Video Tutorial

      Jing didn't work on my computer so I am blogging about how I would use it and its benefits.

     One thing that I really would like to do when I begin my teaching career is to start a guitar workshop at the school where I teach.  Most schools do not offer guitar instruction since it is not a concert instrument, but the demand is out there.   After veiwing examples of the video tutorials which use the software Jing, I can see its application in the guitar workshop. 
     I teach a guitar class at YMCA where I work now and in this class, I mainly teach chords on the guitar (a chord is more than one note at a time).  I usually teach the chords in class and make sure my students have the gist of how to play them.  Then I send them home to practice the chords for the next class so we can use them in a song.  But using Jing, a can save class time by showing them how to play the chords with a video tuorial.
     I would import a picture of a guitar ( mainly the upper part of the neck).  Using audio I would introduce myself and say the name of the chord that I was about to teach them. Then I would draw a number on the picture of the guitar, over the strings.  Numbers 1-4 would represent the fingers on their left hand.  The numbers would go over the strings where I want them to place that finger. As the numbers appear on the string of the guitar, I would record myself playing that note, so they can hear the sound of the note while they visually see where it is played on the neck.
     This is much better than sending them home with just a picture of the guitar with the finger placements on it.  Now they can hear if they have it right.  So many times I have had students come to me and say "I got the chord" and then they play it and it's not right.  But more importantly, this will free up time in my class for applying the chords they have learned and plugging them into songs, which is the main goal.