Post Authored by Josh Whiting
Aaron Kammerman, School Technology Specialist at Hartvigsen School and The Jones Center, has been busy these last few weeks creating instructional videos for his teachers, as well as encouraging his teachers to make videos for their students. He recently compiled this inspiring list of ideas and reasons for teachers to make videos, and we are excited to share it with you!
Yesterday, I created a selfie video for my teachers, praising them for their efforts and encouraging them to reach out to me for continued support. In that video I made a passionate plea that they make MORE VIDEOS. I explained that kids are not missing out on the CONTENT as much as they are missing the CONTACT.
I followed up with this list of video ideas. My list of ideas is geared toward special ed students, but you get the idea. In case this is helpful, I pass it along to you!
You walking to the mailbox to get the mail, explaining at the level of your students all about mail;
You eating breakfast
Explaining about nutrition OR
Talking about the different foods OR
Talking about your morning routine OR
You playing with your dog and/or cat or other pet;
You feeding your pet, talking about it
You washing the dishes, talking about cleanliness;
At a table, you can show and tell a bunch of objects from around your house
Objects that are round
That are blue
That bring comfort
That are tools
A collection of yours
That are smooth
That are tiny
That make noise
That have lights
That smell
You can talk about chores and show a chore
Vacuuming
Washing a counter
Cleaning a window
Sweeping
Dusting
Straightening couch cushions
Folding laundry
Making a bed
You preparing a simple lunch, explaining the steps
You taking a walk in the yard and noticing different things
You getting in the car and putting on your seatbelt talking about safety
You examining the contents of something
A toolbox
A kitchen drawer
A pantry
A bookcase
A movie collection
A cookie jar
A toy box
You examining and discovering how something works
A flashlight
A light switch
An alarm clock
A hose
A shower
You reading a book
A story book
A picture book
An eyewitness book with lots of pictures to talk about
A novel, then stop and talk about the theme or subject or whatever comes to mind
You checking on the weather then choosing an appropriate outfit for the day
You writing the letters of the alphabet
You filling out a job application
You doing a simple art or craft project
Make some slime or salt dough
Paint
Origami
Paper airplanes
Lego construction
Draw
Cutting construction paper
You fixing something
A loose hinge
A loose wall plate
Changing a lightbulb
Changing a toilet paper roll
Grease a squeaky hinge
Repair a broken lego construction
Go on a scavenger hunt throughout your house (Mary Imhoff’s idea)
Search for things or a certain color
Or certain shape
Or a particular letter
Or things that are rough
Or things that make you happy
Or things that are scary
Go on a bug hunt or worm hunt
Gather a bunch of objects
Count them
Sort them
More or less
Bigger or smaller
Recruit a volunteer to interview you and model an interview
Do yoga
Do exercises
Just talk about you
When you were in school
About a favorite teacher
About a hobby you enjoy
About your daily routine at “Home school”
About (almost) anything
Recruit a volunteer and do something together in a video
Play a simple game
Ping pong
Hopscotch
Tic-tac-toe
Jacks
Chutes and ladders
Play a clapping hand game
Play jump rope
Role model positive social interactions
Sing. Yes. SING!
Talk about your similarities and differences (hair, height, etc)
Play catch with a ball
Play hot potato
Compare two different things in a detailed way
Philips versus straight head screwdriver
Wooden versus metal spoon
Hardback versus soft cover book
Bike versus scooter
Different types of cereal
Different type of trees, plants, or flowers
Different pets
Two different types of food
Broom versus a mop
Two different pieces of jewelry
Two different pieces of clothing
Two different automobiles
Tell some jokes
Draw and explain your family tree
Do a science experiment (Mary’s idea again)
Celery in food-colored water
Planting a seed
Growing mold
Ramps and balls
Put on a fashion show for different types of weather
The possibilities are endless. Channel your inner Mr. Rogers and talk in detail about what you are doing on camera. Verbally explore out loud. Verbally wonder and ask questions. Notice the common thing in all the suggestions above: YOU. If you see an idea on youtube, copy it and do it yourself—the kids will like it better with you as the subject.
Winning Combination: Screencastify + Google Slides
You can find more video ideas and instructions on Aaron’s website for his teachers: https://sites.google.com/granitesd.org/aaronssite/home/creating-videos. In his videos he makes frequent offers to help, but if you are not a teacher at his school and would like help with any of these tools for creating videos please reach out to your STS or LMETS, who will be just as happy to help you as Aaron is to help his teachers.