Green screening is not something I have much experience with. In our last class, Al had us do a brief green screen assignment where we had to put ourselves in a variety of different locations. I used WeVideo and it was quite simple, although I'm unsure how green screening is different from isolating an image on an iPhone and then placing it as a sticker on another image? Something to look into.

In our school, we have green screen backgrounds painted on the walls in the upstairs hallway but I've yet to make much use of them. I can certainly see the benefit with putting students in the worlds of their novels, writing their own stories with green screen images either as prompts or to support what they've written, and think it would be a great way to engage them and help them literally see themselves in the work we do in class.

The notion of embodied learning is a great buzz phrase I've never heard but it makes sense. We want to make it relevant and students needs to 'see themselves' in their learning; they need to experience it and be immersed in it and green screens fit that bill.

Green screens lend themselves to inquiry and are an excellent tool for digital storytelling. They can work alone or socially, and by integrating tech their learning is cross-curricular while also hitting the P-12 digital skills and competencies in HRCE.

Their budget friendly, simplistic nature makes them a shoe-in for use in most teachers' classrooms. We're so fortunate to have full access to Book Creator and to be able to access WeVideo which would both be excellent avenues for incorporating green screening.

Currently I have not had any practical experience using green screening in a classroom. I have been introduced to some difference green screening apps during my BEd with using images. In our last class Al had us trial using a physical green screen and adding those images into a green screen app. That was the first time I used a physical green screen. I was not able to use DoInk as its a paid app but I used another free green screen app which worked just as well!

READING REFLECTION:

Green screening allows for deep engagement from students and offers opportunities to dive further into their own learning. Getting opportunities to be a part for the production side of a project or video is something student are experiencing every day at school, it opens up a lot of avenues for further interests.

Green screening lends it hand to integration and collaboration. Thinking of my class with exploration being a big topic, students will be able to work through the planning process, recording and editing process together in a way that will be conductive to positive collaboration working towards a common goal and common interests.

PHOTOFUNIA:

This is such a fun resource! I can see this being great for any kind of advertising you are doing with your students. Having them design an ad and then upload it onto an actual billboard would incorperate and additional level of "audience" even if it is a fictional audience. Giving them the chance to see their work within a real-life scenario add to deeper engagement.

I have not used green screening in my classroom yet. My exposure was through our fall course and using DoInk. My focus is using CANVA in its various ways with my students. I like how Kristin explored it already and I feel that is how I will incorporate it also. I have a green screen blanket that I borrowed from FILM and VIDEO which I need to return (opps!). But at least I know it is there to use. I may paint my wall as well if I find that it is a fan favorite of my students as I continue to push my alternatives to essay/writing with my students.

I love it when I see/read something that inspires or encourages me that this is possible and easy in our classrooms.

The first time I used green screens was last course. Our assignment had us using a picture of ourselves and putting it onto a background of our choice. I found it difficult to find a reliable free app to use, however was able to find an app that wasn't too expensive and did the trick. I think using the green screens with older elementary students would be fun, and I think there are many ways you could tie it in with the curriculum. I think it is a bit too advanced for my grade 1/2 students but I could use it in my own stories and I know they would love that!

Article and Video

Green screen projects are a great tool for engaging students, especially in the younger grades. They help create embodied learning, where students actively participate and engage with the material. These projects also encourage inquiry-based learning, allowing students to explore topics they’re interested in and take ownership of their work. Green screen activities promote collaboration and it can also be used cross-curricular.

I think the thing that I related to the most within the article was the idea of Phase Two and the 'productive struggle' and having students who seem off task, when really they are actively engaged with the learning process of the new technology. It is not a stable or quiet thing, green screening like most new technology is going to have problems and ruffle some feathers. As I referenced in my earlier post, I am sometimes hesitant to start an activity like this because it can take student FOREVER to complete. This productive struggle is a part of that and continues to cause barriers for myself as an educator when trying to plan a lesson using this type of technology that will have students focusing on language learning no matter what task they are completing.

I am committing to using Green Screens in the next few weeks and that will be a task that both terrifies me but I also know that my students will love to learn a new skill.

I have integrated green screens into my classroom every year, experimenting with various setups such as a green sheet, a plain-colored background, and, most recently, a pop-up metal green screen. On average, I use the green screen three to four times a year with my students, using WeVideo, iMovie, and DoInk. I strive to connect green screen activities to literacy, science, and social studies whenever possible. For example, at the start of the school year, I introduce educational technology through STEM stations, one of which familiarizes students with the green screen. A favorite recurring project is the weather report, where students use WeVideo to apply their learning of our weather unit. Additionally, during our persuasive writing unit, students create commercials, blending creativity with critical thinking. For my students, they are always engaged when using the green screen. The part I often struggle with is organizing their groups in order for everyone to have time to use it. Once they understand the green screen, they typically don't want to finish filming so it can be very time consuming.

Article:

I enjoyed this article as it does provide you with the fundamentals required to begin using green screens. One interesting note was that it stated "you’ll likely be able to give students access to devices that already have the green screen app loaded" which isn't the case. At BSS, we have iPads but I haven't figured out how students can take videos on the iPads and send it to their Google Drives. I will use my personal iPad, send it to my drive and share it with each individual group. Is there a more efficient way to do this? I also enjoyed the examples of projects it provided and the picture that showed the little characters that were made, a great idea for a reading reflection!

Video:

The video also provided many great examples of how students can use green screens! I wonder how teachers set it up for students to recording individually. I loved the idea of having the students use their own math in the background and explaining it with the green screen but with a class of 29, how would that work? I also agree with the video that it allows kids to take ownership of their work and explore their creativity!

Please enjoy my cat swimming in the Siene from when I visited Paris summer with some AI generated music from Canva!

I can see the absolute fun and engagement this tool can bring to curriculum. Now that I own the actual green screen, hopefully I can incorporate the tool in my work in the LC.

I’ve had the most experience with greenscreening in my personal life! I’ve used it for projects like Suzanne, where I created an inspiration/mood board for a space in my house. Last term, we had an assignment using DoInk, but I didn’t love the app. I found it a bit tricky to use and was never able to successfully record audio. During my first practicum (2/3), we incorporated greenscreen into a science lesson where students animated themselves as seeds growing into flowers. It turned out super cute, but the process was definitely long and complicated. Fun, but a lot to manage for the grade 2s!

I have never used a green screen personally, but my son uses them quite often so I have watched some of the steps involved.