Vidcasts

What?

In class we learned about vidcasts. Vidcasts are videos posted online that are meant to teach or share something. We learned about four different tools to make vidcasts which are by using the Flip, making a PowerPoint, making a Photo Story and by using Jing. We have the following options to use to teach for the vidcast. There how-to do something, tutorials, public service announcements and intro to content.

So What?

What does this mean to me as a teacher, student and/or colleague? Learning how to make a vidcast is a great tool to use to teach my future students the concepts that we are learning through fun ways rather than just standing in front of the class and lecturing. The vidcasts can be put to music along with video to make the subject exciting. As a student, this helps me because I can use this tool for presentations in my other classes. I think that this is a new and exciting way to present any topic in education! As a colleague, we can share our vidcasts with each other and share our ideas with each other. I know that in my children's school the teachers take turns teaching certain subjects so it would be great to do vidcasts for it. Like everything that we learn in this class, this is another way to make our lives as teachers easier and to find ways to be more creative for our students. I loved learning about the different tools that are out there for our use. The Flip is amazing! It's very easy to use and easy to upload. PowerPoint is always a great tool to use for presentations. Photo Story is awesome and I can't wait to use it for our vidcast! There are so many things that we can use it for such as to teach a lesson, to tell a story and to explain something step by step too. Jing is still something that I need to investigate a bit more to understand. I liked what Doc Waters showed us.

Now What?

This technology means that my students will have access to information that I wouldn't have been able to give them had I not learned it in this class. They will be able to learn the subjects that we are working on in forms other than direct instruction. The vidcasts make learning and teaching much more fun. How does it change my current schema? It makes a ton of difference! It means that I get to be creative in my teaching. I can teach the students new concepts with pictures, video and music. I know that I learn visually and through music. I can use this to teach students that weren't able to come to school. They will be able to access the information on the web so that they don't get behind. This way their parents can help them too. The parents will also know what we are doing in school. I can't wait to work more on this assignment and show my kids. They are always to excited to see what I learn in Doc Waters class. They love to go to my other stuff online and play around on it. They'll love this one for sure!