Common Craft, LLC is a Seattle-based company owned by husband and wife, Lee and Sachi LeFever. As a team, these two individuals "help educators and influencers introduce complex subjects" through the use of short videos and paper cut-outs. Each of the topics they cover (e.g., blogs, investing, electing a U.S. president) is ended with "in Plain English" to denote the simplicity and usability in their content.
I was introduced to Common Craft during my senior year at JMU in my Digital Rhetoric class, which was taught by Dr. Pavel Zemliansky (WRTC). For my final project, I created my own video based from the Common Craft series. A friend of mine, who follows Lee LeFever on Twitter, sent him my video, and he saw it and thanked my friend for sharing it.
Overall, I think that the LeFevers use a very creative approach to spicing up the way to spread knowledge to others. Take a look at their Web site and browse through a few of their videos. Have you ever heard of Common Craft prior to reading this blog? What do you think of their teaching methods? How could you see yourself using this information?
After reviewing the LeFever's website, I think the videos present a unique way to communicate sometimes complex information. On occasions students want to know about a "grown up" topic, such as investing. It is difficult to explain investing so that a younger student fully understands. The video the LeFevers have created explaining investing is a great analogy that would make sense to younger children.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching Chiquita's video I realized that by having students create their own video using a format similar to the LeFevers it could help students understand a topic in more detail. When student teaching I tried to create unit projects that would allow students to have a choice on how they would portray their knowledge of the information to me. For example, when teaching the water cycle I would ask them to create a 3-D representation, create a game in which students would need to understand the water cycle to play, or they would have a student choice. The "student choice" option they could propose a different idea to me that they would enjoy creating but would also cover the content material. The videos on the Common Craft website would be a great addition to a unit project. In order to create the video, the student would have to not only understand the content but also be able to explain it so that other students will understand as well.
Overall, I found the videos to be very simple and provide a visual element that is also simple for students to understand.
I found the LeFevers' technique of educating and informing students very creative. This type of learning can definitely help those who are visual learners as well as stimulate the mind of those who are not. Common Craft videos are different from anyother elearning or education games I have seen so far because it is simplistic. It is very understandable to the young and the older who are not as familiar with technology. The videos are just what it says: "Plain English"! Chiquita's video was a wonderful example as well.
ReplyDeleteCommon Craft acknowledges technology in the simplest from. It is new technology with an old-school fill that does not have complicated buttons to push or tutorials that require experience, etc. It provides education to visual learners in a very easy way. In my opinion, you would not even need words to use this, because the pictures and the captions say it all.
Chiquita this was great, it sort of reminded me of something I would see on Sesame Street or on the public access channel at home when I was younger. These videos are really simple but yet informative.There wasn't any fanciness or flash to distract from what the videos were trying to convey like I have seen before. I think that the greatest thing about LeFever's Common Craft site is that the videos can be understood by people of all ages that have a basic grasp on the English language. Even if you don't the pictorials make up for the rest. I think that is this a prime example of keeping it simple and making it work.
ReplyDeleteThe title to your posting caught my attention; my wife and I both teach. Once we even taught together! The LeFever's Common Crafts were very different from the 3rd grade curriculum that my wife created our lessons from. I liked LeFever, but I cannot say better and still keep everyone important happy.
ReplyDeleteI had trouble pulling up the video from their web page, but found them on You Tube. Of course, I watched the How Our President is elected and liked it enough to consider using it in my classroom. The Common Craft is much simpler than School House Rocks in production, and lacks the songs they create that capture the auditory learner too. Their production was very informative and easy to follow. Today I watched a man/boy create a 7-person accapella tribute to Michael Jackson. What was unique about it was that the man was the 7 people. He and a college mate synched the taping so that all the harmony and background music sounded live. The point is that technology is allowing all of us to create E-Learning Objectives and to do so readily.
Emmett
Monica: With the technological access and capabilities, I think that assigning students to use such a format to teach their peers a complex subject would make a great project! I wonder what would be a suitable grade level to initiate something like this. Nowadays, you have middle school students doing HTML, so I'm not sure. :)
ReplyDeleteJessica & Nina: I agree that these videos are very simplistic, and that's the beauty of it. You two also made a great point that these videos break the barriers of age differences.
Emmett: I'm glad the title caught your eye; and that's precious that you and your wife taught together in class. I also think it's cool that you're considering using the election video in class. Where did you see the MJ tribute?
I agree that having students make simple videos helps them to understand the subject in a more in depth nature. This would be a wonderful project for elementary students, so they are able to learn and grasp small concepts that will eventually lead to more complex concepts.
ReplyDeleteThis also brings in use of small camcorders, IPOD's, etc. How exciting! I will be suggesting this to my mother today for her fourth grade class!
This was a fun site to peruse. I wish I had access to it when my children were younger. It seems like it would require quite a bit of time and money to implement the projects. I wonder if anyone has done a study to see how often this site is used and how often the kids get to make these videos? How many classes used this method and how many could prove success? In poorer neighborhoods where kids don't have access to such technology, it may be either educational or intimidating.
ReplyDeleteI love CommonCraft!
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome website! I feel as if anyone could learn information presented in this manner. In watching the LeFever's videos and watching Chiquita's I couldn't help but think of the podcasts that we were assigned for this class, these videos were like taking those podcasts to the next level to relate information in both a simple and meaningful manner! The constant animation really keeps your attention. Bottom line, I don't know if communication of sometimes complex issues could be made easier to understand or more interesting.
ReplyDeleteNo, I hadn’t heard of Common Craft, LCC! But, I love it. It’s simple…In Plain English, user-friend and gives just the appropriate information needed. I will definitely visit Common Craft, LLC for helpful information in the future.
ReplyDeleteI loved your “Why YOU Should Come to JMU” video, too. And, I agree with your top 5 list! Nice job on following the Common Craft model to create a great tool. I think JMU could use this video on their website. I think your student perspective is perfect--honest and informational.
Often topics become over-complicated and Common Craft’s approach is unique in making complicated topics simple. Thanks so much for introducing me to this great resource!
I love Common Craft! In my office, I work with many individuals who are uncomfortable with technology. Therefore, if conversations were brought up about Twitter, RSS Feeds, Social Media - including LinkedIn, they would simply disengage. Showing the Common Craft videos to the less technology-savey in our office helped them feel more comfortable with the technology to participate in the conversation and ask questions. It doesn't present the content in a manner that makes anyone feel overwhelmed or that they aren't smart enough to "get it." Often now, if there is a new project idea that we have in the office, we begin the conversation by showing a Common Craft video. That way, everybody understands the basic technology or media idea that we are talking about before addressing how we can utilize and implement the technology and media in our work.
ReplyDeleteOverall, it's helped me think about how to be a better communicator with less tech-savey people. I know they do more videos then just tech-related, but I have used them for technology-related videos the most.