Let’s talk about the equipment for making video lessons.
Equipment for Making Video Lessons
You probably have most of the equipment for making video lessons already. The one piece of equipment you will most likely need to add is a good quality microphone.
Software
Microsoft PowerPoint
The main piece of software you will need is Microsoft PowerPoint. As an educator, it is very likely that you have this software on your work computer. If you need it for your home computer or laptop, check with your IT department. It is very likely that you are eligible for some type of discount on the Microsoft Office suite. If not, you can purchase Office 365 for less than $100 per year. I bought a business subscription, which covers 5 computers and 5 tablets for $99/year.
Video Editing Software
If you want to edit your video, you can find several free video editors online. I am currently learning how to use Avid Media Composer First. I used to use Microsoft Movie Maker, but support for that product has been discontinued. If you are careful when making your video in PowerPoint, you won’t need a video editor.
Hardware
Computer or Laptop
You’ll need a computer, mouse, headphones, and a good microphone.
Obviously, you will need a computer of some sort. Mac or Windows will work. The more powerful your computer, the faster your video will be transcoded. If you are patient, though, an older computer will work fine. You’ll also need a mouse.
Headphones
A good set of headphones will help you determine whether or not your audio quality is acceptable. For example, you might not notice the fan on your computer in your video’s audio if you listen on a set of speakers. It might be very noticeable on a set of headphones. Remember, most of your students will listen to your video on a set of headphones. It is important to have good quality audio.
Microphone
It is likely that you will need to buy a good microphone. Often the microphone on your laptop or the one that came with your desktop won’t produce good audio. It might be fine for talking on Skype, but there might be a noticeable hiss in the background.
I’d recommend that you purchase a USB Condenser Microphone. This will allow you to hook it directly into your computer without any other interfaces needed. Most microphones have a headphone jack that allows you to hear other audio from your computer while recording your video.
You can buy a good microphone for as little as $50 (sometimes less). You can also spend $150 or more. I bought a Samson Go Mic for about $50 a few years ago. I’ve seen it on sale for as low as $32.
Since most of your students will be listening to your lessons on headphones, you need to have a microphone that will record without hisses or pops.
Having good equipment for making video lessons is important, but you can get started with what you have now.