video-recording-in-the-classroom

5 Tips for Video Recording in the Classroom

5 Tips for Video Recording in the Classroom

video-recording-in-the-classroom

Video recording in the classroom doesn’t have to be stressful as a teacher. In fact, this is your moment to shine as a budding YouTube star! When creating videos for your students, you’re providing opportunities to listen and learn from you as often as they would like. In fact, it extends your reach even more as you can be in two places at once. 

 

Through my years of recording videos for my students, both teachers and children, here are my top tips to easily create high-quality videos that are engaging and useful. 

 

#1 Video Recording in the Classroom: Easy-to-Use Platforms

Complicated software isn’t needed to create great videos. As long as you have a cell phone and an embedded web cam in your laptop, that’s all you need to get started! Other tools will be mentioned later to adding to creation, but not entirely necessary. 

 

My go-to tools for video creating are: 

 

  • Screencastify
    • Google Chrome extension that allows recording the screen, screen & face at the same time, and just face. All videos are saved automatically to your connecting Google Drive account. 
    • iPad app that allows adding in own content and recording voice on top. Also record the process of writing and solving problems. Great for showing mentor examples and solving problems. All videos are saved within the cloud service of your choice. 
    • Web-based video editing software. There is an app as well. Easily combine videos and layer text, audio and images. There are also screen recording and green screen capabilities as well. 

 

#2 Write an Outline

Whenever I try to start recording off the top of my head, I always forget something and mess up. Which then results in more time spent re-recording content. 

Before recording, create an outline of the topics you want to cover in the video. This can be as detailed as you want, especially when first getting started with video recording in the classroom. 

Having an outline will help guide your thinking and also keep the video moving along. 

 

video-recording-in-the-classroom

#3 Chunk Content

Shorter videos are better. In fact, according to Panopto, best video engagement is between 2-5 minutes. 

Think of them like quick mini lessons. Target exactly what you want to say in smaller chunks. This can lead into a video series that students can work through. Having a collection of shorter videos helps with differentiation and having segments that connect directly to a student’s needs.

In fact, recording shorter videos is so much easier to make than longer videos. If you mess up, it’s easier to re-do rather than sift through 30 minutes of content. 

 

#4 Batch Record

After creating a sequence of videos you want to create along with their outlines, batch record in one setting. This will allow your brain to focus on the content during that setting. 

This doesn’t mean you need to edit during this same time; this can be saved for another time. 

If recording your face, I like to switch my shirt for each video segment. This helps when I am editing and assigning videos since they will look visually different at first glance.

 

#5 Video Recording in the Classroom: Great Lighting & Sound

There are a lot of things that can be fixed when creating videos, but bad lighting is a hard one to undo. 

Use as much natural light as possible. When recording your face, facing a window is super helpful!

If recording your hands, small ring lights can help add more exposure into the space. 

 

Here are two external lights I like using. This one clips onto my phone while the other stands up on a flat surface. 

 

Increasing audio quality is also helpful for your videos. When recording on my phone, I’ll wear my Airpods to enhance the sound. While on my computer, this simple external microphone works well. For more of an investment, I’ve had great success with this Yeti. 

 

These tips will not only help you when recording videos for your classroom, but also your students. Check out my video tips that I use in my K-5 classroom to help with their video quality as well. 

 

Click here to check out this resource to use in your classroom! 

video-recording-in-the-classroom

 

 

 

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video-recording-in-the-classroom

 

Have you started recording videos to add to your classroom instruction? Feel free to direct message me on Instagram, @naomimeredith_ and I would love to chat with you!

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