There are many resources that come together in the hands of a great teacher to build a lesson that really connects with the students in a classroom. Instructional video is one of the resources that help build a strong educational experience for any K–12 student.

But each of these resources, including video, must be used judiciously in order to be effective. CET Learning Services has prepared guidelines to help teachers select and use the video resources found through CET to support the educational objectives of their district.

Preview a program before you use it to be sure it is developmentally appropriate for your students and it matches the learning objectives of your lesson. Prepare your students with lead-in activities before using the program. This will help focus their attention and alert them to key concepts to watch for during the program. Preserve the students’ attention by leaving the lights on and watching the program with them. This signals that you value the information presented in the program and expect them to give it their full attention. Plan to pause, rewind and fast-forward or bookmark the program in order to use the portions that best fit the learning objectives of your lesson plan. Don’t feel obligated to use an entire program. Post-viewing activities, such as class discussion or a hands-on activity, will help students synthesize the material presented in the program as well as help you evaluate the knowledge gained by students while viewing the program.