Journal 3

"Video in the Age of Participation" By Glen Bull

In this article Glen's main point is that "digital video is the next frontier in the technology world". He suggests some sources of video on the Web such as PBS, National Geographic and the NGS WildCam Africa site. Performing a search on YouTube of "Pete's Pond" will also reveal many postings of wildlife video clips from it's members. Being a biology major, I'm excited to explore these sites when I have some free time (what's that?:-). Glen emphasizes the importance of being able to link these resources to content and standards in the classroom. He says that the Discovery Education unitedstreaming Web site provides this type of service. It also links grade level, content and standards together. Another key feature is that full length videos are chopped into shorter segments to allow easier access for teachers.
Glen also mentions the Discovery Educator's Network (DEN) which allows both teachers and students to edit and remix video. Teachers who are enrolled with DEN are given the title "DEN Star" as a reward for their efforts. DEN also offers a lot of workshops and instructional seminars for it's members. The article points out that the majority of students are already operating in a sort of digital world and that this needs to be translated into the classroom. Web 2.0 also offers many resources such as MotionBox, JumpCut and VideoEgg. Glen concludes that "with combined efforts, we may shrink the gap between the explosion in use of video on the Internet at large and effective use in the classroom".

1. What is a unitedstreaming school? Apparently it's a type of program that offers various kits and tools to help teachers integrate technology into the classroom.
2. What do I think about digital video in the classroom? I'm all for making the learning process more interesting and fun for the students. Anything the can grasp their attention and get those wheels turning is all good.