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As the Covid-19 pandemic put the world on pause, teachers like Cikgu Siti Faridah Matt went above and beyond to keep students engaged and educated by taking their classrooms into the 21st century.
Cikgu Siti Faridah became Malaysia’s favourite chemistry teacher with her viral educational videos streamed live from her very own home-studio during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period.
cikgu testing green screen studio di rumah..
— cikgu Siti Faridah (@SitiShare) April 17, 2020
PKP FASA KE 3 video cikgu dah jadi mcm ni. Agak2 kalau PKP FASA seterusnya rumah cikgu dah jadi studio tv3 agaknyaa.. pic.twitter.com/QGCqymjtgM
From simple online lessons through video-conferencing applications like Zoom to having her very own YouTube channel with over 1,000 subscribers, the Cikgu says that she’s eager to discover new ways to best deliver lessons and provide students with alternative platforms to learn using her self-made videos.
Hoping to inspire educators and content creators alike to take up the digital-guru mantle, Cikgu Siti shares some of the gadgets she spent her own money on to set up her online-learning studio.
Video
The most important part of having any online video channel is to have a decent camera to capture quality images for the viewing audience.
Aside from teaching herself how to make and edit her own videos, Cikgu Siti had spent around RM430 on a high-definition (HD) webcam to use for her lessons.
HD webcams or “StreamCams” as some companies call em’, are compact and purpose-built for vlogging or live streaming content. Most high-end models are also able to capture 4K videos.
Alternatively, creators can also turn a simple smartphone into a webcam by utilizing some free software off the internet and purchasing a handy tripod or selfie-stick to set it up.
Audio
As any good gamer would tell you, having great audio is essential not only in daunting situations but above all, having clear communication with your teammates or even enemies.
For less than RM60 anyone can purchase quality and comfortable earphones or headphones that come with built-in microphones. Some of the larger more expensive “gaming headsets” even come complete with features to cancel out unwanted noise and sounds that may interrupt your play or video-calls.
But for those looking to keep one’s head clear of obstructions, Cikgu Siti suggests the use of professional stand-microphones or a portable clip-on mic that can be bought between RM30 to RM60.
Lighting and background
The trick to making striking videos is to always have excellent lighting and an interesting setting to keep viewers engaged and entertained.
With the right equipment and a little bit of ingenuity, Cikgu Siti shares that anyone can transform even a dusty closet space into a fancy recording studio by the use of some portable studio lighting kits and a “green screen” canvas for less than RM400.
But for those looking to save some ringgits, some cheap LED lights or the more commonly used ring “diva” lights are terrific at illuminating your videos for as cheap as RM20.
By the looks of it, Cikgu Siti had spent roughly RM4,000 to complete her home-studio setup. Be sure to check out her full shopping list on Twitter.
Cikgu kongsikan sedikit anrara device yang cikgu penah beli untuk studio cikgu.
— cikgu Siti Faridah (@SitiShare) November 18, 2020
Tak termasuk second monitor, kain hijau dan cable2. pic.twitter.com/4140Js6ooZ
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