Lighting On a Classroom Budget

For those teachers who haven't done much photography or pro film/video work, let me tell you a little secret: lighting is really important. I don't say this to be glib, but I've seen *so* many student videos where there is no lighting used except what was coming from the fluorescent overhead.

I think it's crucial to teach kids to look at the faces of the people they're videotaping and try to get a little light in the eyes. One way to do this is to have some inexpensive do it yourself type lighting that the kids can use. Here's one great example:
Hobo DIY Softbox for Perfect Portraits