Screencasting

10/21/2013

What can I say about this little jewel. Last year I took part in a Technology Leadership Forum for our District and was out once a month, I presented at a conference and took our Model UN team to several conferences. So I was out of my classroom a lot and did not want my students to miss a lot of instruction. So I started screen casting. I record several days’ worth of lessons just as though I would be in classroom. I would include any material we would cover and record all instructions/directions. The students felt I was there with them and it was a normal day. I thought it would be funny to include "stop talking" every now and then but never did it. My co-teacher told me one day, the students actually tried to ask me a question like we were skyping.

Along with recording lessons, the tools can be used to record additional lessons for to review later or if you have centers created with different tasks at each center. An excellent way for differentiation.
I have used both Jing and Screencast-O-matic. Both are great tools; however I love Screencast-O-matic direct updates to YouTube and Drop box.

I created a screen cast below and included part of one of the screen cast lessons I did last year.

3 Comments

Connie Brantley

10/22/2013 09:22:37 am

What a great way to use Screencasting!!! I hadn't really thought about using it while a teacher was absent, but that is a wonderful idea! I had thought about it being used for the students that are absent on any given day, but not the teacher. I love hearing that it works; apparently if the students are on task and the sub says they are and the work gets completed it definitely works.
I love that you also used it yourself when presenting to others. Most teachers, me included, say that it is more work to be out than to just be there. This takes a lot of that busy worksheet stuff out of the quotient and lets the class move on which is a wonderful tool.
Thanks for sharing!

Judson Smith

10/23/2013 09:21:41 am

Christa,

I too enjoyed screen-o-matic the best. I liked the feature that allowed us to upload to YouTube with a clock of the button. I have really enjoyed learning about this tool. I also liked your idea about having a lecture when you have to be some place outside of your class. I immediately thought of recording lessons for students to refer back to, but it did not cross my mine to use it when I was not there, until reading your blog. I think it would be a wonderful thing to have and the students would still get to hear something coming from you. This allows the class to stay engaged in learning.

Do you think, with education still having cutbacks, furloughs, etc. that more Staff Development will go to this? Will more teachers be trained this way? PLU's are about to be required again, teachers will be scrambling to find time and money to gain PLUs (I do not see my system offering as many free chances at PLUs as it has in the past), do you think we will see screencasting as a way for teachers to earn PLUs through watching them and then sending in their presentations the same way?

Christen

10/27/2013 10:58:36 am

I love the idea of screen casting lessons for students to view while you were out. As an educator I'm the first to say that I don't leave a lot of material where the sub has to actually teach just because I don't feel comfortable doing it. But by not leaving material that needs to be covered I feel like students are losing a day of instruction. Screen casting is a great way to teach and for students to learn while you are out! Did you use Jing or Screen-O-Matic for your screen casting?

Screencasting

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