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11 Little Tips for Better Video Chat (For Teachers...and Everybody Else)

2020-04-03 · list · Hank · 3:59 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Internet & YouTube (also: Projects) · mode: Advice & reviews · tags: timely hook, self promotion

Noting that the brothers' educational channels, made to help teachers rather than replace classrooms, have become more useful in a pandemic that forces teaching onto live video, Hank gives 11 tips for better video chat, from lighting and audio to lag, outlining and nerves, and announces Crash Course's free Study Hall series with Arizona State University.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — SciShow and Crash Course since 2011, their sudden pandemic usefulness, and why they help rather than replace classrooms

  • ★★ Hank recalls launching SciShow and Crash Course in 2011; both are now way bigger than Vlogbrothers, with over a billion views each. — 00:00:00 · SciShow, Crash Course, Vlogbrothers, YouTube
  • ★★ Hank says he didn't foresee that these channels and others like The Art Assignment, Healthcare Triage and SciShow Kids would suddenly become more useful during a pandemic, since he didn't think there would be one. — 00:00:12 · The Art Assignment, SciShow Kids, COVID-19 pandemic, SciShow
  • ★★★ Hank says the goal of these channels isn't to replace the classroom, which can't be replaced, but to help learners and teachers. — 00:00:27 · education

00:00:34 — Eleven tips for teaching over live video: light, audio, facing the camera, rule of thirds, background, interaction, lag, wired internet, outlining, nerves, using resources

  • ★★ Hank says that now, temporarily, we are being forced to partly replace classrooms, and much of that replacement is teaching over live video. — 00:00:34
  • ★★ Hank says he has a little experience with livestreams and a lot with making video, so he offers tips for good livestreams. — 00:00:43
  • ★★★ Tip one: lighting matters more than your camera; put the brightest light you can at about a 45-degree offset so it shines on one side of your face. — 00:00:52
  • ★★★ Tip two: audio matters more than video, so talk fairly loud; for those who can spend $40 or $50, Hank links cheap, good mics and lights. — 00:01:13
  • ★★ Tip three: arrange your screen so you face your camera, though you needn't stare into the lens the whole time. — 00:01:28
  • ★★ Tip four: use the rule of thirds and put your eyes on the third line, not in the middle of the screen. — 00:01:37
  • ★★ Tip five: background matters; it shouldn't be too busy, but don't have nothing. — 00:01:45
  • ★★★ Tip six: the best livestreams have audience interaction; interacting with some people, unpredictably, makes everyone feel included and present together. — 00:01:52
  • ★★ Tip seven: lag is unavoidable, so if someone doesn't answer immediately, don't start talking, since they will likely answer shortly. — 00:02:10
  • ★★ Tip eight: if you can, wire your computer to the internet with a cord to reduce the chance of something going wrong. — 00:02:19
  • ★★ Tip nine, to take with a grain of salt: Hank outlines rather than scripts his livestreams, avoiding both pre-planned and chaotic energy. — 00:02:27
  • ★★★ Tip ten: it is fine to feel weird, nervous and not great at this, since it is not what teachers were hired to do; keep at it and it gets less weird. — 00:02:43
  • ★★★ Tip eleven: use every resource available, learning from, connecting with and helping the many other teachers doing this, and using the internet's educational videos like Crash Course. — 00:03:00 · Crash Course
  • ★★★ Hank announces Crash Course is launching Study Hall with Arizona State University: learning playlists on writing and composition, algebra, chemistry and data literacy, with the first composition episode out now. — 00:03:20 · Crash Course, Study Hall

00:03:33 — Study Hall: Crash Course and Arizona State University's free learning playlists; sign-off

  • ★★ Hank says Study Hall aims to help as many people as possible succeed in their education, whether current students, returning learners or anyone who wants to learn, free for everyone. — 00:03:43 · Study Hall
  • ★★ Hank invites viewers to subscribe to Study Hall at youtube.com/ASU. — 00:03:52 · Study Hall, YouTube

Threads in this video

Where the stories that moved here went next

Mentioned

Projects: Crash Course · Healthcare Triage · SciShow · SciShow Kids · Study Hall · The Art Assignment

Organizations: YouTube

Concepts: education · rule of thirds

Events: COVID-19 pandemic

Only in the description or credits: Arizona State University

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