Resource Sharing #1

OK, told my students I would do some posts about resources for our course "Using Technology to Build Learning Communities." What makes this tough is narrowing down the resources to select only one at a time! Since I'm hearing a lot of requests for ideas that can be used in the classroom, here's my first pick:

Using Screencasting to Engage and Build Community with Online Learners

http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/online-education/using-screencasting-to-engage-and-build-community-with-online-learners

True, this short article is focused on the community of students in an online class, but these ideas translate pretty well as supplements to a face-to-face class also. The author talks about using screencasting to create various elements to assist students: an introduction to a class, short tutorials about student tasks and activities, recorded demos or lectures. Also, using screencasting to record feedback on student work is a great idea--who hasn't gotten annoyed at a returned and marked-up paper that is devoid of personal touch. Hearing a teacher talk through their response could add so much meaning.

Finally, for the right level, subject, and teacher, consider having your students create their own screencasts as part of an assignment. For example, if they are making PowerPoints on a topic, rather than having them present in class you could give them the option to record their presentation and share it on the web. It's a different style of presentation--they will want to script rather than make note cards; they will need to think about timing and the listener in a different way, and they will have the chance to hear their own presentation played back.

I would recommend trying the free downloadable tool Jing for making screencasts. You can create short recordings of your voice and activity on your computer screen (Jing screencasts are limited to a length of 5 minutes), and then post those recordings to your class website or other web location. A lot like podcasting only better!