Authoring with Video

After reading the article, Authoring with Video found in The Reading Teacher, I loved the idea of using AWV (Authoring with Video) in order to help motivate students in writing. I have used the technique of having students write a story using a wordless picture, but found that this technique to be much more motivating for students who enjoy using technology or creating a video. Students enjoy writing when they know that their audience will include more than just their teacher. Using this technique, students will be able to share their stories in a digital format with classmates, family, and friends. In today’s technology advanced society students of all ages are already regularly viewing short videos on websites such as YouTube or creating and sharing their own digital videos on cameras and cell phones. This format allows students to watch a short digital video with no audio and create a text narrative in response to a writing prompt or task. The students use software that enters their text as a closed caption beneath the video. Additionally this technique is great for getting students to see why detail is important in their writing. When students watch a video and read the caption at the same time they see how their writing may or may not contain enough information about what is happening in the pictures. Teachers can also use their writing process to go along with other content areas or to go along with themes that are doing in the classroom. For example, in social studies class the video could relate to current events or in science could include a video clip about an endangered species or science experiment being performed. Students could even create their own videos and create narrative to go along with a silent video.
Overall I think it activity would be very motivating for students. They definitely would enjoy watching the video clips and creating words to go along with the videos. It also would reinforce reading because students could read their stories to classmates, family, and friends while sharing the completed videos. The class could even complete a story together after shooting a short video of a field trip they went on together. I think this activity would be make writing fun for students of all ages and ability levels. I also think this activity can be incorporated in any given content area; not just language arts/reading.

Strassman, B.K. & O’Connell, T. (2007). Authoring with video. The Reading Teacher. 61(4), pp. 330-333.