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By Leigh
A wide variety of technological advances, when incorporated into traditional homeschooling, greatly benefit homeschoolers, according to Sarah Schutte of National Review. In this instance, it is the use of videos — particularly homemade ones — and incorporating them into lessons, where the potential for learning and imparting critical life skills is high. So in this case, how exactly does incorporating home videos into homeschooling benefit your learner?
Immersive Production
The creation of a home video involves family members and the learner. The immersive production quality of home videos benefits the homeschooler by teaching them multiple things at once — like digital literacy and creativity, according to Cincopa. The better they understand the use of recording technology, the more they are able to expand their horizons. For example, the knowledge of using different types of interview microphones can impact the quality of their outdoor videos. The immersive quality of producing home videos can also help the learner unlock hidden talents with filmmaking, directing or even script writing. These are only things they can pick up when there is proactiveness on the part of the parents to incorporate videos into homeschooling.
Better Motivation
Beyond the creation of the videos, it is through the employment of videos into actual lessons that further benefit your learner. Motivation can often be an issue in homeschooling environments, and the incorporation of home video lessons can change that. Videos better engage the attention of learners — particularly teens — and are a great motivational tool, according to Pearson. A home video project is a great alternative to a written test and can help the learner better engage with their lesson to create a well-finished product. Including other family members into creating lesson-type home videos for the learner can help better motivate them into paying attention. Not only does it help connect the learner to the lesson better, but through the inclusion of people they know and trust into home videos, it opens up an avenue for them to better appreciate loved ones who take time to help out — so it’s a win-win all around.
Context Demonstration
Making use of home videos gives you a stronger opportunity for context demonstration for your subject matter. Around 63% of students report that using videos in their homeschooling increases the relevancy and the overall quality of the instructional materials, according to ViewSonic. So not only do you give yourself a better chance to fully explore a topic, but your learner sees it as something of better quality than just reading it from a book. It also opens up the opportunity for the learner to do something themselves. If they are having difficulty with understanding a particular subject, they can try to recreate home video lessons or make one of their own to solidify their understanding.
Homeschooling is a tandem activity between you and your homeschooler. Therefore, it simply makes sense to have lessons that they have a hand in creating. Home videos may be the key that you need to further bring out your homeschooler’s potential. In a home video elective, students are challenged to create stories and documentaries through video, sound, and editing. Take some time to see how you can add personal videos to your lessons, and see how your child can help develop your ideas.
What types of activities and courses have you used as electives? Leave a comment and we may include yours in a future column!