A Reflection: Project Based Learning with WeVideo Classroom

 By: Koralina McKenna, 7th grade Science Teacher 

A long time ago, I dreamed of a day when my students' quarter long project based learning assignment would be presented and collected in a video presentation. It took 5 years to make this dream a reality and I'm going to tell you how it went and what I'll do differently next time. 

• 5 years ago, I had the project figured out but I didn't have reliable access to technology for my classes to create video projects
• 4 years ago, I continued to perfect the project and had technology access but lost access to Windows Movie Maker, the video editing software I planned to use
• 3 years ago, I had everything I needed, I taught myself WeVideo and was ready to roll out this video option to my students but then the pandemic hit just before I planned to start 
• 2 years ago, I decided to heavily modify the project to be more suitable to hybrid instruction and did not use the video option 
• Present day, IT FINALLY HAPPENED 

This year was the year my teacher dream came true. My students built their projects at home and completed all their research and video planning during class. I utilized WeVideo classroom to create and collect student videos. The creation of the student video took a full 5 days of class time, plus 2 extra days to watch them (during which time I graded the videos).

Day 1 - I started the week with a printed out video storyboard to help students organize their thoughts and then we opened WeVideo classroom. I guided them through creating a title clip. Students selected either a video clip or still image to open their video. Then, they added text to include a title and their name. Lastly, they added audio (either music or sound effects) to play behind their opening clip. This process allow them to see where to find the different media files and change the length of clips. *Note: I did this lesson whole group, guiding them from the projector and paused to give them time to create each piece before moving on. 

Day 2 - Students began recording their audio in front of green screens that had been set up at the beginning of the week. Many students worked in pairs and recorded their partner. Some pairs found it easier to do this in an interview style with one student asking questions that the other student answered. Other's read from a script. When they were done, I showed them how to get their video recording from their device to WeVideo. *Note: Uploading media files depends on the device the student uses, but if they used their phone they needed to upload it to their Google Drive first. 

Day 3 - As a class we went over removing the green screen, rescaling their video and adding additional text to support their audio recordings. This was a lot of material for just one day and things started to get unruly as students were in such different places with their projects. Recording took much longer than I expected. I began to feel like I was giving every students a private lesson as they finished their recordings.  

Based on my experience with Day 3, I want to mention that when I do this again, I will structure Day 2 and 3 differently. I plan to split my class in half; let's call them Group A and Group B.

• Day 1:
  Group A and Group B create their opening clip together
  
  
• Day 2
  Group A records their audio/videos of them explain their projects
  Group B gets a lesson on adding text features and adds all their required definitions to their video
  
  
• Day 3 
  Group A gets a lesson on adding text features and adds all their required definitions to their video
  Group B records their audio/videos of them explain their projects
  

By the time we get to Day 4, all the students should be in roughly the same place. This would allow me to have a more structured way to teach the students how to edit their clips and align their text definitions with their videos. Day 5 will be dedicated to the finishing touches; like splitting clips and using slow-mo to emphasize certain elements of their project. 

In the end all my students got their video's completed with varying degrees of sophistication. Those who were able to keep my pace, produced high quality projects but those who had to wait a day to record their audio/video suffered from having to miss the structures and explicit instruction while they were recording their material. I think it would be worth recording short instructional videos for each process, that way students could view them on their own time or if they were absent. It would be 100% worth the extra time and energy to have that kind of resource available to all my classes. No matter how I break it down, one thing is for certain, my students blew me away! Their projects were amazing and they had a great time making them. They were challenged and pushed, they taught themselves and each other about the content. They made meaningful connections and showed real sense making when having to explain, in their own words, how our content related to their individual project. Using WeVideo Classroom has its perks, as well, it was easy for me to view their progress, give them feedback on their videos and even, when necessary, provide additional scaffolding. 

In terms of feedback and modifications, some of it was basic, I would turn off the volume of a track so it did not compete with their audio. In other cases it was much more encompassing. I have 2 co-taught sections; one of those is primarily self contained students. I found that WeVideo allowed me to build out a structure for them to go in and fill out. For example, I placed text placeholders and had those students go in and add their own definitions. For others, I selected a variety of media, they then choose the media and placed it in their video. This was extremely helpful in terms of still allowing these students to create something unique but avoiding them getting frustrated by the nuance of creating a video from scratch. I can't wait to take what I learned this year and tackle this project again next year!

For more information and tutorials on WeVideo Classroom click here.

*In April 2022, Ms. McKenna joined the Office of Instructional Technology as a Teacher Specialist. She is grateful she got to see this project through but is unsure when she will have the opportunity to do it again.