the purpose
Why take the time to create a Feedback Screencast when you can give feedback in person or on paper?
"The new national focus on 'standards' seems to be less about high standards than about covering required material, and there is little time left in most schools for the quest for real quality" (Berger, Beautiful Work).
Teachers are busy. We have a lot on our plates at any given time. We have a lot of external responsibility on our shoulders and we have high expectations for ourselves. So, why make more work by changing something that already works? It's simple really. We want our students to succeed. We want them to succeed more often. And, we want to succeed at helping them succeed.
Although Feedback Screencasts may take some commitment in the beginning, the process will make sense and become easier each time you create a video. After all, you are already doing most of this work! You are meeting with your writers in class. You are grading papers at home and on breaks. Videos will allow you to apply your work to another medium, appealing more widely to students - especially those who benefit from differentiation.
One of the major pitfall of grading writing is delivering feedback a little too late. We want the ability to give each and every one of our students timely, quality feedback. Feedback in which they can reflect, understand, and take action. We should be giving students feedback within 24- 48 hours, according to John McCarthy (2016), "But if students wait too long for feedback, they risk losing the context for the valued learning of the work." Teachers want to connect with students while the work is still fresh in their minds - before we move on to a new skill. Given today's curricular pace, that isn't always a big window. Author and educator, Starr Sackstein (2015) shares, "Whether we are looking to catch common mistakes that can easily become ingrained in our practice if nothing is said in a timely fashion, or we are looking to strengthen a skill that we get but can be doing better, feedback provides the learner an opportunity to have these issues caught and corrected or strengthened appropriately." Now, with the help of technology, such as screencasts, teachers can connect with students and deliver personal messages even after the school day has ended. That means while you are grading papers at home or another site, you can easily create a thoughtful video message in nearly same amount of time and send it to your students and families. Offering students specific, timely feedback in this medium can save you and your students valuable time later.
Although Feedback Screencasts may take some commitment in the beginning, the process will make sense and become easier each time you create a video. After all, you are already doing most of this work! You are meeting with your writers in class. You are grading papers at home and on breaks. Videos will allow you to apply your work to another medium, appealing more widely to students - especially those who benefit from differentiation.
One of the major pitfall of grading writing is delivering feedback a little too late. We want the ability to give each and every one of our students timely, quality feedback. Feedback in which they can reflect, understand, and take action. We should be giving students feedback within 24- 48 hours, according to John McCarthy (2016), "But if students wait too long for feedback, they risk losing the context for the valued learning of the work." Teachers want to connect with students while the work is still fresh in their minds - before we move on to a new skill. Given today's curricular pace, that isn't always a big window. Author and educator, Starr Sackstein (2015) shares, "Whether we are looking to catch common mistakes that can easily become ingrained in our practice if nothing is said in a timely fashion, or we are looking to strengthen a skill that we get but can be doing better, feedback provides the learner an opportunity to have these issues caught and corrected or strengthened appropriately." Now, with the help of technology, such as screencasts, teachers can connect with students and deliver personal messages even after the school day has ended. That means while you are grading papers at home or another site, you can easily create a thoughtful video message in nearly same amount of time and send it to your students and families. Offering students specific, timely feedback in this medium can save you and your students valuable time later.
What are the major benefits of Feedback Screencasts (FBS)?
- Students will have the ability to replay your FBS for increased clarity, understanding, and retention.
- Teachers can replay the FBS to recheck for clarity, tone, language choice, and verification of goals and strategies. This helps teachers reflect on their own practice, as well as setting goals for students.
- Parents can watch the FBS so they can see what their children are writing and provide more writing support from home.
- Open line of communication and transparency with goals and objectives between all stakeholders.
Recommended articles:
Berger, R. (Date Unknown). Beautiful Work. Buck Institute for Education. Retrieved from https://www.bie.org/object/document/beautiful_work
Author and educator, Ron Berger, paints the picture of his classroom where beautiful, quality work is expected. Berger gives readers many examples of how he encourages his students to create important, aesthetic work for real audiences. Regardless of subject area, his students learn they must strive for quality and beauty through class culture, crafting, and authentic critiquing. No matter how simple the assignment, the quest for valuable work is the goal.
Mesecar, D. (2016). Teacher, Time and Technology: Building Blocks of Learning. IO Education. Retrieved from https://ioeducation.com/teacher-technology/
This article lays the groundwork for making technology a successful learning tool in the classroom. Mesecar reminds us that technology is not an efficient tool without proper pedagogy and classroom management. Here, guidelines are provided for making technology an advantageous learning resource to use with students.
Berger, R. (Date Unknown). Beautiful Work. Buck Institute for Education. Retrieved from https://www.bie.org/object/document/beautiful_work
Author and educator, Ron Berger, paints the picture of his classroom where beautiful, quality work is expected. Berger gives readers many examples of how he encourages his students to create important, aesthetic work for real audiences. Regardless of subject area, his students learn they must strive for quality and beauty through class culture, crafting, and authentic critiquing. No matter how simple the assignment, the quest for valuable work is the goal.
Mesecar, D. (2016). Teacher, Time and Technology: Building Blocks of Learning. IO Education. Retrieved from https://ioeducation.com/teacher-technology/
This article lays the groundwork for making technology a successful learning tool in the classroom. Mesecar reminds us that technology is not an efficient tool without proper pedagogy and classroom management. Here, guidelines are provided for making technology an advantageous learning resource to use with students.