4 Benefits of Using Video as a Teaching Tool

Have you ever wished you could clone yourself so that there could be two of you assisting students in your classroom? I certainly have! The answer to this age-old issue is video. I've been using both play and sing along video tutorials in my classroom for a number of years, and now I couldn't live without it.

It's fairly easy to use video as a teaching tool if you have a large screen in your classroom. All you need to create video tutorials is a phone with video recording capability, a video editing app, a tripod, and a video hosting account (free)! In this blog post I will be discussing four benefits of using video as a teaching tool. Be sure to check back in the coming weeks because I will be digging further into this topic with additional information on equipment requirements, video editing software and lots of helpful tips and tricks that could save you time and money!

So, what are the benefits of using video in your classroom?

Recording tutorial videos creates a second "you" that teaches your students from the screen. This frees up the real you to move around the room and work with students while they are playing and/or singing along with the video. To use a term coined by fellow music educator, Sarah Comerford, they will be learning from both you and your "video twin"!

One of my play along videos

First grade students playing along with the
same video as seen above

There's nothing quite like a video to grab the attention of folks of any age! A few years ago, I was working with a local teacher and her junior high guitar class. She had also just begun using video in her classroom, and it was wonderful for me to observe older students benefiting from this technology. After guitars were distributed to the students in her rather large public school class, there was the usual din of chatter while they waited to begin. Without a word, she pressed play on one of her warm-up videos, and the students were instantly focused on the screen and playing along. It was a brilliant example of classroom management...not to mention the fact that it saved her precious voice from possible damage due to speaking over all that sound.

Second graders playing along with me while their teacher
looks for anyone who might need some assistance.

Whether it be recorder, ukulele, guitar, voice or classroom concepts like beat versus rhythm (the list goes on and on)...video can be helpful no matter what you teach! The beauty of taking the time to create a video is that you can add it to your growing collection and use it year and year no matter where you go. Just think how a substitute teacher could benefit from using your tutorials in your absence!

An example of a sing and dance along video with lyric captions.
It's much easier for students to learn a new song this way!

My colleagues and I noticed a HUGE improvement in the quantity and quality of home practice with the introduction of video tutorials. Parents report that it's much easier to encourage children to practice when they can play along with the teacher. Another amazing benefit of accessing your tutorials at home is that you can help students practice properly. They are much more likely to sing on pitch at the correct tempo with proper posture if they are working with you at home! 

Of course, parents will also benefit from these little "sneak peeks" of what's happening in your music program. Knowledgeable parents tend to be supportive parents!

Here's a video outlining all four benefits with some additional information:

I hope you have found this information helpful and are now ready to give video a try. Keep an eye out for lots of new information in the coming weeks, and don't forget to FOLLOW ME on TeachersPayTeachers for regular FREEBIES!

Thanks for reading and watching,
Lisa