Storytelling has been around for 30,000 years, proven by cave drawings in Lascaux and Chavaux, France. It has been a form of entertainment and education for centuries.
Everybody loves a good story. You, yourself, have probably picked up a good book or heard a very interesting anecdote from a close friend. The thing that makes the stories extra entertaining is the unique way the storyteller presents them.
For instance, there are countless ways people can tell the fairytale classic Cinderella. Some people will do voices, some will act it out, some have distinct body language, and some may even tell the Grimm brothers version instead of the romanticized one just for fun.
The Power of Visual Storytelling
Some people find it difficult to visualize scenes from a book they like, which is why they appreciate visual novel or movie adaptions whether they agree with it or not.
Now, if you can have difficulties processing scenes from a book you like, imagine trying to absorb information from a textbook. Unlike fiction (or even some non-fiction), some subjects in class do not exactly have a “clear” story.
For instance, “Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell”— this is a definition and it barely has any story in it. Your class will better remember this as a meme, rather than as an excerpt from their textbook or a topic from a lesson.
As an educator, you have the power to make a lesson memorable to your students. What better way to do this than visual storytelling?
Most people process information better with visual aids. Rather than cramming a bunch of words into your students’ minds, wouldn’t it be better to present the lesson in a way that everyone can enjoy? Like video presentations.
The way you present can make a significant improvement in your student’s learning experience. A dynamic video presentation is a great way to tell a story for things that do not normally have a story to tell.
For instance, businesses use this type of video content to explain things. They are either enumerating steps, new policies, or sometimes presenting product features. Now, these are things that do not normally have stories.
The same concept can apply in the classroom. Instead of telling the students that “Mitochondria are known as the powerhouse of the cell”– show them how and why.
Creating Your Story for a Video Maker App
Since you want to use video presentations in the classroom, you want them to be fun AND educational. After all, you are using this type of content to establish better engagement and improve retention in the classroom. Making it plain and boring defeats the purpose of having a video for visual storytelling.
You want to start with creating an outline that the class can easily understand– so that they will feel compelled to listen to the story. You can then create a relevant scenario that will lead to further explaining the topic that you want to discuss.
Create a Culture of Mutual Learning
Much like how one book of fiction can be imagined in many different ways, people may understand a concept or idea differently from one another.
Using a video maker app for creating learning materials for the classroom can promote a culture of mutual learning. While this type of video content is educational, it creates an environment that welcomes questions and discussions. So if there are any differences in views or perspectives, students will not feel intimidated to bring up their concerns. Compared to a serious documentary-style video where everything feels formal and absolute.
Video presentations encourage students to exchange ideas with their teachers and peers. On top of that, if they find the story entertaining enough, it will leave a lasting impression that can help students retain the information for much longer.
This kind of learning environment also enables you to learn about your students’ thought processes– which is a win-win situation for everyone.
Video Presentation as Educational Visual Aid
You can use and reuse a video presentation for many school years to come. You only need to work on one content-rich video per topic using a video maker app once and use it over and over again.
You can utilize video editor web applications like Squigl to help you create all sorts of visual or interactive materials for class. Since these materials are good for multiple uses, it is a good investment for schools and educators.
Depending on how creative you can get, you can bring a whole lot of diversity and excitement during classroom discussions. Both educators and students can benefit from the extra learning opportunities provided by this type of fun material for visual storytelling.
Bottomline
Students deal with many different subjects every single day. There will be times when they cannot take in any more information or times when things start to meld together in their mind.
You can help your class by standing out and using a fun video presentation to help them absorb your lesson with ease while also relaxing their mind from pressure and stress.
