While I consider myself a frequent flyer when it comes to using multimedia in the classroom, this course really helped me to think outside the box and try some new things I hadn't before.
One thing that really stuck with me with the power of audio use in the classroom. I think I tend to lean toward using video so much in the classroom that I forget the potential impact that audio can have. Whether it is using a sound bite to introduce a new topic (for example, playing rainforest sounds before introducing The Great Kapok Tree) or recording students or myself reading our most beloved classroom library books to be put in a listening station, audio can really have a great impact on student engagement. Also, I have used audio recordings to capture student reading fluency for several years now, but this course taught me some new tools that I hadn't previously thought of or heard of to get this job done such as GarageBand, Quick Memos, or Quick Voice. I also really liked the idea of using podcasting in the classroom. I'm a huge podcast listener in my personal life (thanks, hour-long commute from the city), but up until this class, I hadn't really thought about how podcasting could be used in the classroom. Not only are there tools, like Listenwise, that students can listen to in the classroom, but students can also experiment with using podcasting to demonstrate learning as well. Giving the students a choice of how they want to show what they have learned, including by creating a podcast, will really hit all types of learners and allow them to demonstrate their learning in a way that they are comfortable with and excited about.
Something else that stuck with me was the use of screencasting in the classroom. I have used screencasting in my current role as a TOSA, often times when I can't be in two places at once and need to show how to do something "just in time." I also use it to answer a quick question in lieu of a full-blown appointment with a teacher. Teachers have so much on their plates, sometimes it is nice for them to get an answer to a question in a quick 1-2 minute screencast versus having to take up precious plan time to meet with me. This class made me think about using screencasting with students as well, which is something I haven't previously done. Not only could a teacher use screencasting to essentially replicate him/herself teaching a lesson or reviewing a concept for students to watch while he/she is working with other small groups of students, but screencasting could be helpful to use when leaving sub plans! If there is a particular concept or message that a teacher wants to be delivered in a certain way, but the teacher cannot be in the classroom that day, a screencast is a great tool to use to ensure the students are getting the lesson or message the way it was intended. Screencasts can also be powerful for students to create to demonstrate their understanding. Using tools like Seesaw, Explain Everything, or the screen recording tool on an iPad, students can show their learning for formative or summative assessment and also in a way that can also be shared with parents - everybody wins!
I really enjoyed this class and learning new ways of thinking about how multimedia can be used in the classroom by both teachers as well as students! I'm excited to try out these new ideas.
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Something else that stuck with me was the use of screencasting in the classroom. I have used screencasting in my current role as a TOSA, often times when I can't be in two places at once and need to show how to do something "just in time." I also use it to answer a quick question in lieu of a full-blown appointment with a teacher. Teachers have so much on their plates, sometimes it is nice for them to get an answer to a question in a quick 1-2 minute screencast versus having to take up precious plan time to meet with me. This class made me think about using screencasting with students as well, which is something I haven't previously done. Not only could a teacher use screencasting to essentially replicate him/herself teaching a lesson or reviewing a concept for students to watch while he/she is working with other small groups of students, but screencasting could be helpful to use when leaving sub plans! If there is a particular concept or message that a teacher wants to be delivered in a certain way, but the teacher cannot be in the classroom that day, a screencast is a great tool to use to ensure the students are getting the lesson or message the way it was intended. Screencasts can also be powerful for students to create to demonstrate their understanding. Using tools like Seesaw, Explain Everything, or the screen recording tool on an iPad, students can show their learning for formative or summative assessment and also in a way that can also be shared with parents - everybody wins!
I really enjoyed this class and learning new ways of thinking about how multimedia can be used in the classroom by both teachers as well as students! I'm excited to try out these new ideas.
Jessica, I also really liked thinking about all of the ways we can use screen casting with our students. I had never considered how students could create screencasts for assessment-good idea!
ReplyDeleteJessica,
ReplyDeleteI found it really useful to try using screen casting with students! I also love the idea of having students use podcasting to demonstrate their learning! It is one more way that students can show what they know!
I am glad you learned some new ways to use multimedia in the classroom!
ReplyDelete