My name is Joel Speranza, and I’m a maths, digital technology and accounting teacher. I’ve been producing video content, including flipped classroom lessons, for use in my classroom for 3 years now. In that time I’ve made approximately 1,000 videos. This means I’ve made about 1 video a day since I started.
I know, that sounds like a lot doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it’s really not as difficult as you imagine.
I used to be terrified of making videos. I had no idea how to do it, I was terrified of having my face and my voice on screen. But after one too many students came in saying, “Did I miss anything yesterday?” I decided to gather up my courage and make my first video.
You can watch this video below.
There is so much wrong with this video. The sound is terrible, I can barely look at the camera, the camera keeps losing focus. The whole thing is a mess. You might think it’s a failure. But…
My students loved it! For the first time, they had true control over their own learning. They could pause the video if they were having trouble, or rewind it if they didn’t understand something. As the the final exam approached, students could re-watch the video to help them revise. Parents even got in on the act, learning the content anew and helping their children to learn.
I used to be terrified of making videos. I had no idea how to do it, I was terrified of having my face and my voice on screen.
This total control has only been possible in recent years with class sets of laptops or 1:1 schools. No longer do we need to wheel the TV trolley in and have all our students watching one screen. If students have their own screen, they can learn at their own pace.
Creating Your Own Flipped Lessons
Creating your own flipped lessons is simple. Just point your webcam or mobile phone camera at yourself, press record and start teaching. Upload to ClickView and share with your students. It really is as simple as that.
I’d like to stress now that the quality of your video production or the way that you do it really doesn’t matter. Students just want to learn, and they don’t care how fancy the production values are. I make videos in all sorts of ways. Here’s a little “highlight reel” to give you some ideas.
Here’s what I’m getting at. The video revolution has happened fast, with cheap video cameras, internet fast enough to handle video, easy video uploading and a screen for every student. It has happened so fast that many of us haven’t realised how easy it is to make and share a video to our class.
As teachers, we use all of the tools available to us to create the best learning experience for our students. Now, for the first time ever, making your own video is just another tool that you can use.
Give it a try. The first one is the hardest, after that, the rest is easy.
If you’re keen for a further look, you can view and share my flipped classroom maths videos here: https://clickview.tv/joelsperanza
