This semester we learned one technique of capturing video called in-camera editing. Last year with another teacher, we completed a video project with a few advanced art students. We used i-Movie to edit the footage and quickly realized the labor intensity of such an activity. Furthermore, we learned the need for careful planning on both the teachers' and students' part. The editing portion of the project consumed us. While it was fun, the content of the video was soon lost to production. This semester, I enjoyed being reminded of a simpler approach to using video for student production--in-camera editing. The instructional video we watched in class was a great way to kick off the process. In working with my own students, I would try to show the same instruction or at least some models of all that can be accomplished with in-camera editing, as well as showing the importance of planning and storyboarding. I designed a lesson that emphasizes this need for storyboarding. The importance of storyboarding was once again made apparent when we produced our own three-minute instructional video. In How to French Braid, the actual video taping went smoothly because of the careful scripting, storyboarding, and rehearsing.

Making, as well as watching video in the classroom can be very effective. In my experience, students love to be in front of and behind the camera. Furthermore, they enjoy viewing selected educational programing. Neil Postman, in The Disappearance of Childhood, accuses television and other forms of media of exposing children and opening them to adult content, thereby destroying the notion of childhood. However, through two separate comparisons of text and video, we saw how video can share content and add to our understanding. This semester we read two science fiction short stories and watched corresponding films. As Dr. Norton pointed out in class, as educators we need to prepare students for these different forms of media. TV and the Internet plays a significant role in students' lives. Last semester we explored evaluative skills. This semester we redefined literacy and explored ways to decode the symbols and text we are bombarded with each day. Together these skills can help students make appropriate choices on what to view, how to intrepret, and how to apply to their own purpose.