Principal's Video Demo

A few years ago, creating a short video, even a sixty second PSA, took a lot of time and work. Cameras used tape, and digitizing the content meant capturing through a slow, linear playback process, often with clunky equipment and add-ons that either didn't work or were missing drivers. Rendering took hours on slow processors. And, varied video formats confused most software. Today, teachers have new Macbook Airs. The Macbook Airs are a veritable content creation powerhouse. They have powerful media editing tools like iMovie, Quicktime, and Garage Band built in, and can use older stalwarts like Audacity. Web based tools like wevideo and twisted wave further augment the content creation toolset. And, capturing and working with video has never been easier. Phones, iPads, and screencasting tools have made even the best digital camcorders seem clunky.

This Tuesday, I'll be running a workshop for administrators on creating short, PSA type videos on their Macbooks. We'll be using iMovie in conjunction with screencasting tools as a starting point. Here's a sample video that I'll be using as part of the demo.

Why video? You can get a lot more millennial traction out of a one or two minute video than you might out of a five paragraph blog post. When Youtube ascends to the second largest search engine on the planet, it supports the notion that we have become a 'video' generation. Quick hitting, powerful video can help you get your message out to a wider audience, and do so more effectively than you might have imagined.