"Hope and Luck" in the Classroom
Tips for Effective Teaching with Video

Classroom use of The Nevada Experience will offer students time travel into Nevada's past. Hope and Luck is set in the early days of the 20th century in Nevada, a time when Nevada was struggling to recover from the aftermath of the Gold Rush and a diminishing population. Like all technology resources, video should be used wisely and efficiently, maximizing its instructional impact. In the hands of a good teacher, the package of VCR, TV monitor, and remote control can empower student learning without any limitations due to age, gender, language, or reading and mathematics skills levels. Here are some suggestions for making the most of television as a technology resource in your classroom.

. Use programs on videotape for flexibility and control. Learn how your VCR works, especially how to use the timer for off-air recording.
Channel 5 has extended rights for you to use Hope and Luck in your classroom for as many years as you like. However, you will need to acquire the program either by taping it off-air from our broadcast or by purchasing it on video.

. Preview the program to determine which segments best meet specific lesson objectives and learning outcomes.
While all of Hope and Luck is appropriate for student viewing, previewing the program gives you a heads up on which parts you will want to highlight for your students. If you always use the same VCR, you may want to note the time cues for easy location of segments.

. Select a segment or two which are most relevant to your lesson content. Don't feel obligated to show the entire program from beginning to end.
It's a good idea to cue the videotape to the first segment of Hope and Luck you want to use. Indeed, the program may not be in the order in which you want to use your segments, so practice using Fast Foward and Rewind to cue easily during your lesson. And use those time cues for easy location.

. Conduct a pre-viewing activity that establishes the reason for viewing, reviews vocabulary, and directs students toward meeting the desired outcomes.

. Set a focus for viewing, prompting students to notice certain content in the program.

. Make the viewing interactive by choosing program segments that relate to your classroom. Whenever possible, connect video content to a "hands-on" experience.

. Use the remote control or VCR controls to maintain active viewing. PAUSE at least every 2 or 3 minutes within a segment to keep student attention to the video. If you are using a 4-head VCR, the pause function will allow you to "freeze frame" a particular shot for students to analyze or discuss. STOP at the important points where a concept you are targeting is presented. REWIND the tape to replay the video for reinforcement of learning. Think of your lesson as a fabric, with the video and your classroom presentation are woven together into one learning experience.
Hope and Luck is produced in such a way as to promote this sort of classroom use. Again, your notation of time cues will help you with locating salient content. However, use of these functions also allow you to customize your lesson to your particular students, drawing on your knowledge of their specific interests and experience.

. Be creative! Use the video without sound (MUTE function on remote control) to encourage students to provide their own narrative as they watch. Use sound without video to promote listening skills. View the end of the program first, asking students to predict what they will see.

. Build on the television experience through post-viewing extension activities. Explore related websites. Research a controversial issue. Produce a class video companion to the television program which customizes the content to your students' experience base.

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