Know exactly what you are going to teach. You still need to develop a lesson with the same expectations a quality teacher has for any lesson in front of a class.
Decide how you are going to deliver your content. Are you only going to record your audio or are you going to use video? Once you’ve decided, make sure you have the tools (video camera, microphone, webcam, etc.) that will allow you to record.
Set aside quiet time to begin feeling comfortable with your recordings. It takes practice! Not only do you need to develop your comfortability level, you need to learn how to use your equipment.
Be prepared to re-record your lesson. There have been times I’ve needed more than 10 takes before I get a recording I like. By the way, keep every recording you make. You never know which recording will be your best so you wouldn’t want to prematurely delete a recording that could have been “the one.”
Remember to look professional in your recordings. You’re a professional. Be a professional.
Be aware of what is behind you when recording video. Students will pay attention to the smallest detail so you must pay attention to the smallest detail, also. Never record with a window behind yourself (or even just out of frame). The window will "wash out" your face and create a very dark, shadowed image of yourself or the window will cause a hazy, clouded look in your video. Details… pay attention to details. And look over your shoulder.
Your lighting should be slightly above your head to help minimize reflections. You should, also, have a small degree of light shining up so you aren’t casting a shadow onto your neck.
Your camera should be slightly above your eye level so you are slightly looking up when you are recording. Looking down tends to make people feel that you are looking down on them.
Be concise and to the point. A short lecture/ presentation is almost always better than a long one.
Use titles and subtitles in your lesson when you begin editing. This will help emphasize certain points in your lesson.
Use the highest quality video setting possible without creating a behemoth final video. Videos use a huge amount of memory so use caution. NOTE: A programs like Handbrake can compress your video with acceptable video quality.
Be very, very organized. Use unique and identifiable names for your videos. Create folders with content alike lessons. This not only assists you, but it assists your students in locating the lesson you want them to watch.
Consider how you are going to inform students where they can access your lessons. Will you post links on your web page? Will you use a hosting site? Will you create a video channel? There are many options to consider so find the lesson-sharing location that works best for you to share your content.
Once you have started having your students use your recorded lessons, observe their reaction and learn from their comments. Don’t be afraid to eat a little humble pie and change your approach if you notice that students are confused or not retaining content from your lesson. You will never learn all there is to learn about video recording and you are allowed to make mistakes. However, you may become very good at recording your lessons which may lead to you assisting other teachers.

Western Dubuque Community Schools

Know exactly what you are going to teach. You still need to develop a lesson with the same expectations a quality teacher has for any lesson in front of a class.

Decide how you are going to deliver your content. Are you only going to record your audio or are you going to use video? Once you’ve decided, make sure you have the tools (video camera, microphone, webcam, etc.) that will allow you to record.

Set aside quiet time to begin feeling comfortable with your recordings. It takes practice! Not only do you need to develop your comfortability level, you need to learn how to use your equipment.

Remember to look professional in your recordings. You’re a professional. Be a professional.

Your lighting should be slightly above your head to help minimize reflections. You should, also, have a small degree of light shining up so you aren’t casting a shadow onto your neck.

Your camera should be slightly above your eye level so you are slightly looking up when you are recording. Looking down tends to make people feel that you are looking down on them.

Be concise and to the point. A short lecture/ presentation is almost always better than a long one.

Use titles and subtitles in your lesson when you begin editing. This will help emphasize certain points in your lesson.

Use the highest quality video setting possible without creating a behemoth final video. Videos use a huge amount of memory so use caution. NOTE: A programs like Handbrake can compress your video with acceptable video quality.

Be very, very organized. Use unique and identifiable names for your videos. Create folders with content alike lessons. This not only assists you, but it assists your students in locating the lesson you want them to watch.

Consider how you are going to inform students where they can access your lessons. Will you post links on your web page? Will you use a hosting site? Will you create a video channel? There are many options to consider so find the lesson-sharing location that works best for you to share your content.

How to Create a Quality Video Recording

from Instructional Technology and the Evolving Educator * James W. Roberts * CompEd Tech Press, ©2015

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