Whiteboard animation for teachers and educators sounds like it should be a given.  After all, teachers and educators spend most of their days creating what are, basically, whiteboard animations without movement.  Adding music and voiceover seems like a natural progression.  So why isn’t whiteboard animation more common in pedagogy?

​

In other installments of this blog we’ve looked at the misconceptions surrounding whiteboard videos (expense, timing, approach, etc.)  Many of these misconceptions are common among all professionals, including teachers.  But there’s once specific hurdle for teachers that is unique to their field.  In fact, it strikes at the very heart of why many people enjoy teaching and choose it as a profession.  Let’s take a closer look at that objection here.

 

The thing about teaching is, it’s as much about performing as anything else.  A teacher has a great deal in common with an actor or even stand-up comedian in the sense that, even though they’re always using the same material, they never have to perform it in the same way twice.  On a daily basis they can emphasize different points, alter the tempo, and further adjust their delivery based on the feedback they receive from the audience.  Performing is definitely the fun factor, and, at first glance the idea of using whiteboard animation would seem to detract from that.  But this isn’t necessarily the case.

 

Now more than ever, teachers are forced to find new ways to communicate with students, especially in cases where in-person instruction is no longer an option.  Having whiteboard animations of key lessons is a great way to provide students with the information they need so that they can review at home on their own schedules.  This is particularly true for students who many not have the bandwidth-hungry internet connections that streaming video relies on.  Given that there are an estimated 25 million people in the U.S. without broadband internet, that’s still a very important factor, particularly when it comes to education.

 

Secondly, the mere process of creating a whiteboard animation on a specific lesson can be a great way for teachers and educators to review and improve their delivery.  Think of it in the same way as people who videotape their golf swing to identify their weak points.  Having to convey a lesson in a different medium is a perfect opportunity to refine and raise your game.

​

Finally, who says it has to be one or the other?  Rather than having to draw the same figures, symbols and formulas over and over, why not prepare a whiteboard animation of your lesson with everything but the voiceover?  With that, you can treat the whiteboard animation almost like a slideshow, guiding students through the lesson and pausing at different times to answer questions.  A whiteboard animation is guaranteed to be attention-grabbing, and it’s in a format that will already be familiar to students who are accustomed to the quick, eye-catching content of apps like TikTok.  Plus, the less drawing you have to do, the less time you need to be on your feet.  That alone is a big plus worth considering! Here are a few FREE softwares for educators to check out.