Learning by Videoing

We never set out to have a YouTube channel, but back in 2015, when I first attempted to embed a video of our kids in a Singapore playground into a blog post, I couldn’t work out how to achieve this without uploading the video to YouTube and then linking it back.

Fast forward nearly three years… and the kids have practically hijacked my original blog name and are rebranding as a YouTube channel. Although I started the blog, I’d always thought it would might be a good way of encouraging the kids to write, photograph and learn to capture and record moments of their own childhood in their own voice and from their own perspective. But as Miss Chu was only 6 when we moved to Singapore and too young to write anything substantial for the blog, I suggested that she could start by making a video instead, to share something new about life over here. And she’s never looked back. The writing never took off, but the love of making videos has endured. Perhaps video is how this generation communicates most instinctively – it’s their go-to medium for consuming information and entertainment. Why would you read about how to make popping boba or build a marble run on the beach when you can just watch a video about it? The “video tutorial” barely existed when I was a kid and now it’s practically our default way of learning new skills.

It’s a shift in mindset that I’ve tried to embrace; I remember it was back in 2016 when the kids wanted to have a go at making an illusion video that I wrote about how video is the new print…as briefly explained by this guy below:

You see it in journalism, advertising, teaching, music – the pervasiveness of communicating through video is just growing exponentially.

So while our YouTube channel may have come about by chance, I think the kids may have a point in making it the main focus. In a few short years, the video-producing capabilities of the average smartphone has advanced massively, as have the plethora of gadgets and devices to support this burgeoning market. As the tools become increasingly available and powerful, it makes sense that the ability to be able to wield them well becomes more valuable. This article sums it up better than I do.

As we’ve become more practiced in making our own videos, I’ve started to notice all the incidental learning opportunities that are naturally integrated into the process. Producing a video requires a lot of planning from idea to execution, and the skills of brainstorming, researching, storyboarding, scriptwriting, composing, performing, improvisation and editing are part of every project we do. The kids are engaged at each stage to varying levels depending on the topic, their own interests and schedules, but over time I can see that they are building up an understanding of the process, and expanding their abilities and confidence in certain areas.

For example, this month Miss Chu has been keen to get our channel looking more professional with channel art and a trailer video, and together with her sister she came up with the jingle and choreography for the beginning of the trailer and suggested some lyrics to appropriate one of our old video tunes for an “EveryChusDay theme song.

She also attended a Garageband kids camp at the Apple Store over the school holidays and used some of her newfound knowledge to kick off the process of composing and arranging the music for the video.

 

 

The video-making process is pretty fun for kids, and the learning happens in quite an enjoyable, natural way. Thankfully I’m interested in producing digital media too, and am able to put in the time and effort to pull it together when they are losing patience and their ideas aren’t working out as planned!

Producing episodes for the channel is also a good motivator for the girls to seek and try out new things, which I think is important at this age whilst they are still exploring different interests, trying to find out what they enjoy and have a natural affinity for. Covering random topics is apparently not a great strategy for growing a YouTube channel following; but surprisingly we are getting a slow but steady trickle of subscribers from near and far. Miss Chu is always interested to see where her videos have been viewed across the globe – and whilst most views inevitably come from the US, our videos have also been viewed in Palestine, Bhutan, Kyrgystan and several countries which Miss Chu hasn’t even heard of, which is pretty exciting!

So this whole video-making endeavour has been unexpectedly rewarding and the girls really enjoy looking back at their old videos, reminiscing about those shared experiences and laughing themselves silly. For that reason alone, I think I’ll encourage them to keep going. Hope you like our revamped channel and trailer and stay tuned for more random fun from EveryChusDay.