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Teaching with Video
 Video can bring resources, people, experiences, and places into your classroom in a way that engages students. It is a medium that uses the power of images and sound in a way that can appeal to both visual and auditory learners. With the addition of hands-on activities, video can also engage kinesthetic learners.
Video can be used to introduce a lesson or concept, reinforce previously learned content, or enhance or extend content. Think of video use as a four-course meal!
Four-Course Meal
Appetizer
Some video can be used as an appetizer to tempt the learning palette of the learner. Appetizer video is usually a short clip generally no longer than 15 minutes in length. It presents a new concept in an engaging or unique way that will make students want to learn more!
The Main Course
Video can be used as the main course. Main course video contains all or most of the key information that needs to be covered for a particular learning objective. It is usually a longer clip than an appetizer video. While a main course video may provide comprehensive coverage of a learning objective, it should never be used in isolation! It should be integrated with discussion, questioning, hands-on activities, or writing activities.
Side Dishes
Video can also be used as a side dish. Side dish video adds a little extra to a learning objective, provides a new perspective, or reinforces a key concept.
Desert
Time for desert! Desert video can be used to top off a lesson! For example, after reading a book, students might view a video of the story and compare how the video version was the same or different than the written version.
The Teacher and Video
Classroom video is a tool for the teacher, not a replacement. The teacher should be a co-presenter of information with the video. The video cannot see when students lose interest, it can't check for learning, it can't pause itself for reinforcement of an idea, and it doesn't know what objectives need to be met in your classroom. That is the role of the teacher.
The Teacher as Director
 The best instructional videos let the teacher actively "direct" the viewing experience by manipulating the medium. Think of it this way, when you watch television at home you typically watch five to eight minutes of programming and then two to three minutes of commercials. When you are teaching with video, pause the video every three to five minutes and build in your own "learning commercials." Learning commercials, unlike television commercials, don't have to be limited to two to three minute breaks. Use the "learning commercial" time to check for learning, discuss what you viewed, do a hands-on activity, do a writing activity, or predict what is going to happen next.
Pause for Learning
In addition to building learning commercials, be prepared to pause the video if you think you need to reinforce information or check for learning. Well-paced narration in most instructional videos should allow the teacher to pause the video without impacting the program's flow. Pausing the video lets the teacher make comments, check for learning, question the students, solicit feedback, examine an image on the screen in greater detail, or engage in an activity. Pausing also can allow students to record information, ask questions, come up to the screen and identify details, or discuss what they have learned. Frequently the program or your class will give you prompts for pausing.
Some prompts for pausing include:
1. If the host or narrator of the program asks a question, pause the video and have your students answer the question before the program answers it!
2. If what is presented on the video prompts a reaction from the class, pause the video to discuss what they saw or heard that impacted them.
3. If it is obvious from observing the class that the information presented is not clear, pause the video and check with the students to establish what is not clear. You can then clarify the information and rewind the video and review the segment.
Other Ways to "Direct" the Video
1. Talk over the video if what you have to say is more important than what the video has to say.
2. Turn down the volume and narrate the video yourself.
3. Let students view the video once and then turn down the volume and let them narrate the video.
4. Turn on the closed captioning and turn off the audio and let students "read" the video instead of just viewing it. You can also leave both the audio and closed captioning on so the students can hear and read the video.
5. Turn down the brightness control and let students listen to just the audio and then predict what the visuals will be.
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ITV Database
 You can search the Instructional Television Database by subject and grade level. For each series you will find detailed episode descriptions, schedules, related series, and links to related web resources. For many series you will also find lesson plans and streaming video. You can also find programming information in the 2007-2008 Knowledge Network Program Guide. This guide is in PDF format and you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access it.
Find an ITV Program
Video On Demand
 You can access selected series on the web via videostreaming. Some of the series are password protected. Contact the Knowledge Network for the password for your school or SAU. Home schools can also be issued a password. You will need RealPlayer to access these online videos. Recording Online Videos: If you are using the latest version of RealPlayer, you can also download videos to your RealPlayer Library.
>> Instructional Television VOD
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