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Public Service Announcements with WeVideo

(Feitelberg, n.d.)

 Digital storytelling is a fantastic way for students to express their voices in a modern, engaging way. Many of my students already know how to create videos - it is the TikTok age after all! What I'm teaching them is to cultivate their voice for a purpose. Students were creating a public service announcement (PSA) video for a topic of their choice.

One of the things I noticed when we started this project was that students didn't know how to write for context AND sound like real people. Here are some tips I gave them:

  • When writing for context:
    • create descriptions for the video
    • engage their audience by adding links to resources 
    • include and clearly explain statistics, facts, or other hard-to-understand information 
    • draw on their understanding of traditional writing (essays, paragraphs, captions, etc.)
    • discuss what they learned and the challenges they had when learning and creating the video
  • How to sound like a real person:
    • write as if they were having a conversation and discussing the topic with a friend
    • repeat, summarize, and restate throughout the entire script because the listener does not have the text in front of them to go back and reread
    • use an active voice, written in the present or future tense
    • avoid figurative language
    • use shorter sentences and phrases that mimic real-life conversations
We used WeVideo to create our Public Service Announcements. WeVideo is an easy, intuitive video editing software with a paid and free version. I am using the paid version for my students because our district has a subscription. 
Photo Credits: WeVideo
I introduced this project with some YouTube videos on creating a commercial, teaching persuasive writing techniques, and introducing them to WeVideo. Then, I showed students a real public service announcement and asked if they had seen or knew of other public service announcements. Their assignment was to find a public service announcement with a design style they liked or wanted to emulate.

After brainstorming possible topics or issues, students chose one that meant something to them. They then researched the topic gathering information on the problem and possible solutions. Along the way, I challenged them to think of a tagline to make their PSA memorable. I showed them how to use a 2 column format to create their script and gave them a choice of using a storyboard or the 2 column format to organize their video ideas. 

My students think along the lines of video clips. So, many of them created their PSA using 10-second video clips edited together. Others wanted to use an interview style or documentary-style PSA. WeVideo has tutorials (found in the WeVideo Academy) to watch so you don't have to know how to do all the editing techniques before starting the project. Use this time to show your students how to learn as they create. It is a great example of being a life-long learner. 

Students used a green screen made of green butcher paper, hung on the wall behind them, to record their videos. Using the green screen allowed for a more creative way to express their thoughts. The key to getting fantastic video using a green screen is using lighting that does not create a shadow behind the person being recorded. No shadows allow the easier removal of the green color. Once students understood they could add images or backgrounds behind them, it created excited energy in the classroom and students started to think creatively. After they finished recording, the editing fun began!
(Techsmith Blog, n.d.)
Some of my students were expert video creators and proved to be valuable resources for the other students. I loved watching the creativity with which they approached the task. I was inspired by watching my most timid students express themselves on video in images and words. I think I have some budding activists in my classroom! 

So, what are you waiting for? Try jumping into a project where you rely on your students to be the experts!

References
Feitelberg, L. (n.d). Kittle [image]. https://www.kittl.com/@lizelishevafeitelberg
Techsmith Blog. (n.d.) How to create a green screen video effect [image]. https://www.techsmith.com/blog/how-to-create-a-diy-green-scre/
WeVideo. (n.d.) Green screen editing [photograph]. https://www.wevideo.com/academy

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