Hi blog :), this week we used a Chrome extension called Screencastify. It’s a simplistic software that allows you to record your screen and/or yourself off your laptop and convert it into a video. It also has in built-in software to let you edit and download videos in MP4 to edit in WordPress (or in any video editing app). For my first attempt at using this software, I filmed a video of finding a recipe for my dinner tonight, and I got a surprise guest in the process of recording! Matt will be joining me for this first video, and we found a recipe that I will use for dinner. You will find the video at the end of this post! Also, full disclaimer, video was also heavily motivated by me being hungry during class time. Dinner review to come?
I found the experience to be fairly user-friendly when editing my first video. Regarding utilizing this tool in the future, I believe it would be an effective tool for students Grades 5-6. In my Grade 5 classroom, we used to have blogs (I don’t remember if it was on WordPress) where we would write about a topic we were learning that week and how we felt about them. It was a great cross-curricular opportunity to integrate tech and literacy together to actively recall a third subject we were learning. It also helped with out typing speed and accuracy as opposed to simply using that typing application that was on most school computers. As we became more comfortable with using the internet and the blog, we began adding pictures from Google Images and customizing our avatars.
I believe children are becoming more technologically capable from a younger age, which makes it more feasible to introduce them to software such as Screencastify. Their brains are able to develop digital fluency faster. Even from a grade as primary as 3 would be a feasible option because of an increasing number of schools having access to class sets of Chromebooks and iPads. I’ve been in a grade 3 classroom where students are able to Chromebooks with minimal assistance and can adapt to any obstacle or change in technology. In my future classroom, I would try and use software, such as Screencastify, for getting students to create a tutorial style video. I would get them to record steps to solving a problem or learning how to effective search for a lesson on YouTube and then type out how their experience was (similar to our in-class assignment). I would also provide opportunities for the students to have fun with the software and make their own little edits, or react to something they find funny and add in written reactions as well (as you will see in my video).
Please find my screencast video, featuring Matt, below! There are some questions along the way to answer as well. 🙂
matthewlee January 31, 2023
Hi Shefali! Thanks for featuring me in your video! I hope your dinner tasted great that night.
I really enjoyed reading your thoughts about using video technology and video editing in the classroom. It’s true that children are becoming more technologically capable and having them learn about screen casting is not too far of a reach. I like how you recommended the grade levels that they could do this too.
One thing I would have liked to hear though is your thoughts about using interactive videos as a teacher resource in the classroom. By that I mean thinking about how useful or effective videos can be to students’ learning when they interact with them.
Overall, you had some great thoughts about how to incorporate more technology learning in the primary classroom. I’m hoping to include some of those technological learning strategies in mine too.
In terms of the layout of your website, I found it very easy to navigate and visually appealing. The pictures on your home page that lead to your blog posts are a nice touch too!
I’m looking forward to seeing how the site grows!