The following is a comment about an article published in the FORUM Magazine, which is a recommendation by Prof. Dr. Gilberto Hernández.
Nathaniel Carney and Patrick Foss, Japan, are authors of the article, "Student Produced Videos: Two Approaches," published in the English Teaching Forum, issue Number 2, 2008.
COMMENT:
Videos have become a form of expression and communication, such as videos posted in YouTube, or vlogs (video-based blogs), those sent by SKYPE, and others. Since producing a video by students was thought to be a motivating and self-empowering activity for the L2 learners, two instructors created a learner-centered project-based activity for a short-term intensive English program for college in Japan.
For these activities, time and cost considerations included digital video technology and editing softwares. They required a light, powerful digital video camera (at a lower cost than years before) and free time-efficient video editing software. They found these two softwares as the best found at the time:
-Microsoft´s MovieMaker (included in XP and Vista operation systems);
-Apple´s iMovie (included in the OSX operation system)
Having chosen the latter one, they connected their digital video camera to a Macintosh via a firewire cable. The computer, then, imported the videos automatically. It broke these videos into "clips" - segments of video created every time the user pressed "pause." These clips could be modified, too. After trying the software themselves, the two instructors gave each group instructions on how to use it. All students had access to one digital video camera and one computer.They had to acquire the following skills: writing, directing, acting in and editing a movie.
The general objectives for these video projects were:
1. Each student should use as much English as possible;
2. Students should learn as much about filmmaking as possible.
The specific language objective was:
- Students should learn and practice various debating language.
Added to these objectives were four rules students had to follow.
VIDEO PROJECT N° 1:
The first approach for this activity included eight students that had to work in pairs to make four short films. Through processes of negociation, students proposed the following videos:
-The ethics of cloning (as news report);
-Robot ´s work vs human work (drama);
-electronic surveillance (drama);
- electric cars (drama).
The instructor´s role was to instruct camera operation and use of iMovie software, to be present during most negiciations, to print a shooting, rehearsal, editing schedule, check in regularly with each group, and to help editing the film. In fact, the instructor helped mostly in editing.
All students were filming, acting, rehearsing, and editing at the same time. They were done before due time.
VIDEO PROJECT N°2:
The second approach for this activity included eight students that had to work together in a longer film. On the first day of class, they received some questions on the scientific/ethical theme of the relationship between animals and humans, and for homework, they had to think of one or two specific stories that could be the focus of the drama. On the next class, students negociated the final selection, as well as who had the responsibilities to be directors, writers, costume designers, and set and sound designers, during all the filmmaking process. They used Wiki, which is a free online collaborative website that allows all users with the password to write and edit content on the site, to write the script.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES:
FIRST APPROACH:
Avantages seen with students who worked in Project N°1:
-Each student had the opportunity to learn more about each major aspect of filmmaking.
-Each student had the opportunity to work on multiple English skills.
Disadvantages seen in this group were:
-The instructor was unable to work closely with students who were rehearsing. No one practices pronunciation or intonation.
-Students had little time to create sets or costumes
-On the final video, at times, students/actors were difficult to understand.
SECOND APPROACH:
Advantages seen with students who worked in Project N°2:
-Instructor and students consistently spent time together. Students practicedtheir pronunciation and intonation and body movements.
-Instructor´s feedback was immediate and constant. This showed on the final video.
-This approach proved to be an efficient way to produce a film, where all students had an opportunity to be a leader at times.
Disadvantages found in this group were:
-There was an unequal learning due to the division of labor for the video production.
-Some students were not involved at all in certain tasks.
-There was an unequal length of speaking roles where some students practiced more than others, (although all were present during these rehearsals) at memorizing, acquiring more vocabulary, grammatical structures, and paralinguistic skills.
These two approaches to student video production proved thatthis is a motivating and self-empowering activity where students acquire communicative and technical skills for these times.
Nathaniel Carney and Patrick Foss, Japan, are authors of the article, "Student Produced Videos: Two Approaches," published in the English Teaching Forum, issue Number 2, 2008.
COMMENT:
Videos have become a form of expression and communication, such as videos posted in YouTube, or vlogs (video-based blogs), those sent by SKYPE, and others. Since producing a video by students was thought to be a motivating and self-empowering activity for the L2 learners, two instructors created a learner-centered project-based activity for a short-term intensive English program for college in Japan.
For these activities, time and cost considerations included digital video technology and editing softwares. They required a light, powerful digital video camera (at a lower cost than years before) and free time-efficient video editing software. They found these two softwares as the best found at the time:
-Microsoft´s MovieMaker (included in XP and Vista operation systems);
-Apple´s iMovie (included in the OSX operation system)
Having chosen the latter one, they connected their digital video camera to a Macintosh via a firewire cable. The computer, then, imported the videos automatically. It broke these videos into "clips" - segments of video created every time the user pressed "pause." These clips could be modified, too. After trying the software themselves, the two instructors gave each group instructions on how to use it. All students had access to one digital video camera and one computer.They had to acquire the following skills: writing, directing, acting in and editing a movie.
The general objectives for these video projects were:
1. Each student should use as much English as possible;
2. Students should learn as much about filmmaking as possible.
The specific language objective was:
- Students should learn and practice various debating language.
Added to these objectives were four rules students had to follow.
VIDEO PROJECT N° 1:
The first approach for this activity included eight students that had to work in pairs to make four short films. Through processes of negociation, students proposed the following videos:
-The ethics of cloning (as news report);
-Robot ´s work vs human work (drama);
-electronic surveillance (drama);
- electric cars (drama).
The instructor´s role was to instruct camera operation and use of iMovie software, to be present during most negiciations, to print a shooting, rehearsal, editing schedule, check in regularly with each group, and to help editing the film. In fact, the instructor helped mostly in editing.
All students were filming, acting, rehearsing, and editing at the same time. They were done before due time.
VIDEO PROJECT N°2:
The second approach for this activity included eight students that had to work together in a longer film. On the first day of class, they received some questions on the scientific/ethical theme of the relationship between animals and humans, and for homework, they had to think of one or two specific stories that could be the focus of the drama. On the next class, students negociated the final selection, as well as who had the responsibilities to be directors, writers, costume designers, and set and sound designers, during all the filmmaking process. They used Wiki, which is a free online collaborative website that allows all users with the password to write and edit content on the site, to write the script.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES:
FIRST APPROACH:
Avantages seen with students who worked in Project N°1:
-Each student had the opportunity to learn more about each major aspect of filmmaking.
-Each student had the opportunity to work on multiple English skills.
Disadvantages seen in this group were:
-The instructor was unable to work closely with students who were rehearsing. No one practices pronunciation or intonation.
-Students had little time to create sets or costumes
-On the final video, at times, students/actors were difficult to understand.
SECOND APPROACH:
Advantages seen with students who worked in Project N°2:
-Instructor and students consistently spent time together. Students practicedtheir pronunciation and intonation and body movements.
-Instructor´s feedback was immediate and constant. This showed on the final video.
-This approach proved to be an efficient way to produce a film, where all students had an opportunity to be a leader at times.
Disadvantages found in this group were:
-There was an unequal learning due to the division of labor for the video production.
-Some students were not involved at all in certain tasks.
-There was an unequal length of speaking roles where some students practiced more than others, (although all were present during these rehearsals) at memorizing, acquiring more vocabulary, grammatical structures, and paralinguistic skills.
These two approaches to student video production proved thatthis is a motivating and self-empowering activity where students acquire communicative and technical skills for these times.
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