677 Artifact #2: Screencast

Hello Class,

For my second artifact I chose the tech tool that I use the most in my classroom thanks to the St. Francis Masters program which is Screencastify, a google extension.  As part of the assignment I made a video reviewing my experience with screencastify, so for those of you that would rather watch a video here is the link:

 Screen Casting Discussion  .

I really love Screencastify as a tech tool because it is so easy and convenient to utilize in the classroom.  Whether it's used as a tool to deliver a lesson, or used a tool for kids to use to show me what they learned, there really are lots of positive attributes about the tool.  I even learned from others in the class that it is a great tool for communicating with parents.  I can send out a mass email to the parents with a link to my video and they can get a "first hand" explanation from me what is going on in the class or what to look out for in the future. 

Furthermore, with just a little exposure, students pick up how to use Screencastify pretty quickly.  I know because this year I have already used the extension for 3 projects in biology.  Since our school uses google chrome books, screencastify also works really well with their google drive.  It really is a seamless transition for them to upload their videos, share them with me, or include them in a google slide presentation. 

The only limitations or issues I have with screencastify is really with all tech in general.  If a student does not have internet access or issues with their service it be a problem.  Also, it is harder to use for group projects when compared to other google services.  Other than that I would recommend Screencastify and Screen casting in general to all educators.

Thank you,

Jim Nielsen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

EEND 675 Artifact #2: Palm Oil and Deforestation-blend space

EEND 675 Artifact 2 Jim Nielsen The second artifact that I am going to discuss was my favorite piece I created for this entire course.  The website was suggested to us by our instructor as a really good blend space, something that I have never heard of before.  Hyper-docs have become really popular in our district and I see teachers using them all the time.  Personally, I never really understood why hyper-docs where that interesting and I honestly thought they were just a glorified listing of websites.  That is why I am so excited that I was introduced to the website www.tes.com/lessons.  So excited that I have already hosted a PLC "training" on the website and have multiple other teachers using the website for their classes now.  Again, it really is awesome that we are learning about technology tools that we can actually apply in our classroom. The blend splace, tes.com/lessons, is really a supped up version of a hyper-doc.  But it is so much mor...
Read more

EEND 679 Module 4 Discussion

EEND 679 Module 4 Discussion Jim Nielsen The idea of personalized learning has been around for a long time.   I mean, it sounds like an amazing idea!   Cater all learning to the individual that is doing the learning- makes sense!   The problem is how do we do that in a class of 30 students?   Or an entire course load of 150 students over the course of the day.   Where do we focus our personalized learning goals?   Is it to struggling students, social economic disadvantaged students, students from different races, students that are advanced and need to be pushed?   I have heard all of these groups singled out at different times in my career for personalized learning.   As an educator, how can we streamline this process, and how does technology aid us in this borderline impossible task? I teach co-taught biology and have taught this class for 10 years now.   I feel comfortable saying that I have one of the most diverse classes in the ...
Read more

678 Module 8 Discussion

Hello Class, What a topic for this week's blog... Fake News.  Obviously, this saying has caught wind with our current President's use of the term at every press conference.  In fact, it is probably the only thing I agree with him on and understand what he is talking about... Especially as a science teacher! Teaching students about reputable websites or sources has always been a critical aspect of science education.  But now, more than ever, with the internet and freedom to publish any nonsense you want with social media, teaching the difference between credible and reliable resources is an extremely important aspect of the curriculum. So much so that I think my number 1 job as a science educator is to make more scientifically literate citizens.  This means that they need to be able to research, think and come up with their own conclusion based on real evidence.  This will determine many of their choices later in life.  Such as who they vote for, what ...
Read more