to think about for our students in the STEM space, and it definitely involves a ton of STEM skills. So thinking about that, what is the origin of this unit that I like to call STEMsational space? When I was planning this video and audio unit for my students, I was mapping out my entire K to 5 STEM year-long plan, which you can grab the entire scope and sequence for free. Just grab it at Naomimeredith.com/yearlongplan.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:05]:

It's also linked in the show notes. But when I was mapping out the year, there were a lot of standards when it came to Earth and space science. A lot of the standards involved explaining why things happen or how they work, and I thought some sort of digital piece could be really beneficial in explaining these topics because, obviously, we can't go into space in the classroom. I wish I were Miss Frizzle. But there are a ton of resources out there that students can use, so I wanted to merge the two together. Hence, I came up with the name STEMsational space. I mentioned this a little bit before, but creating video and audio is a STEM skill. And I think there's a lot of misconception when it comes to what STEM is, and there's always a huge focus on coding, robotics, and even Makerspace.

Naomi Meredith [00:05:57]:

But sometimes I think we're missing out on some of those other types of skills that some students will really connect with. When you see my year-long plan, I really try to provide a variety of experiences for my students because not every kid is going to like all of the things. And I get really frustrated when I hear about STEM programs that only do one thing, then call your class that one thing. Call it a coding class if you're gonna do just coding all year round. Don't call it STEM. There's more to it. So maybe think about renaming your programs. But that's why I thought it would be really cool to add this component.

Naomi Meredith [00:06:36]:

And when I talk about the prep work for this, it is way low prep on the materials. You're gonna absolutely love it. So, I'll talk about those materials in a second. Also, you're thinking, wait. Did you do this with kindergarten and 1st graders? I absolutely did. Kindergartners and 1st graders definitely want to make videos, and the process for that is not as complicated as, say, what a 5th grader did. But little kids can still make high-quality videos that work for their age. It is possible, and I wanted them to build up those skills at a young age.

Naomi Meredith [00:07:14]:

And I tell this to all the grades. It's different just taking a video for fun and snapping something that you are doing really quickly, sending it to your friends, or putting it on social media. When you're really creating informational videos, there is a lot more behind-the-scenes than when it comes to the time to record. The same is true on this podcast. You are hearing the finished and polished version of all of this, but it takes a lot of research and prep work behind the scenes, all of the editing with my podcast manager, and all of the video from me. There's a lot more that goes into before and after the show. So I really wanted students to see that process even at a young age where, yes, you see this beautiful thing, but there's a lot of things that go into it as well. Alright.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:05]:

So how do you even go about setting up a video and audio type of unit? Is it a lot of materials? Do I need a lot of expensive and shiny things? No. You don't. That was also a big part of it because I always am thinking about how I want to show my students things that, yes, these units are really well thought out by me, where they probably wouldn't play be planning these lessons at home. But when it comes to the actual tools that we're using, I wanted to keep it very, very simple so that they could replicate it at home. So here are the tools that I used and the purpose behind them. You don't have to use all of these. These are definitely suggestions. There could be even more updated things after the fact when this podcast comes out, but it really doesn't take as much as you think it does.

Naomi Meredith [00:08:57]:

When it comes to the actual devices, use what you already have. If you have iPads or tablets, great. If you have laptops or Chromebooks, awesome. Use what you have. I actually didn't have any laptops in my classroom. When they remodeled the space, they took out all the desktops, and it was totally fine. But it was actually a habit where I had students bring in their devices to STEM, so I wanted them to connect the learning from what we're doing in this physical space in the STEM classroom to their regular classroom. For our laptops or Chromebooks, we use the platform called WeVideo.

Naomi Meredith [00:09:33]:

And I'm not sponsored by WeVideo, but for both of my podcasts, the Elementary STEM Coach this one and the STEM Career Quest podcast. But it's an awesome platform, and it is made with students in mind. So, if you don't have any experience with video editing, it is very simple. It is very visual, where you drag and drop your video clips. If you wanna put any fun things on top of your videos, like text or images, or if you wanna edit the green screen, you are able to do that within WeVideo. There are ways to get started for free, so check that out. And then there are some options if you wanna buy a subscription for your classroom or even your school district. And maybe you had a subscription at your school district, and you never knew how to use it.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:31]:

I definitely recommend it, and they're always improving and making it better. So I love WeVideo. I'm obsessed. There is an app for the iPads as well, so I'm gonna talk about iPads in a second. So, really, really great. You can also do iMovie, which is very similar. That was where I actually first started doing computer editing with iMovie. The one thing I don't love, and maybe it's changed now, is that it takes up a lot of room on your hard drive.

Naomi Meredith [00:10:57]:

I do have a Mac, and I do have iMovie, but I switched to WeVideo because I wanted everything not on my hard drive and saved in a cloud. So, if anything were to happen to my computer, I wouldn't worry about where my video is. It wasn't on the hard drive. So 2 really great platforms. You might have heard of some other things. I know some people are playing around with Canva and trying different things with Canva. You can record in Canva. Canva for Education, at the time of this recording, is free for teachers, but you can try that as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:11:29]:

And I've also seen some people edit some green screen. So those are some three options to look into and get started. For iPads, most of these things are actually the same. When I did my video recording with younger students in kindergarten and 1st grade, we just used Seesaw. And the reason behind this is that it is a tool we are actually always using in STEM anyway. I wanted my students to get better at using Seesaw, not only in my classroom but in their classrooms as well when they were recording their own work at their level, of course. We know those little kinders and first graders. They have the cutest little things. They might tack forever and ever and ever, but I wanted them to get a little bit better in Seesaw as well.

Naomi Meredith [00:12:13]:

Also, WeVideo does work on iPads that I know of, and, also, iMovie has those capabilities as well. And then I also, for a green screen, used a green screen by Do Ink. It is a paid app, but it's an awesome, awesome app for younger students to really visualize how the green screen actually works. So if you invest in it now, you will have it for a very long time. There's also an animation aspect. So, if you wanna merge in some animations as well, that's really great. But I love that app so much, and I have it on my own personal devices because it just works really well for that visual green screen editing. So those are some really good things to look into and check out based on the devices that you have.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:04]:

For other physical items, these are definitely all optional. And if you do wanna spend a little bit of money or invest, try it out. The video recording can get really loud, and I definitely understand that. And one thing I did tell my students is it's not going to be the most perfect audio in the whole wide world. We're in school. There are lots of us, and there's no way we can all move around where it's the perfect rerecording space. I told them when I'm at home, I'm in a great environment, but sometimes my dog will bark, or there's an airplane that goes by. You guys will hear it.

Naomi Meredith [00:13:44]:

It is what it is. Sometimes my husband will come on and come home and start playing with the dog, and you might hear it. But I tell the kids, it is what it is. Like, it's totally fine. Like, you're not getting graded on, oh my gosh. I can't get the perfectest, quietest space ever, and that's okay. But I do really recommend spreading them out the best you can and using those fabric boxes, like, from IKEA or, like, those storage cubes, and lay them on their side. What I would have students do is put their script inside of the box and then put their heads in there.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:21]:

And if you have a microphone, great. If not, that's okay. Your devices have a microphone already built in. But they'll put their head inside of the box, and that would kind of help center that sound and block out any external noise the best that you can. It's kinda like your own little sound booth. If you wanted to make it even more fancy, you could add in some spongy layers as well to block out more noise. I would use my fabric cubes for a lot of different things all the time, and I love it because they can fold up and store really easily. So I did not do that with my cubes, but if you wanted to, sure, go for it.

Naomi Meredith [00:14:59]:

If you want to have microphones, like I said, you could invest in some external microphones or some external cameras. Just play external microphones or some external cameras. Just play around with different options, but you don't have to at all. When I did our school-wide video news, I just used the cameras on the laptops, and I love laptops actually for their cameras because the camera stays steady. The kids do not hold still when they are holding an iPad. It is not great. Even grown-ups have a whole hard time with this too. So, laptop cameras are perfect for the elementary space. I don't think you need to invest in anything fancy.

Naomi Meredith [00:15:36]:

Microphones are really handy. You can get those tiny microphones. Ours were hit or miss with our laptops, but I know it wasn't the microphones. It was actually the permissions and security that were on the devices, so that's why they didn't work. But those are options. If you had to pick between the 2, get microphones. If you do want to do green screens, I had these awesome pop-up green screens that I got for writing a grant, where it's on a tripod, and it has a t at the top. And then with the fabric, one side was blue, and one side was green.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:08]:

Both are really great. So I really loved having those, and then you can fold them up and store them when you are finished. During the whole video and audio unit, I had them up for, like, a month and a half. They were just sitting in the back of my room, and I even had one myself. I purchased one for my office, and I have it set up all the time because I'm a little lazy and don't feel like putting it away. It's actually really easy to put away, but I just leave it up all the time. So those are really, really awesome. I love them, but maybe you have a blue or green wall.

Naomi Meredith [00:16:38]:

I like the portable option, and I know there are some other options too that people have where I could move kids in the hallway if it was possible to record or in our library to try to spread them out. When we did our school-wide news, we did put them away at the end of class, so I showed kids that it was part of their responsibility to set up the tripod and also take it down. But, also, just something to keep in mind, you could use butcher paper or Dollar Tree green tablecloths if you really wanted to. Okay. So, I know I talked about the materials for a bit, but I know that's what people really worry about. Like, oh, I can't do it. I don't have anything fancy. It really wasn't that fancy, you guys.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:16]:

Like, I'm all about, like, let's use what we have. Let's keep it simple. If I don't have it, we don't have it. Maybe I'll write a grant. Maybe I won't. We're gonna use what we have. Okay? So, alright, what did they actually do in this STEMsational space unit? Kindergarten and 1st grade were very simple with our lessons, and I kinda I did about the same system and process for this. It took them about 1 to 2 days to create their videos, and then for the rest of the week, we did STEM stations.

Naomi Meredith [00:17:46]:

So I do have a whole workshop all about STEM stations if you wanna hear how I plan it. But in kindergarten, we talked about the sun and shade. Then, in 1st grade, we talked about day and night and the season. So, we did not do this video for the whole week. At the time of this recording, I didn't have the lessons in my TPT shop when it came to the actual video lessons. I do for STEM stations. But these were things that I actually beta-tested with my students, and it worked out great. In kindergarten, we talked about the sun and how it is important to Earth and how it brings us life, and, also, we also have to protect ourselves from the sun to stay safe.

Naomi Meredith [00:18:25]:

So we created our videos and our scripts about that. Then, in 1st grade, we talked about how the Earth orbits the sun and how it also determines how long the days are and the seasons. Students created props that were on popsicle sticks to help visually show their video, and then we also wrote the script together. Everybody's script was exactly the same because I wanted them to understand what a script was and how it is helpful for making their video. Then, in Seesaw, students took turns with the iPads and helped out their partner where they would read their script and then use the props to demonstrate what was happening. Their face could be on camera, or they could actually just hold the props in front. I show them both options because some kids are shy, so giving them options is okay. Both kinds of videos are a thing.

Naomi Meredith [00:19:21]:

But that was their video. And so so cute because they knew, oh, I messed up really bad. Let's try it again. And I said it's okay if you make mistakes, like, if you don't have to restart the whole thing. But it was really good for them to make a video that made sense and was on topic. In 2nd grade, we got into that green screen recording, and depending on the year, sometimes I would use the iPads and the Do Ink app. Once we got licenses for WeVideo, I actually switched to using WeVideo since I was able to use that, and I wanted students to have that experience. And 2nd graders were able to do it.

Naomi Meredith [00:20:00]:

So if you're worried about it, can a second grader use WeVideo? Yes. They were totally fine. Mind you, this is, like, more than halfway through the year, so they have more skills. But that's where I was at with those apps. For 2nd grade, they created a green screen video where they were telling us all about a natural disaster, what it is, where it typically happens, and how to stay safe. So I gave them all sorts of different research resources to pick their one natural disaster, and then they made that fun in informational video and had the pictures in their background changed based on when it happened in the script. In their script, there actually was a storyboard part where they would kinda sketch a picture of what they were looking for and how they would add that in their video. By the way, the lessons I'm talking about for 2nd through 5th grade are in my TPT shop, and so those will be linked in the show notes with all of the research resources, the scripts we used, and the whole process for that.

Naomi Meredith [00:21:02]:

In 3rd grade, we continued our work on the green screen because I wanted them to continue building up that skill and how to create that type of video, but they created a worldwide weather report. And it was a more not so much a meteorologist report, which most people do for their first green screen project, and that's a great project. Keep doing it. It's really relevant, and people still use that today. That's how weather videos are made. But I wanted it to be more like a travel video and more informational about what is the weather and climate in different locations in the world and what you need to pack when you go there at different times of the year. So when you actually have this lesson in your classroom, I will give you my examples of the video. And this one is really fun because I do like to travel, so I made a video that was really bad on purpose of me in Costa Rica, and so I talked about that.

Naomi Meredith [00:21:57]:

The picture in the background is actually from when I was there. And then I made a really good example of what it could be. So, it's more like a travel video and that information, and again, using those different research resources to help them create their script. There also are places for these older students, second and up, where they don't have to do the video by themselves. They actually determine who is saying what part, and I teach them too to create clips where you don't have to record the video all in one set. You can actually break it up into chunks and merge those together. And, yes, even 2nd graders are able to do this. So, actually, that's a better way to make a video.

Naomi Meredith [00:22:36]:

When I do this podcast, I do pause and do little chunks, or if I mess up, I say it again. So, it's the same kinda thing, I pitch that to my students. In 4th grade, we change the style of the video that they are creating. So we start with kindergarten and 1st grade, where they are using props, like physical props, to create their video. Then we have 2nd and third grade, where they are talking to the camera in front of the green screen. And then, in 4th grade, I wanted them to change it up where they're creating a video that has animations, pictures, and video clips and has audio on top of it. So their face isn't necessarily shown in this video, but I wanted them to learn these skills. So, when you think about this unit as a whole, there is a progression of learning in just the type of video that they are creating.

Naomi Meredith [00:23:27]:

There is a method to the madness when you see it as a whole picture. This was really interesting because we were talking about ways to take care of the Earth, but also really, in a bigger form, outside of the Earth. We talked about space junk or space trash and how we are not only polluting our Earth but also the orbit around it. So we learned all about that. So the kids were super interested in that. Then they created an informational video to teach others about what space junk is, why it is a problem, and what possible solutions are out there or their ideas on how to solve it. So this is really cool to help them show those researching tools, not only in how to research about the topic but also finding images that would relate to the topic to help explain and make it engaging for their audience. And moving into 5th grade, taking those skills that they have learned throughout the years, or if you're starting it off fresh, that's okay too. And 5th graders created a short, tiny podcast, only a few minutes long.

Naomi Meredith [00:24:29]:

It's not that long. However, they created a short podcast to take on the role of a citizen scientist to teach others about what light pollution is. What is light pollution? Why is it a problem? And what are some ways that you can help solve it? So similar questions to Space Junk, different topic. This one was really cool, too, how we were analyzing podcasts, and they created the style of podcast that they wanted. Then, they started learning how to overlay music and make that exciting and interesting as well. So you actually get to hear some of those examples when you grab this lesson and also the resources. And honestly, I didn't even know what light pollution was. And, like, you know what it is.

Naomi Meredith [00:25:12]:

We didn't think about it until I got my master's in STEM leadership. And this actually sparked a lot of this unit. While I was in this program, I had to create a lesson. So I actually created this lesson during my masters, and then, in turn, it helped inspire the whole sensational space. As a recap, here is what we chatted about in this episode to help you wrap around your mind when it comes to video and audio production and merging it in the STEM space. So, I shared with you all about the origin of Sensational space and where it all came from. Next, we talked about ways to set up this unit, specifically when it comes to video and audio production in your classroom. Then, I talked through the different types of lessons that you can do with your students.

Naomi Meredith [00:26:02]:

Everything that you need is linked in the show notes that you can find in my TPT shop, Naomi Meredith, where all the research is done for you and uses the whole engineering design process, and you get examples of those videos. If you are looking for more ways to learn about video and audio production and then get it into your school as a whole with news, I invite you to join my school-wide video news workshop. And then, over on my kid podcast, the STEM Career Quest podcast, we are going to have some guests coming up. So if you're listening to this episode live, who work in the space industry and space and flight industry, you can hear more about their amazing STEM jobs. Thank you so much for being here, and I'll see you in the next episode.