Have you ever held your fingers over the record button of a VCR to capture the exact moment something was about to happen on a television show? For many students (and younger teachers) this concept is entirely foreign. The stress and excitement of recording the perfect clip on a blank videotape are totally lost on students of this generation.
Educational Videos for Students
Well, there are a lot of ways educational technology has disrupted the way we think about video in the classroom. With the days of signing out television carts with a VCR long gone in most schools, students and teachers can now play videos from a device that fits into their pocket. Although the ease of playing educational videos has definitely changed, finding the perfect clip to share with students can still present a bit of a challenge.
Boclips for Teachers
This year I was introduced to Boclips for Teachers. It’s a school-safe, time-saving solution for educators who want to locate and share engaging videos with students quickly. If you’re a regular follower of the blog or listener of my podcast, you know that I believe in the power of video in the classroom. It can help a student envision a world unlike their own or introduce a concept with visuals and engaging narration. You might use video content to help students strengthen their domain-specific vocabulary, or build background knowledge on a new topic. The possibilities are truly endless!
Boclips for Teachers brings vetted, curated content from reputable education content partners all in one place. Teachers can create their own video collections to share with students. And they can view collections other educators have made to utilize for their lesson plans. So if you know you have a unit on Biomes, you’re in luck! You can use a few different search terms to locate videos. Then you can create a collection of the videos you would like to share with students.
In addition to creating a collection of your own videos, you can also check out collections that other educators have made. For example, I created a collection of videos related to Biomes. You can see in the screenshot above that it includes a half dozen videos related to this topic. I switched the link sharing from private to public, so anyone else with a Boclips for Teachers account can see my collection and share it with students (or colleagues) too!
Using Videos in the Classroom
Educational videos help students see classroom content come to life. You might use videos in the classroom to envision a setting of a book. Or you could use it so students hear new vocabulary words in action. A video link might be something you share in Google Classroom or Schoology for students to watch before class starts. Or you might ask students to watch a video together and create a list of lingering questions for further inquiry.
When it comes to using educational videos in the classroom Boclips for Teachers makes it easy to find, collect, and share a curated collection for students. So if you can think of a topic and some keywords, then you’re all set to get started with this powerful educational video platform.
Check out Boclips for Teachers for a vetted, curated content from across the Internet, all in one place. If you sign up by June 30, 2019, you will have a full year of free access to the platform — so it’s really the perfect time to check it out!
