One of the great things about mobile technology generally and tablet technology specifically is that one device can perform so many functions. Tablets like the Xperia can be a library, a stereo, a computer, a camera, a movie theater, and so much more.

One of my favorite uses for the Xperia tablet is as a video camera and production studio. With my Xperia, I have the ability to capture, edit and share video of the important moments in my life. As an educator, I can use that ability to share the learning that is going on in my classroom with parents, the community and colleagues across the world.

Of course, having the tools to create videos doesn’t mean that I have developed the skills to make that happen in the classroom. As with any creative skillset, I need to learn as I go, and gradually improve as I gain experience.

The rewards of developing these skills, though, are great. Video can be used in many ways to enhance classroom learning, including:

• Giving students a new way to demonstrate learning.
• Capturing and archiving learning events for future reference.
• Creating learning objects for flipped learning environments.
• Demonstrating concepts that are difficult to grasp.
• Opening a window to the classroom for parents and community.
• Giving students a medium for reaching authentic audiences.
• Bringing ideas to life for visual and auditory learners.
• Providing students with active learning roles and opportunities.
• Nurturing creativity.

I recently wrote a post on my blog about how teachers can get started developing these skills. By taking the time to learn a few basic concepts, teachers can harness the power of video in no time, and more importantly, they can begin developing those skills in their students.

The Xperia makes shooting video a breeze, and the number of options including image stabilization, shooting in HD, scene selection, and the ability to shoot under water make this tablet a powerful camera for any purpose.

Add to that the ability to store video on an SD Card or share the video to video editing apps or to cloud storage, and the Xperia becomes very versatile anywhere that you are.

In terms of video editing, there are a number of great apps that can support the novice video editor.

If you are interested in screencasting, I recommend Explain Everything, a great little app that allows the user to record a lesson on a very versatile white board, including the voice of the person creating the lesson. This can be a very effective way to create support lessons for students needing more help or to create videos for flipped-learning model classrooms. Here is a video that demonstrates the app:

I’m also a big fan of Magisto. Creating a video in Magisto is as simple as uploading a few video clips, selecting a theme and some music,  and waiting for the good folks at Magisto to email you back with a link to a finished video (no editing experience required). This is a great tool for bringing together videos from a special activity, a field trip or a class project. Students can shoot the video, and the teacher can send them off to be edited. Here is a movie I created with Magisto last January:

A really cool app that applies some neat filters to your video camera is Camera 2. Among my favorites is the ability to add filters by decade that mimic video from that era. There is also a great Matrix inspired Green Rain effect. The screenshot below gives you a sense of what this app looks like:

If you are looking for a more robust video editor that is still within the grasp of beginning users, I would point you to VideoPad Free. This has the look and feel of older timeline-based editors, a trait that I like. With VideoPad, you can shoot video and do simple editing from within the program, including trimming clips, adding audio, adding text elements, and inserting basic transitions. Here is a screenshot of the VideoPad interface:

Whatever app you use, taking the time to learn about and practice creating classroom videos can pay off in no time, and the only tool you need to get started is a tablet like the Xperia Z.