Common Craft is a great site to get a quick and simple explanation for lots of stuff. I'm most familiar with the technology things but there are other videos for everything from 'augmented reality' to 'zombies' (I'm not kidding!). When you get into the site choose 'browse videos' and select a category. These videos are simply done and may give you or your students an idea for a homemade video project. Common Craft videos are usually no more than 3 minutes long and are perfect to show in class.
The site looks like they are selling the videos and indeed they are, but you can watch everything online for free. So, don't be put off by the sales pitch.
Oh yeah, Common Craft videos are available in multiple languages... how can you use that?
I found these Common Craft videos simple yet interesting. I watched the CFL light bulbs and the Blog videos. They were very easy to follow and understand. These videos could be used to inspire students to make their own videos about informational topics. Students could create illustrations and write a script on a topic they choose to research. They could make an Imovie with the illustrations and have a narrator record the script with Garage Band. The students could share their short video creations.
ReplyDeleteGood question! How COULD we use it in multiple languages? Well.... I currently have my students doing demonstrations in class that I film so we could certainly do something related to that. The more advanced students could also make movies to show to the lower level students. I'm also thinking, as far as watching goes, that it would be cool to watch some of the videos they have in Spanish to learn things like how to make a blog (something that they've done but it would have been cool to show them how to do it with a video like the ones on this site).
ReplyDeleteI don't know if this is the place where you want us to write our website project but anyway the website is http://sciencespectacular.weebly.com
ReplyDeleteI like these Common Craft videos. They are not just for students, teachers who need a little help can use them too!
ReplyDeleteI'll admit, I watched the zombie video...blaim it on my male friends :-) Beyond that enjoyment/mockery, I did find the videos to be interesting, informative (amusing) and a good length for classroom consumption. The video on banking/loans was at a great level, and I thoroughly enjoyed the "paper" creation/demonstration used. It really puts it into the realm of student capability.
ReplyDeleteI have watched a couple of the commom craft videos including Augmented Reality....at the end they suggest that before long we will be able to wear glasses that have a small screen in the lense...my mind cannot really absorb that idea....must be getting old!
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