Video Killed the Radio Star? (apologies to The Buggles)

I've been thinking it for a while now, but I really need to re-visit the potential that Flip video recorders (or my new smartphone) could bring to the teaching and learning situation. But like most people, there's something very uncomfortable about using video. For me, it's either the difficulty of getting use to seeing (and hearing) oneself in glorious technicolour (with all my little foibles exposed) or the concerns I have for others of using a camera in their presence, what with the issue of gaining their permission and the affect this then might on their behaviour. However,I feel I should move to get over these barriers, as soon as possible, as I have a feeling video and in particular, videocasting is likely to be central feature of teaching in the future. As Dr Stephen Heppell states at one point in the clip below (taken from the Learning Without Frontiers Conference in 2011) 'YouTube is now the search engine of choice for those under 14'. Digital technology has changed the way people give and receive information and those born into the digital age would prefer to watch a video, that they know they can access any time, any place, any where and can watch over and over again should they wish to...and who wouldn't? And there are potential advantages for teachers too, although the fear of being replaced (which some teachers often comment on) clearly isn't one of them! However, I should defintely give this more thought. In the meantime, I should just get started, and remember not to be too hard on myself with regard to my initial production values, as previous attempts have been more like a clip from the Blair Witch Project (Yes, scary as well as shakey camera work) rather than a slick learning resource. In the meantime, some interesting thoughts from Dr Stephen Heppell from January 2011.