Thursday, April 25, 2013

2013 NCTM Conference: "Using Teacher- and Student-Made Videos in the Mathematics Classroom"

2013 NCTM Conference (4/18/13 - 3:30 pm - Janet Andreasen, Deborah McGinley, and Zyad Bawatneh):

Janet, Deborah, and Zyad gave a discussion advocating the use of videos in the classroom - created both by teachers and students - for instruction and assessment. This is a concept I had not personally explored, so I was intrigued by the ideas they shared.

Janet suggested that student-created videos can give teachers the opportunity to view students' problem-solving process instead of just analyzing the end result. The common core mathematical practices require students to draw geometric shapes with given conditions, find solutions using technology, and many other "practices" that are as focused on the journey as much as the destination. Student-made videos allow teachers to assess the practices more fully than they may be able to do through informal observations.

There are many different types of software that can be used for screen capturing and voice recording. Jing and Educreations are free software packages that students can use to create videos. Camtasia and Explain Everything offer more features but come with a price tag. The TI-nsspire also comes with video recording features.

Janet and Deborah suggested many uses for videos in the classroom: First, as mentioned above, student-created videos can be used for authentic assessments to help teachers evaluate the process as well as the final product. These videos, if presented appropriately, can provide insight into students' thinking in a way that a test cannot.
Second, teachers can use videos in a "flipped" classroom to provide instruction for students to view at home or to provide extra support. Teachers can use videos to not only speak to students, but they can also use software such as GeoGebra or visual manipulatives to give students visul representations of mathematical concepts.
Third, videos can be used for student-to-student support. Students can share their ideas with other students through videos. Deborah explained that their district uses Edmodo to encourage students to collaborate together and share student-made videos with each other.

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