In today’s ever-changing educational landscape, it’s never been more important to create a technology-driven, immersive and engaging classroom setting that fosters student collaboration, improves performance outcomes and challenges traditional approaches. That’s why instructors and administrators alike count on established educational frameworks—like the highly trusted International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards— that encourage student-driven learning and help them develop strong technology competencies inside and outside of the classroom.
As educators search for innovative solutions to meet the needs of modern learners, video edtech platforms have quickly become a real game-changer for inspiring teachers, engaging students and improving learning success. With stackable video templates across core subjects, ready-to-go and customizable project formats via the Assignment Ideas Library, useful resources outlining ISTE standards-aligned strategies and more, WeVideo equips everyone in the classroom with the tools to create and communicate through multimedia.
In this blog, we’ll explore seven ISTE standards-based strategies that leverage WeVideo’s capabilities to create dynamic classroom experiences. Let’s dive in!
First up: The ISTE Standards for students, explained
ISTE is an educational non-profit focused on encouraging the use of technology in learning. ISTE developed a series of popular standards that act as educational pillars for both students and instructors and help prepare K-12 learners for future achievement in the fast-changing and digitally connected environment we live in today. To get a deeper understanding of their significance, here’s a summary of the seven ISTE standards for students:
- Empowered Learner: Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.
- The Empowered Learner is about taking ownership of individual outcomes by exploring online resources and learning approaches through technology to create a more personalized and tailored experience.
- Digital Citizen: Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.
- Digital Citizen emphasizes the importance of establishing responsible digital behavior and promoting a positive online presence early on in the classroom.
- Knowledge Constructor: Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning experiences for themselves and others.
- Learners need to develop a deep-rooted understanding and practical, hands-on digital experience in researching, evaluating and organizing information to express their ideas clearly and effectively.
- Innovative Designer: Students use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions.
- This benchmark is important because it encourages students to use technical means for critical, out-of-the-box thinking that leads to innovative solutions for addressing real-world challenges.
- Computational Thinker: Students develop and employ strategies for understanding and solving problems in ways that leverage the power of technological methods to develop and test solutions.
- Learners need to establish critical thinking skill sets and gain the ability to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable steps using tech-savviness to uncover viable solutions.
- Creative Communicator: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.
- This requirement fosters students’ ability to clearly share their thoughts and ideas in a tech-driven and inspired way.
- Global Collaborator: Students use digital tools to broaden their perspectives and enrich their learning by collaborating with others and working effectively in teams locally and globally.
- Learners must be equipped with cultural awareness and competence in the way they digitally engage, communicate and collaborate with others from different or diverse backgrounds to foster global citizenship and understanding in online settings.
Now that we’ve identified these core concepts, let’s dig into the many ways each standard is supported by using WeVideo in the classroom!
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Students excel with personalized learning experiences
Personalized learning (PL) is an educational pathway that factors in and creates unique classroom experiences based on the strengths, needs and interests of each student. Technology plays a large role in this by enabling customized instruction that caters to each young person’s learning preferences and abilities.
A comprehensive study conducted by RAND Corporation researchers for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation compared the achievement of students in PL schools to peers attending non-personalized learning institutions (non-PL). Results showed that PL school attendees had significantly higher learning outcomes and greater accomplishments than those enrolled in equivalent non-PL schools.
No two students are the same; they come from diverse backgrounds, cultures and upbringings, so each child is naturally going to think, retain information and conceptualize in different ways. This indisputable fact makes tailored learning opportunities in school very important if students are to achieve their educational goals and aspirations. WeVideo’s multimedia creation technology enables teachers to craft projects with data-driven insights to create targeted instruction that truly engages, motivates and drives classroom wins. By integrating digital tools and resources, educators can customize instruction to fit different learning styles, create deeper understanding of concepts and promote student agency.
Project individualization allows learners to take control of their educational success, set goals and make decisions based on what drives them. With WeVideo, students get to explore a variety of multimedia creation formats like videos, audio recordings and visual presentations. They can use applied knowledge and creative approaches that demonstrate a solid understanding of important curriculum through fun and effective work to showcase what was learned.
2. Future workforce preparation with collaborative online projects
It goes without saying that tech-driven, team-oriented work is a given in today’s digital-first workforce. The Center for Teaching Innovation at Cornell University says that working on projects together helps to develop higher-level thinking, communication, self-management and leadership skills; promote student-faculty interaction; improve retention, personal responsibility and self-esteem; create exposure and knowledge in diverse perspectives; and prepare kids for future employment and social scenarios.
When educators assign collaborative online projects, they cultivate a strong sense of teamwork, communication and critical thinking in the classroom. WeVideo is chock-full of in-platform creation features that are designed to evoke a sense of shared responsibility and instill valuable skill sets that teach learners to work together seamlessly and effectively – whether they’re in person or taking the project on virtually.
The platform’s cloud-based interface lets student teams take on video assignments, share ideas and documents, participate in peer reviews and tout the concepts they’ve grasped by giving one another constructive feedback. Collaboration and a sense of community are key in building and developing essential interpersonal communication skills that will come in handy throughout their educational journey, and of course, in the real world.
3. Developing responsible digital citizens
Common Sense Media conducted a study that found almost half of children have their own mobile internet-connected device long before their first day of kindergarten. With this level of widespread access to and use of technology among kids, it is crucial to arm them with a firm grasp of the rights, responsibilities and potential risks associated with online interactions. To support teachers in executing this important task, WeVideo provides tools and approaches to address the importance of digital citizenship and internet safety through fun, creative and informative technology-based projects.
Educators can guide students in developing videos or multimedia presentations that tackle concepts like responsible use of social media, online etiquette and recognizing and dealing with cyberbullying. By participating in these activities, kids can garner a strong sense of ethical behavior and responsible digital engagement that will be valuable to them way beyond the confines of a classroom.
4. Sparking creativity with multimedia presentations and content development
Digital presentations and content development assignments have loads of benefits in the classroom. From building confidence in language skills to fostering creative thinking and showcasing how well concepts are retained, students gain much from these experiences. WeVideo users have access to a complete set of in-platform features that are designed to boost confidence as they curate resources, develop online media content and express their ideas.
Instead of sticking to classroom presentation methods of past, learners can merge visuals, audio and text to make their projects and assignments feel truly impactful and unique to their own abilities. They can incorporate video clips, text overlay, images, infographics, voiceovers and even add music—to display individuality, improve communication skills and captivate their audiences.
By taking advantage of WeVideo's multimedia creation capabilities, educators can tap into the proven benefits of digital presentations and provide students with opportunities to construct knowledge, express their work in new and creative ways and develop valuable communication skills along the way.
5. Discover Uncharted Territory Through Virtual Field Trips and Simulations
Outside of the recent impact the global pandemic had on classroom excursions, traditional field trips have always been a challenge to execute. Between logistics, limited resources, geographical constraints and more, educational outings create extra work and strain on teachers and even parents at times. However, with WeVideo, educators can still give students the excitement they crave through immersive virtual field trips and simulations via online tours, 360-degree videos and more—opening up an entirely new world of possibilities for fun, experiential learning that makes complex concepts more tangible—right from the classroom.
Virtual field trips are gaining popularity in school for a reason. They bring enhanced educational experiences, boost engagement, foster more collaboration and connection and even provide new pathways for social-emotional learning (SEL).
Through the power of video, students can embark on incredible adventures—whether it’s exploring natural wonders and interesting habitats, visiting historical landmarks or by immersing themselves into out-of-this-world scientific simulations. WeVideo gives educators the tools to curate captivating multimedia content and interactive experiences that thrust students into real-life scenarios—no matter where they are in the world. This kind of learning experience gets learners eager, helps them understand concepts on a deeper level and ignites their curiosity—all of which are integral in the molding of young and impressionable minds.
6. Creating programmers and problem-solvers through computational thinking
Did you know that all 50 U.S. states are now on board with supporting computational thinking in the classroom? This fact seems like a no-brainer when considering how important it is for the future workforce to have sharp programmers and savvy problem-solvers in our technology-driven era. WeVideo supports both of these vital skills with features to encourage computational thinkingactivities into video creation projects. Not only does the platform help students flex their critical reasoning muscles but it also builds up their technical problem-solving abilities.
Through WeVideo, students can use multimedia to explain their problem definitions; communicate through video with project teams or experts in the field working towards solving an identified challenge; collaborate with peers to explore complex thoughts through different perspectives and more. These capabilities take assignments to the next level—from animations, transitions and special effects, to multimedia projects using visual programming functions—WeVideo equips users with tools that help to put the computational skills they learn in the classroom into action. This hands-on approach lets students apply logical reasoning and tackle complex problems head-on. It’s a practical and engaging way to sharpen skills in these two increasingly important learning areas.
7. Tracking student growth with assessment and feedback functions
Ongoing evaluation and timely critiques are a nonnegotiable in the student learning process. Why? Because they often uncover hidden areas where instructional adjustment is needed. WeVideo gives both educators and students useful tools to analyze key learning takeaways and share constructive feedback or peer reviews through video-based assignments.
Instructor-led video presentations are also enhanced with WeVideo. Teachers can rely on the platform’s interactive features to routinely check in on their students' learning achievements throughout the year. Educators can develop video-based assessments where the class must showcase their knowledge of concepts, skills or projects—while also requiring learners to show that they have gained core curriculum understanding by applying critical thinking and presenting their ideas through creative multimedia submissions or online summative assignments. Once students have submitted their work, teachers can review and provide targeted and useful feedback.
Because learning never stops and continuous improvement is key, WeVideo arms educators with the tools to track progress and see where improvements can be made to keep each learner on the path to greatness!
ISTE Standards + WeVideo = a seamless path to student success!
ISTE Standards are an invaluable set of guidelines for boosting education achievement for modern learners in today’s digital landscape—and by adding WeVideo’s multimedia creation platform to the mix, you’ll find yourself with a recipe for success! By harnessing the power of ISTE Standards paired with WeVideo in the classroom, instructors will:
- Empower students
- Enhance collaboration
- Encourage positive digital citizenship
- Spark creativity with multimedia projects
- Create virtual experiences for student exploration
- Provide multimedia tools to support important computational thinking learning objective
- Facilitate seamless digital assessment and feedback
Create dynamic classroom experiences that support ISTE Standard-based learning with WeVideo’s multimedia platform!