Student+Video

=**Student Video: Innovative Projects for Skills Integration**= __**Pros**__ Student video projects have several potential benefits:
 * student-centered, cooperative learning technique and a means of giving students control over their learning building community
 * a way for students to apply what they have learned using creativity and originality and for teachers to assess students’ attainment of vocabulary, grammar structures, and/or pronunciation
 * students work cooperatively, or even in competition with other groups, in tasks that integrate the productive skills of writing and speaking
 * working on teams, students communicate to write scripts, make storyboards, and assign and carry out roles and duties, thus engaging in meaningful communication for a shared purpose
 * promotion of teamwork and meaningful communication
 * an end result of which students can feel proud
 * useful for gauging students’ oral skills, vocabulary attainment, workplace skills

__**Cons and Suggested Solutions**__
 * Some students don't want to be on camera || They can be narrators, script writers or reviewers, videographers, directors, or video editors ||
 * Students have no technical experience || Teach them simple things; have the class techie do the technical parts; teacher does the tech ||
 * Irregular attendance patterns make pair/group projects difficult || Plan a simple project that they finish in one day ||
 * Students have privacy issues || Don't post videos online without their written consent (make sure they understand 100%) or simply make videos only for classroom exhibition and don't post online ||
 * Making video takes up a lot of class time || Assign for out-of-class planning and video shooting if the class is for credit/graded ||
 * Video editing takes up a lot of teacher time || ... so does creating original, engaging materials and activities and planning an excellent lesson :) ... get your Gen 1.5 students to do it for extra credit (or kids or husbands/wives...) ||
 * No equipment; no funds for video equipment || Students can use cell phones; Try digital stories -- "video" that uses images (from digital still photos, drawings, or copyright-free online images and voice-over narration) and free tools such as Windows Movie Maker, Photostory, or iMovie -- see our ESL Digital Storytelling blog at [] ||

The purpose of these projects was to engage students by providing variety in the learning environment and to promote language development as well technical skills by providing students:
 * __These Video Projects__**
 * the feeling of empowerment through self-directed learning and engagement in authentic, motivational classroom activities
 * a basic foundation of 21st Century Skills (technology, problem-solving, interpersonal skills, teamwork and negotiation, creativity and inventive thinking, curiosity, risk-taking, higher-ordering thinking, adaptability)
 * targeted practice writing, speaking and vocabulary development, and pronunciation practice (stress, intonation, etc.)
 * a chance to observe and self-evaluate their own oral/verbal and nonverbal communication skills

The goal was to incorporate technology and video projects such as commercials, testimonial interviews, and other promotional videos for the noncredit ESL program; informational videos for students on classroom and workplace etiquette; mini documentaries, employment interviews, and news reports; skits, role plays, dialogs, and oral presentations. Although the classes in which these projects were conducted are noncredit, and students are not awarded grades, the instructors provided formative feedback and summative evaluation through rubrics.

//**Results:**// Anecdotally, students reported that they enjoyed using the video cameras and gaining confidence with technological gadgets and software. They also indicated on student exit surveys that they appreciated video projects because they provided a break from the norm and gave them opportunities to communicate with their classmates for more authentic purposes beyond dialog and drills and use the language they were learning in new and meaningful ways. The affective results of integrating student-produced video projects were increased student engagement, lower inhibitions to produce orally, and a strong sense of community among students in the classes. These results, in turn, led to persistence/retention rates of 90 – 100% in the Spring and Summer Terms in the sections of Levels 6 and 7 in which the video projects were implemented. In the same sections, 50% or more of students enrolled were promoted to the next level of instruction.

__**Process**__
 * Teacher finds an area in curriculum/lessons in which a video project would be appropriate (usually in the place of a skit, dialog, role playm or as an extension activity from assignments such as oral reports or written assignments)
 * Teacher plans lessons that lead up to the video project (reading and discussion activities related to themes; teaching and student practice of target vocabulary, grammar)
 * Teacher presents the prompt and a sample video
 * Students do research, as needed
 * Students write and revise scripts from teacher feedback
 * Students storyboard (plan the video shots) and gather props
 * Pre-Taping (First Takes)
 * Viewing of and Feeback (teacher and peers) of First Takes
 * Futher practice -- working on stress, intonation, volume, pace, and other pronunciation and vocal features by students
 * Second Takes
 * Post-Production (editing video -- choosing best shots, adding titles, credits, effects)
 * Publishing
 * Presentation
 * Celebration

__**Projects**__ []
 * 1. Self Introductions:**
 * [|http://www.youtube.com/user/kreyes14?blend=19&ob=5#p/u/2/4RjFORRSphU] (students introducing themselves to teacher and classmates, for teacher diagnostic tool)
 * [] (beginning level students introduce themselves with images, using Microsoft PhotoStory)
 * 2. School Tour:** []
 * 3. Interviews/Talk Shows:**
 * **New Year around the World**
 * **Interview with a student who obtained a job and plans to transition to MiraCosta College credit courses** []
 * 4.** **VESL/Employment**
 * **Mock Job Interviews:**
 * [] and
 * []
 * **Interview Tips**
 * **CVs and Cover Letters**
 * [] (as part of a VESL exhcange between our students and students in a class in Spain – see [] )
 * 5.** **The Apprentice Project:** [[file:The Apprentice Project.doc]]
 * Sweet Genius: @http://youtu.be/9YGo2LgIi0s
 * MTDF Restaurant: @http://youtu.be/K1v1e6A3-T0
 * My Best Friend: @http://youtu.be/SONaSXdi7xI
 * Cell Phone: (video too large to upload)
 * 6. Etiquette:** Shopping Etiquette, Driving Etiquette, Cell Phone Etiquette, Classroom Etiquette, and others
 * 7. How to Survive a Natural Disaster** (Hurricanes, Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Floods, etc.) followed by internet search and paragraph writing
 * 8. Talking about Goals/Dialogs**
 * 9. Idioms** (inspired by Roger Drury's Phrasal Verb Dictionary [])
 * “Working for Peanuts” []
 * “Let the Cat Out of the Bag” []
 * 10. Commercial for Our Noncredit ESL Program [[file:Commercial Project.doc]]**
 * 11. Home Remedies** (inspired by [|Susan Gaer's International Home Remedies Project])

[] []
 * 12. Urban Legends**
 * 13. Environmental Tips** (How to Reduce Carbon Footprint / Global Warming)
 * 14. Speaking with the Stars (rehearsed movie scenes -- intermediate class):**
 * 15. Describing Oneself (clothing and appearance -- beginning level): Guess who it is!** []
 * 16. Shopping Dialogs (beginning level):**
 * Other ideas for projects**
 * Cultural or Family Tradition
 * How to go to college
 * How to be a good student
 * What to do in various emergencies
 * Dramatize a folk story or fable
 * Dramatize chapter summaries of a short novel
 * How to ... anything
 * Folk story from my country
 * Public Service Announcement
 * Interview community leaders, school officials
 * Best places in my city
 * Tips for success (as a student, employee, language learner, etc.)
 * Classroom or school rules
 * Do's and Don'ts of ...

__**Resources**__ Writing Projects v. Video Projects (not ESL-specific): [] Editing Video with Windows Movie Maker (XP) Editing Video with Windows Live Movie Maker (Vista, Windows 7): [] and Video Tutorials on YouTube [] Window Live Movie Maker in the Classroom [] and Guide for using Windows Live Movie Maker for editing Video [] and Slideshow media type="custom" key="10663506"