Lesson video maker
Make a lesson video from a topic in a few minutes.
Type the topic and who the lesson is for, or upload your notes, slides or a worksheet. KolaVid writes a clear spoken explanation, draws each idea on a whiteboard as it is said and gives you a video for class, homework or a flipped lesson. A free account makes one 2-minute video with no card.
How to make a lesson video
- Sign up free and open the composer.
- Type the topic and the class, such as "photosynthesis for 12-year-olds", or upload your lesson notes, slides or a worksheet.
- Choose a length (1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes), a frame (16:9 for the projector, 9:16 for phones) and a voice in the language your students learn in.
- KolaVid writes the explanation and draws one idea a board. Watch it before you share it, as you would check any resource.
- Share a link with students or download the MP4 for your class page or slides.
What you get
| With KolaVid | |
|---|---|
| Start from | A topic you type, lesson notes, a worksheet, slides, a PDF or a web link |
| Video | A narrated whiteboard lesson, one idea a board, each drawing appearing as it is said |
| Frames | Landscape 16:9, vertical 9:16 or square 1:1 |
| Length | 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes (free videos up to 2 minutes) |
| Voice | Female or male, in many narration languages, including Spanish and Portuguese |
| Delivery | MP4 download or a share link |
| Price | Free: one 2-minute video, no card. Starter: $19.99 a month for 5,000 credits |
Whiteboard video uses one credit a second, so a 2-minute video is 120 credits.
How long should a lesson video be?
Shorter than most people think. One idea fits in 1 to 2 minutes, about 268 words of narration for 2 minutes. A worked example or a process with several steps fits in 3 minutes. Five minutes is a good ceiling before students need a question to answer or a task to do.
If a topic needs more, make a short series: one video for each idea, each ending where the next begins. Students can rewatch the one they missed instead of scrolling through a long recording.
Tips for a lesson video students finish
- Name the class. "For 12-year-olds meeting fractions for the first time" gets different words and examples than "for exam revision".
- Ask one question the video answers. "Why do we have seasons?" makes a tighter lesson than "seasons".
- Decide where it fits. Before the lesson, a video introduces the idea; after it, the same video helps revision. Give students one question to answer while they watch.
- Pick the frame for the screen. 16:9 suits the projector and class pages; 9:16 suits phones.
- Teach in the language students learn in. Choose the narration language and voice; Spanish and Portuguese are among the many offered.
- Use your own words when they matter. Paste a script and it is narrated word for word, with drawings to match; the script length calculator tells you how many words fit.
- Check before you share. Watch the video once, as you would check a worksheet from anyone else.
- Start from what students already know. A note such as "they know what a cell is, not what chlorophyll does" keeps the video from re-teaching the basics.
- Ask for one worked example. Students learn a method from one clear example better than from three rushed ones.
- Pair the video with a task: three questions, a diagram to label or a sentence to finish. The video explains; the task shows who understood.
- Make a revision version. The same topic as a 1-minute summary is useful the week before a test.
- Keep new words few. Two or three new terms a video, each one said and written clearly, is plenty.
- End on the question you started with. A last sentence that answers it, such as "so seasons come from the tilt, not the distance", is what students repeat back.
- Keep a library. Videos you make this year can be shared again next year, so name each one after the question it answers.
Subjects that work well
Processes and cycles in science, methods in maths, causes and timelines in history, cycles and maps in geography, grammar rules in languages and concepts in computing. Anything you would explain with a marker and a board works as a KolaVid lesson.
Can teachers use KolaVid for free?
Yes. A free account comes with 120 credits, enough for one 2-minute lesson video, with no card.
What ages does it suit?
Any. Say who the lesson is for and KolaVid writes the explanation for that class.
Can students watch on their phones?
Yes. Share a link, or choose the vertical 9:16 frame for a video made for phones.
Can I make lessons in Spanish or Portuguese?
Yes. Choose the narration language and a female or male voice; Spanish and Portuguese are among the many languages offered.
Can I use my own script?
Yes. Paste it and it is narrated word for word, with drawings made to match.
Are there captions?
Whiteboard videos have no captions, but the key words are written on the board as the narrator says them.