Using Digital Texts to Improve Video Content

      In his book Crafting Digital Writing, Hicks (2013) writes, "While alphabetic texts, in both print and web-based forms, are still a crucial component of our literacy practices, the degree of our video consumption points to a world in which moving images speak louder than words" (p.104). 

     After reading Hick's chapter on video texts, I began to look back at my introductory video to see how I could improve upon it. I noticed that my first video was pretty basic with me just speaking to my computer camera. As far as preparing for what I wanted to say in my video, I bulleted a short lists of things I wanted to mention and then taped the list to the side of my computer. I noticed that I used words like "um" and "and" a lot because I was trying to think of what I wanted to say next. In planning for my second video, I used suggestions from Hick's book and created a storyboard of words and elements I wanted to include. This preparation really helped me articulate exactly what I wanted to say in my video without having to pause to think about it. 

     I did not utilize any digital effects to improve the quality of my first video. "Either way, digital writers have to make decisions about how their words, spoken and written, connect to and enhance what's happening on screen. Choices about timing, background music, transitions, and other effects have to be balanced with the overall goals for the video text" (Hicks, 2013, p.104). In my second video, I wanted to try adding some elements to enhance what I was saying on the screen. I have been getting more familiar with Canva over the past few months so I decided to utilize some of the presentation features it offers to create my second video. In Canva, I was able to record videos speaking to the camera as well as insert slides containing texts and images. Those slides enhanced my video because they supported my digital text. I feel like they helped the viewer to gain a better understanding of me and what I do as a science specialist. I also think that by using texts and images it created an engaging transition of something else to look at and connect with during my video presentation. Lastly, I wanted to end my video in a way that would be more professional instead of me simply turning off the video. To do that, I added a slide with an image of the AMSTI logo at the very end. I felt that this added a more polished ending to my video.  

     Elementary teachers are beginning to utilize digital writing more in their classrooms. "No matter what media are employed, in the service of what genre, our students have to make choices about how and why to use media elements to compose narrative, informational, or argumentative texts" (Hicks, 2013, p.108). In Argument in the Real World, Turner and Hicks (2017) state, "The range of argumentative modes for video has become increasingly rich. We know that many teachers have employed genres such as commercials and documentaries or journalistic forms such as interviews, newscasts, or talk shows" (p.84). One way I utilized digital writing in my fourth grade classroom was to have students create a Flip presentation on an animal's response to stimuli. Students researched the animal and then planned what they wanted to include in their presentation. Students had to record themselves sharing what they learned along with images that supported their research. Instructional activities like this provide a rich learning opportunity that incorporates so many cross curricular standards. They also let students gain important skills to help them be successful in our ever-increasing digital world. 

References

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: composing texts across media and genres. 

     Heinemann. 

Turner, K. H., & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to 

     read and write digital texts. Portsmouth, NH: Heinmann.