Engage Students in Learning with Video: EdPuzzle

What is EdPuzzle, you ask?

EdPuzzle is a site that allows users to select a video and easily customize it by editing, cropping, recording audio and adding questions to make an engaging presentation or learning experience. It is also a great formative assessment tool; a unique way for students to demonstrate their understanding.

Kirsten Fletcher has found EdPuzzle to be a great tool to engage her students in learning and she facilitated a workshop to share with her colleagues for our October 2017 Institute Day.

We have heard from several teachers who attended her session about how Kirsten's examples have inspired them to use EdPuzzle in their own classes.

The notes from the session serve as a great resource for those that missed it and due to popular demand, Kirsten has offered to repeat the session for our Teaming on Tuesday Learning Lab on October 24th.

We hope you'll join us! Not at EG? You can join us remotely! Just send us a direct message to the Collab Lab Twitter, and we'll send you a calendar invite and link to join us via Zoom!

Using Replay App for Student Documentaries

By Kim Miklusak

For the Contemporary American Texts class, John Bottiglieri has his students create their own documentary.  You can find more information on the assignment here.  Mr. Bottiligieri allows students to pick whatever technology they would like to complete this assignment in order to meet the rubric requirements.  Traditionally students use iMovie and their iPads as we are a 1:1 school. Around this time of year you will see students setting up tripods in the hallway, interviewing people or speaking (and often re-speaking) into the iPad.  They then head back to class to edit and finish their projects.  If you would like to see student samples, please let Mr. Bottiglieri know!  Many are available only as files right now although we are hoping to make some available through YouTube in the future.

One student, Sarah Pauscher, was frustrated with iMovie, so she worked with the app Replay to create her documentary.  Check out her project about Chemotherapy.  Here is what Sarah had to say about the app and the process:  

"Out of all the apps that I had experimented with, I found that a good amount of them had crashed. Every time that I would use this app [Replay], it never crashed and it was the most interesting of all the apps I had. The app allowed me to incorporate many things into my documentary such as music in the background, text on screen and interesting effects. This app was easy to use and had many benefits to my documentary. This app compared to other benefited my document because it was easy to understand and had many interesting features. One disadvantage to this app was I'm pretty sure there is a limit to how many videos you can add into the whole thing. Other than that, I enjoyed using this app more than iMovie."

Thanks to Sarah's recommendation, I checked out the Replay app.  I can't wait to use it and offer it as an option to my students in American Literature for their American Dream interview project and later in the year for their 20% Time projects.  Look for an upcoming post on how to use Replay and more suggestions for the classroom!

Redefining Ready Scholarship: Student Perspectives

By: Kim Miklusak & Rachel Barry

District 214 has introduced a new scholarship opportunity for current seniors.  The District 214 Foundation is offering a $1,000 Redefining Ready Scholarship in a new and exciting format: a video!  For students to apply for this scholarship, they are to submit a 30-second video on how they found their career path and post it to Twitter with the hastag #redefiningready. 

We, Kim and Rachel, got involved in this project when the teacher of the Teacher Internship Class asked us to step in to show multiple apps for students to use to create these videos.  The apps included Adobe Voice, Explain Everything, Educreations, and ShowMe.  We showed students how the apps worked and what videos from the apps looked like and then discussed with them the pros and cons of each based on what they wanted to accomplish with their project.

Students were then given time over the next few weeks to work and explore the apps to see which would best tell their story.  Here are some finished student samples:

Patty's Student Example           Jasmine's Student Example

Here is what Jasmine had to say about the process:  

As soon as I heard about the #RedefiningReady Scholarship, I wasn't so sure, if I would want to record myself, because I am not a good speaker when it comes to recording myself, or me being recorded with a device. Then when I found out I have 2 of my classes that are giving us an opportunity to work on the Scholarship in class, I was starting to consider working on it. The next step was finding an app that I could use for the recording, which was not hard at all. I already had iMovie on my ipad for a previous class project. I then had to start writing a script and find pictures and music of what I wanted to say in the scholarship that shows that I am Redefining Ready. I changed my mind on what I wanted to talk about so many times! Once I got my script written out, I asked my brother to help me record myself [but he didn't, so] I had to figure out how to use voice over on imovie. It took me about 26 tries to get the right video that I wanted. i enjoyed making this Scholarship. I learned many new skills that I have never knew how to use them. I encourage all seniors this year and in the near future to take this opportunity.

More information about the scholarship can be found here.

Reflection on Periscope

By Kim Miklusak

Last week I helped Rita Sayre Periscope her Science of Cancer forum.  While I had played around with the app a little bit before the forum, I definitely learned a lot from doing the event itself. 

It's very simple to set up.  Once you connect it to your Twitter account, it can send an alert to your twitter feed to let your followers know that you are broadcasting an event.  From the main screen you can also choose to watch events on different topics or presentations in your area. 

When you're ready to broadcast, you type in the title of your event.  There are a number of settings to allow people to connect with you and comment as you broadcast.  It also allows you to limit who sees your event.  I didn't use either of these functions, however.  When you're done, the link is live for 24 hours.  You can also save the entire presentation to your camera roll.

From a broadcast perspective, I can definitely see some limitations.  In the theater where Rita presented, it was hard to control the lighting, and the camera doesn't let you light balance like you would on the camera app.  It does zoom in and out, but again--maybe due to the lighting--the camera had a hard time focusing when she changed slides.  This also caused a problem when panning to follow her as she moved across the front of the room.

Overall, however, I think the possibilities for using Periscope in an educational setting are endless.  Immediately I could see using it for forum presentations, professional development days, assemblies, theater and music productions, sporting events, etc.  I know some teachers use it to broadcast their classroom as well, so that would be an interesting experience.

Please share with us in the comments any ideas you have for using Periscope in your classrooms and school as well!

Easier Presentations for All Subjects with Adobe Voice

By Kim Miklusak

I was first introduced to Adobe Voice through pre-service teachers who raved about the app, citing that it was so easy that kindergartners could use it!  I hadn't had an opportunity to try it out in class until this week when our American Literature class began preparing for our oral communications unit on a real-life nonconformist after having read Sula by Toni Morrison.  This will be part 1 of a blog; next week I will share out student samples and provide more feedback.

I cannot stress how simple Adobe Voice is for any subject or grade!  It's the best of a few apps all in one.  Also, it's free, which is always helpful.  The app first allows you to name your presentation and select a template if you want one.  All this does is set up key words for certain slides.  You are welcome to change, add, or delete slides to meet your goal.

There are several simple and pre-made template for backgrounds and slide transitions as well as layout design.  The downside (or upside) of this is that you cannot design these slides as you want.   You can also select music--which I wouldn't suggest if you have students speaking over it.  If you are not speaking in the presentation, you can set how long you want each slide to play for.  Otherwise the slide stays on the screen for as long as you talk.

When you want to add a photo, you are given a few choices including from your camera roll, taking a picture, or searching.  All of the search options are copyright safe!  This is a huge digital citizenship teachable moment for students.  One thing I noticed, however, is that there is not always a huge amount of photos.  I found more available for reuse through Google; I simply saved them to my camera roll.

After the presentation is done, students can record their voice if they would like.  This is the easiest option ever.  You simply hold down the record button and speak.  If you would like to record over what you just said, you just press the button again!  This is a huge bonus over other similar apps in that you don't have to re-record your entire presentation if you mess up on one slide.  The down side in comparison to some other apps, however, is that you cannot write or draw on any of the slides, which may not be a problem depending on why you are using it.

When you're ready to share, it's as easy as ever.  Among the options are emailing a link or tweeting.  For example, here is a link to the sample I made to share with my team and students.  However, the option I'm most appreciative of is the ability to save it to the camera roll because then I can upload it and have students upload them to a Schoology Media Album to share!  Now every student in class can provide feedback on all of the presentations.

I will post again next week with student samples and more feedback. 

Embed a Video within a Video!

By: Rachel Barry

Students in my class watch videos to obtain the content of a skill in an individualized and differentiated method.  You can learn about this structure in this earlier blogpost.  I have always used Educreations for these videos, as the app is incredibly user-friendly.  I am able to input a picture or .pdf to then annotate for students to view.  This has been a great tool for me over the past three years!  

One issue that I encountered is when it came to skills that involve the graphing calculator.  Using screenshots, I was able to make it work in Educreations, but it wasn't as user-friendly as I would like for my students.  Here is an example of one of these videos.

Then, my wonderful colleague Midge Snow came to the rescue!  The app Explain Everything allows you to add a video within a video!  Here are two sample videos that I created for my honors geometry course:

Some helpful tips:

- Make the video to be inserted into the main video first.  

- Remember that Explore Everything is editable.  Unlike Educreations, you can rewind and override previous recordings, so the whole video is not lost if you make a mistake!

- Explore & practice.  Don't expect to make a perfect video the first time.  Allow enough time for you to make mistakes and correct them.

If you would like any help in creating a video within a video, please feel free to contact me or to stop down in the Collab Lab!

Video Reflection

By Mark Heintz

A few weeks ago, I posted on the creation of my first video.  You can read about it here.  I have since created about twenty videos that cover the age of imperialism, WWI, WWII, decolonization movements in India, South Africa, Ghana, and a number of other topics in the 20th century.

I commented on how making the videos made me feel like a historian.  While creating the videos, I have learned so much history. For instance, Chiquita Banana paid known terrorist groups in the 2000s to protect their interests in South America, or the history of the United Fruit Company massacre 

But the process of refining the information and providing visual examples has been challenging and really impactful in the classroom.  I have found when I make the video, I have such a clearer goal of what I want my students to know.  I have struggled with how to cover WORLD HISTORY in a year that is global.  Even if I use the AP standards, they are intentionally open ended to allow teachers to use different examples.  There is so much content, it is impossible to cover all of it in one year.   Having clear goals and information you wish your students to know, makes the class manageable for students and myself.

The students who watched the videos have a much higher retention of the content than from just reading the textbook.  They have visuals of the information.  Although there are great visuals in the textbook, they often skip over them in the reading.  When students see maps, charts, or pictures in the textbook, they are relieved because that means less reading on a page.  Having the images in the videos forces the students to see the visuals. 

Additionally, I created a quiz for each video and now have used the feedback function in Schoology. 

The feedback function on a quiz allows the user to provide instant feedback on why the answer is right or wrong.  Since I am creating these questions, I am providing a quick few words on why the answer choice is wrong. The students who have used it, found it to be a great resource if they comprehend the information.    

I still do not know how I am going to use these videos in the future. I am not sure if it will become the primary homework or just use as a supplement.  The videos take a lot of time to prepare and research, but are quick to make once I have all of the prep work finished. Also, the quizzes take time to make.  The whole process can be time consuming and I advise those wishing to start making videos that they should NOT have the goal of making all of them in one year. 

The students enjoy when I put a superhero or Star Wars character behind me.  They always seem to notice those changes depending on my location of where I film them.  

Spring Break

By Mark Heintz

Spring break has come and gone.  Here in Chicago it snowed two days and barely got above 30 degrees. At least I got to use my snow blower.  But, that is not the point of this post.  The point is to show the power of spring break.

Spring break can be a time for rejuvenation before the final push of the school year.  It can be a time for students to take a break from the stress of exams and homework.  It is nice to have the students recover and see the last quarter with fresher minds.  They come back a little more willing to learn. However, spring break can be a time for students to get ahead or caught up.

There are forty-two videos John Green created for world history.  They are amazing, and I use them as review for the AP exam.  In Schoology, I have all forty videos posted with a short little quiz that a former student Deanna Duffy helped create last year.  I set a calendar for the students that starts over break to have them watch all the videos by the exam, watching about one a day over the next forty days.  In total, it is over 400 minutes over video.  Several of my students used their spring break to complete ALL the videos.  Every one of them.  I am continually impressed by the amount of time some students put into their work.  Now to be fair, there were some who did not start their videos at all. But many did more than they needed and used their break as a time to get ahead.  When the students finish all their videos, they get a badge in Schoology called the Fault in Our John Green.

My First Video!

By Mark Heintz

Last week, Christina Barnum taught a few teachers how to create videos for her Biology classes using the app Educreations.  It was another great example of how easy it is to make videos and the different ways to implement them in the classroom.  I have wanted for a few years now to create videos to help students learn the material. I keep seeing examples from my own students that reading at home or on their own is not the easiest way to learn history.

The book our district adopted is a challenge.  To be fair, I was on the textbook adoption committee and approved the book. But, I digress.  First, the books is at a college reading level.  Second, the book assumes the students have a great deal of back ground knowledge.  The book is great for students who know a lot of history, but almost all of my students are taking their first world history course. The students spend a lot of time outside of class trying to decode the text book.  No matter what pre-reading strategies are done in the classroom, it is still very hard for my students to comprehend the material.

To help the students at home understand the reading, I made my first video! It was on methods used by Europeans to imperialize between the years 1750-1900.  I used the software Screenflow.  It records your screen and can record you at the same time.  Using this software, I record myself while filming what is on screen.  I remember reading Paul Anderson's guide to video making who gave the advice of putting yourself in the video to make it more approachable.  I took his advice.

Overall, I learned a lot from my first video.  I spoke too fast and stumbled over words.  But, I love the idea.  The video is short and gets to the point. I made a few multiple choice questions to go with the video to have students self-assess their comprehension of their learning.   Now, I have the video forever. If a student is absent or is having difficulty understanding the material, they will be able to go back and re-watch it.  I have since made five videos in the past two days and am jonesing to make more. 

One last note.  Making the videos really was a self reflective process on what students need to know. I summarized the facts and story of history.  I feel like a true historian by pulling sources together to tell a story.  It is interesting to see what I leave out, include, and how I put the story together.  

Using Videos to Transform Learning

Posted by Linda Ashida

Over the course the school year, the ITF / DTC team has supported colleagues, and learned from them, about a variety of innovative uses of video to transform learning with their students.  This post will share highlights from several teachers.

Advanced Strength and Conditioning (PE 866) - Mike Radakovitz

Although Mike does not currently teach a 1:1 pilot class, but since the majority of his students have iPads, he has taken advantage of the technology to improve student progress with their lifts in PE 866. Mike asks his students to use their iPads to record their peers when they do their lifts. After practicing the lifts, and for the summative assessment, the students upload the videos to an assigned Media Album in Schoology.  From the Media Album, all students in the class, and the teacher, have access to the videos. 

From there, the students are asked to use a rubric to complete a self-assessment and a peer-assessment. Mike builds coaching skills into the peer assessments.  He asks each peer assessor to articulate: the criteria for a quality lift; what the peer did well; what the peer needs to improve; and, specific steps to make the needed improvement.  Students are much more engaged in the learning process.

French classes - Kirsten Fletcher

Language teachers can all probably remember spending the better part of an entire week for students to do presentations in front of class to assess their speaking skills.  With 1:1 technology however, teachers can streamline the process, save instructional time and improve feedback! One way to have students to create video presentations and, just as Mike did, have them upload the videos to a Media Album in Schoology.

Kirsten recently did this with her French 2 students. Students created video presentation on a Francophone country using the apps Educreations or ShowMe.  They uploaded their videos to an assigned Media Album in Schoology, and then they were asked do a self-assessment of their own video, and to watch the presentations of three other students and offer feedback aligned to the speaking rubric.  Having all of the videos curated in one Media Album creates a class portfolio of student work that Kirsten can use in a variety of ways.  She can highlight examples of quality work for future students and she can use the videos to facilitate individual student progress conferences.

Orchestra - Maura Brown

1:1 technology also streamlines and improves the assessment process for Maura.  Instead of meeting one-to-one with every student for a playing test, or having the entire class listen while individual play, she has her students use YouTube Capture to video record each other for their playing tests.  That way students can self-assess, peer-assess, revise their work, and submit their summative playing tests to Maura via email. She developed clear how-to guides for using YouTube Capture, along with guides that explain the assessment process.  You can see the resources she created on this Collab Lab Page

Do you have examples to share?  Please comment below.  Would you like to try some of these ideas in your own classes? If so, please come see us in the Collab Lab!  We would love to brainstorm ideas with you!