This video is my first successful attempt at creating a video and uploading it to youtube. My original goal was to create a "plain English" video that gave an introduction to the K-T boundary and dinosaur extinction as part of an inquiry unit for students. Rather than discussing the video itself, I would like to share things I have learned about creating and uploading videos on youtube:
1. Keep your videos short! The longer and more complex your video is, the more difficulty could arise in creating, saving, converting, or uploading videos. I was using all free software which all came with limitations on the video. Therefore, I kept refining the video down to its most basic presentation. (Which, by the way, could be a great learning tool for students. Higher Order Thinking Skills! Having students create a summary or a "basics" video over your content really forces you to think!)
2. Make sure you video making software and youtube have files that are compatible. I had to create and save this video eight different times before finding a file type that could upload and be processed by youtube that fit the size and audio specifications. Even after reading help pages on youtube, I wasn't sure why I kept running into uploading problems. I used pinnacle videospin software and it worked really well and allowed me to create and save my video in different file types.
3. Patience! Wow! I didn't realize such a "learning curve" existed when creating and uploading videos. However, maintaining a perspective that you will learn a lot by trouble shooting helps you be patient through the development process.
I found youtube to be the most helpful video service on the web. I looked into using teachertube but found the video limitations were even more strict than youtube. I found this true for yahoo as well. Flickr and Picasa have video options but they are very small, a minute at best.
Creating videos can be a great learning tool as well as an assessment, but caution: it takes time!
Wow, there's a lot that goes into producing your own videos! I think there is great benefit to students creating videos and prioritizing what needs to be in there. Back in the old days when I used "Paper" (I know...) I used to have students make posters that could only take up one side of an 8.5x11 sheet of paper. And they would HOWL with rage. But they were some of the best posters my students ever made.
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