Many people ask me about where my videos come from and if I pull from other places. I’d spent years on perfecting Promethean flipcharts that I was determined would not go to waste. It was so easy for me to take those flipcharts and turn them into screencasts. I prefer using my own videos, because the kids like to hear my voice and I know that the content that I’m presenting contains ALL of the content that they need. I love Flocabulary, so I use their videos for my vocabulary units and sometimes I do use Learnzillion videos, but the majority of the content that my students access are created by me.
I’m all for student creation….all for it! I think that when students create it shows that they have mastered the content shared. I love when they create because it takes them to a higher levels of Blooms.
In my classroom, students create things like Visual Vocabulary Videos, Book Reviews, and Digital Booktalks – but I’ve yet to have them create content that I would use for instruction.
ELA content is just so complex, right now I don’t think my 6th graders are mature enough to handle it. Plus, I have to continuously make them review their work for careless mistakes, I don’t think I want the hassle.
I have had students create videos that highlight key concepts and they’ve done great with that; but I’m also very particular and maybe just a tiny bit “controlling”?
Maybe I’ll get there – but it would have to be very detailed and thought out.
What are you thoughts? Student Created Content or nah?
Until the next time,
While I think there are a lot of reasons why teachers in high school do not utilize student created content in their lessons, I think standardized testing is the biggest concern. I hate it for the US History teachers who have SOOO much to cover that there just simply isn’t time to pause on a topic and let the students dive deeper into the material to produce something original and fun. History is THE class where technology, ELA, and content should mesh together beautifully. Instead, our state has chosen to make it a list of facts to memorize, and made that list so impossibly long, that there is no time for anything else but the facts.
I totally don’t get why the memorization of these facts is the focus in Social Studies. I personally think that it should focus on the analyzing of the event. Cause and effect and what lessons can we learn from the actions of other important people and events.
I can say that my SS partner does an AMAZING job with her content. She is definitely my hero!
This week I created 5 videos with my face and voice 🙂 I do think that students engage more when it’s my face and my voice on the video. And, like you said, I know that I have covered/said everything that I want them to know.
I have not had students create much content for use in the classroom, but I do need to incorporate more creating in general.
Yay! That is wonderful!