Project Based Learning with Video and Technology

This month I have been working with a Social Studies teacher that is focusing on Project-Based-Learnig PBL with students.

PBL is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to a complex question, problem, or challenge. Students build competencies valuable for today’s world. For more on Essential Elements of PBL link here and see the video below explaining Project Based Learning.


The lessons involved students creating a Campaign Add using http://www.livingroomcandidate.org.
When meeting with teacher we decide to have the students create a Padlet Wall, identifying their president and selecting two topics to support the campaign add.  I created a google form and collected the addresses of the class padlets.  I thought it would be a good idea to allow the students to use footage from existing campains (up to 30 seconds) and then add their own content to create their own campaign add.  We were working with a small class and focused on three presidents.  Students selected their president and add their theme to the portfolio wall. Next I downloaded some of the campaign commercials to a google drive folder and shared with the class.  As I started to work on the project using chromebooks I found it very cumbersome to produce the video. That's when it occurred to me to revisit one of my blog posts from last year on using the YouTube Editor and Creative Commons for a YouTube Video Mashup.

Active Student YouTube Accounts and Channel

Upload Button (select Unlisted for video) and then the Video Editor

(TIP: you can use the webcam to capture audio for voice recordings, cover the webcam if you do not want video and drop onto the audio timeline). Suggestion, coordinate your voice over and allow for pause on the title slide, as audio is difficult to move.

When using the Editor - Name the Project, Add a Title Slide and Browse CC (Creative Common) for JFK Videos to support your project.

You trim or splice the video in the timeline and you can add Webcam voice over on the audio line.
When finished press Create Video.  This will take a few minutes to process.  You can add the link to your Padlet Wall and/or submit to Google Classroom to be used with a grading rubric.

More Resources and tips on using the YouTube Editor
- Editing Creative Common YouTube Videos option link 

I started a collection board on Pinterest
Follow mmarotta's board Teaching with YouTube on Pinterest.

I plan on using for a few more Social Studies Projects next month and then add project that incorporate using Google Presentations with Audio recordings and WeVideo.
It's been rewarding to watch the students apply the class content to Project Based Learning model!

The 4 C's of Technology Integration from The Journal.