World of Video
If students aren't taught the language of sound and images, shouldn't they be considered as illiterate as if they left college without being able to read and write?George Lucas
We cannot ignore the fact that our students are surrounded by video texts. Teachers can play an important role in helping students develop their critical literacy using these texts. It is not necessary for students to be engaged in a complex production in order to learn how video language works. The exercises and projects described in this section of the website provide opportunities for students to use simple video productions and activities to support a range of literacy skills.
Videos combine moving images, language and sound to tell a story. This is true whether the video clip is:
- a television commercial or public service announcement
- an interview with a grandparent
- the description of a simple process e.g. the life cycle of a butterfly
- a scene from a favourite book
As students read, analyze, interpret and produce simple video texts they learn that:
- videos, like all texts, are constructions that convey a message to a particular audience for a particular purpose
- the audience and purpose impacts the way the video is constructed e.g. a television commercial aimed at teens will often contain bright colours and fast moving images
- readers play an active role in determining the meaning they take away from the text
In this section of the website, teachers will find classrom ideas and projects for using video with students.