I began utilizing WeVideo regularly to create videos to help my students with the material covered in class a couple of years ago, and this became incredibly useful during the COVID closings. I use the screen capture mode, and have covered slide shows, filled in notes, and worked through other assignments for my students. My students have been very receptive to viewing and self-pacing through the material, even before schools closed. Wevideo is very easy to use and share.

In terms of live streaming and conferencing, Zoom is a great resource. I have thoroughly appreciated the interface and quality. However, in my school system, it was not approved in our AUP, so we were not permitted to use the resource. We instead had access to Google Meet, which works in a similar way, but is not nearly as clear and clean looking. This overall mode of communication, whether Zoom or Google Meet, is great for students because it provides an opportunity for personal connection and for students to ask questions in real time. In addition, even students who do not actively participate in the conversation are still able to gain from listening.

Overall, using video is a great way to reach students and encourage them to participate, especially for distant learning. I’m interested to see how these things develop further as we continue into the next school year, likely with some modifications to our education system.