In the digital age and era of students learning from home off-and-on, it is hard to deny that using EdTech tools are a critical part of teacher’s job. As students grow older and start to work with technology in more advanced ways, supporting students in learning new techniques is critical. Of course, not all students will understand everything right away, even with instruction. In our EDCI 336 class this week, we learned how to use Screencastify to record ourselves explaining how to use a website. I chose to create a sample video of how a student new to the Google Suite could setup their first Google Doc. Watch it below!

Inside the video, I was able to embed multiple choice questions, texts, and pauses. I can see this being helpful, particularly in the middle school classroom, to be able to provide resources for students to review that do not require me re-explaining things over and over and to embed check your understanding questions for the students to know if they “got it”! For younger classes, like K-3, I can see this being helpful for sending how to videos to parents for how to access certain online supports that they could optionally do with their children at home!

Get Creative with Assignments

In our degree program at UVic, we have often discussed that children should have multiple ways to show their understanding. I can see how using screen recordings as an option for assignments, especially in middle and high school, would be beneficial. For example, if you were doing an assignment on the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, students could have the option to do a walkthrough of the Charter’s section on the Government of Canada’s website. Especially for students that are interested and competent in technology, this additionally mode of presenting their knowing can help to keep them engaged and display their knowledge in their own unique way!