In January, 2006 I was booked to teach two workshops for the ITeach Workshops for the Nipissing University Bachelor of Education Program - I also promoted the workshops to the two main school boards in the area so we ended up with a mix of 'veteran' teachers in the crowd. Feel free to review a follow-up posting on my blog . To support the workshops I provided access to a Moodle website here: http://newmediaworkshops.com/moodle/ - besides getting access to the links document from the presentation, there is also a place to further discuss the issues, updated links, etc. feel free to email me at susanDOTlisterATnewmediaworkshopsDOTcom to get the access code.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Blogs, Podcasts, Wiki's and Screencasts - A Teacher's Introduction

Broaden your teaching strategies (or at least your geek language!) by learning about these new tools.  In this workshop you will get an overview of four powerful learning technologies which you can apply to your teaching.  I will  1) provide many examples of how they are currently being used (from Primary to Senior),  2) address some of the associated problems and 3) highlight some of the reasons why a teacher would want to incorporate blogs, podcasts or screencasts into their curriculum - What do the students get out of it?  What learning opportunities arise?  Lastly, I will outline some of the software and skills needed to produce these tools.  The workshop is focused on  "Awareness" as a first step into these new teaching strategies - you will not create blogs, podcasts, wiki's or screencasts during this session but my goal is to leave you WANTING TO!!

The screencast reference from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screencast

Developer's Side note: I wanted the slide show to stand alone in the event we did not have a live internet connection so I added many images of websites rather than just links to websites. The problem I faced with this technique is that screen captures of web pages can be quite long and therefore when placed inside a powerpoint presentation, become quite small to fit a slide. I wanted a way for powerpoint to allow me to scroll down the image therefore, keeping it almost actual width-size. Since I couldn't get powerpoint to do this, I found a way by using the S5 slide system and CSS.

Slide Explanation: Most screencasts have a control bar like movies on the web where you can pause, fast forward or alter the volume, they are often a web page (as opposed to movies that show up in media player or quicktime software) and they usually show the mouse moving around the screen. The actual screencast of the image I'm showing is found at: www.newmediaworkshops.com/tripleAlecture/furl/furl.html - like most screencasts, I created as a tutorial to help a research group with whom I am involved to understand the social bookmarking tool I was using to collect web references for our project.

Additional Sources:
http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/pub/a/oreilly/digitalmedia/2005/11/16/what-is-screencasting.html

Slide Explanation: Here is the way Dr. Robin Kay, from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, explains the mini-clip project : An education mini clip (EMC) is one to three minute instructional video focussing on a specific task.  Sample topics might include, how to create a line segment in Geometer’s Sketchpad, how to solve a factoring problem,  a description two to three key features of a useful web site, how to use a manipulative (Algebra Tiles) to introduce algebraic equations.  Because the clips are small, they can easily be organized and distributed through a web page. http://faculty.uoit.ca/kay/resproj/mec.html . The actual mini-clips can be found here: http://faculty.uoit.ca/kay/courses/CURS4141/student/2005f/mc.html

I found this example truly inspiring so I posted this message in my blog: This example is truly inspiring in a few ways...In one semester, one class produced 114 of these little movies to help students of varying ages understand a variety of math concepts. With over 4,000 pre-service teachers in Ontario this year (I believe) imagine the support that could be provided to the teachers and children of the world if each training teacher produced ONE mini-clip (or screencast). It's not just the classrooms of the world that would gain, I believe it is good for practicing teachers to take on the role of instructional designers...isn't that what "real teachers" do each and every day? Also by using technology to solve a "hiccup point", the student receives information in "one additional and different way" then he/she would have in the classroom and the in-service teacher becomes more adapt with technology in general - MAJOR WIN-WIN!!

In our workshop discussion we thought it would be good if Faculties of Education teamed up and did critical reviews of each other's mini-clips.

Since writing the blog posting I have been in touch with Dr. Robin Kay who oversees the mini-clip project and he made me aware of another hot spot of activity in this realm - Tim Fahlberg's "White Board Movies":

• http://www.coolschooltools.com/
• http://www.emathonline.com/psp/psp.html - you can see a movies he is producing educational movies for the Playstation Portable .
• http://www.actionmath.com/index.html - "Math TV" for Grade 5 to 8
• http://www.bsd405.org/teachers/noblee/just-in-time_movies.htm - Just -In - time Movies
• http://teacherweb.com/WA/5-12LearningCommunity/dansby/photo2.stm
• http://164.116.116.6/lincoln/mthornburgh/Math%20Movies/Math%20Movies.htm
• http://www.emathforall.com/mathss/index.html
• http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=joseph%20h%20kerr%20school - Although these aren't screencasts, they are inspiring math video tutorials done by students.

Developer's Side note: In the original presentation I showed a video of science experiment. I believed the video was created using a webcam video camera - and I surmised that the video feed was recorded using screencapture software. I wanted to highlight ingenious content for screencasts, which still stands, but now, I'm thinking that the webcam feed may have been downloaded and saved directly to a computer with no "screencast" intervention - therefore I have pulled the science example and added another in its place - If you want to see the experiment, though, you can view it here: http://www3.shastacollege.edu/chemistry/Cgottlieb/Multimedia%20course/can%20demo%201.html (although Feb.8, 2006 this link did not work properly - sorry!)

Slide Explanation: This instructor not only uses screencasts of synthesis during his "Wheel of Orgo" content reviews. If you visit his weblog you will notice there is a screencast for almost every lecture. Here is a quote from the instructor's course weblog:

We played "Wheel of Orgo" again today, with the modification that I only counted a point for reactions only if they were correct. Again 3 points for completing the synthesis. We did 2 relatively simple syntheses then started one difficult one (vanillin). We didn't get the chance to finish that one so we'll resume next time. Again Sujeet ended up with the most points at the end. I would encourage you to think of ways of finishing this synthesis with the reactions we have learned. It is a good way of consolidating the material in this class. You don't need to participate, you can pass your turn and you can join the game in progress. http://chem243.blogspot.com/2005/05/lecture-018-wheel-of-orgo-ii.html

Somewhere I read that this instructor is using a Tablet PC which means he is also using a stylus to write out the equations. It is highly recommended to try a pen and tablet set up (Wacom is a popular manufacture) for any type of computer work (graphic design, online marking-see below) that requires you to "write" or draw - the mouse is just too difficult for these tasks.

Recommended Follow-up: This is a slide show by Jean-Claude Bradley where he discusses various blended learning techniques and methods: http://showme.physics.drexel.edu/bradley/DrexelCoAS034-Villanova.html

This is a blog posting by Mark Ott where he is comparing Podcasting and Screencasting:
http://www.docott.com/education/2006/02/25/why-podcasts-are-not-nearly-as-good-as-screencasts/

Slide Explanation: This example proved to be a "hot" discussion topic in the workshop. One perspective was that screencasted assessments were too permanent and definite - "What if I'm wrong? - now the parents would have evidence to go after me" whereas a parent in the group, thought it was a great idea since it provided an opportunity to better understand how their child was assessed and they could begin to understand the thinking behind a checkmark. Another thought was around the fact that the personal touch is much better - what's wrong with reviewing the student's work with the student rather then sending the student off with a monotonous sounding computer file? Lastly, there was some doubt that a student would pay any more attention to the feedback in a screencast then they do marked paper essays.

Although screencasting comments allows more indepth feedback for students than checkmarks and jot-notes on a paper, it is an assessment technique that requires practice. I have found it takes much longer to mark this way. The students must also have audio capabilities and a fast internet connection. I could see screencasted assessments being used as part of the feedback 'mix' for a course, I certainly wouldn't use it all the time but it affords the ability to provide comprehensive feedback that does not have to be 'squeezed' in as one more thing during the teaching hours. In effect, you mark once and provide 'in depth' individual conferences for each of your students that they access on their own time.

Another use highlighted in the discussion was that the screencast could prove helpful in the teacher-training arena where pre-service teachers can get "inside the head" so to speak of more experienced teachers as they assess student work.

You can follow a few online discussions about this topic on these weblogs: http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/brian/archives/021089.html / http://biro.bemidjistate.edu/blog/?p=74 / http://www.weblogg-ed.com/discuss/msgReader$3991

Slide Explanation: These examples were not reviewed during the original presentation but there are more and more conference or presentation screencasts being made available on the internet.

Slide Explanation: You can download the powerpoint presentation (26 megs) I created for the Grade 7 geography class - it is focussed on the following expectations from the Ontario Ministry of Education Guidelines: 7g24 - recognize pattern as an important concept in geography (e.g., location of volcanoes along the Pacific Rim). 7g26 – identify and describe world land-form patterns (e.g., location of fold mountains along the west coast of North and South America). 7g31 – identify major river systems of the world (e.g., Amazon, Nile, St. Lawrence) and describe their drainage patterns as either dendritic or trellis. I set up the slide show so that students will also learn how to manipulate Google Earth which can then be used as a tool throughout their geography program.

There are many Photoshop screencasts here: http://www.photoshopkillertips.com/

Slide Explanation: I didn't present these ideas in the workshop but I thought it worthwhile to compile them here anyway! Here are a few more that wouldn't fit on the screen:

Pictionary URL's	http://www.pictionary-online.com/ This website gives reviews of several places to play pictionary online.
Machinima	I think this is one way to mesh the student's skill area with learning concepts. Have the students use video games to create short stories. Then use screencapture software to record the on-screen action and audio. Although this genre is becoming quite popular on the web, the students can start small with voice overs, freeze-frames, etc. Anyone want to work with me on developing this idea further? http://grandtextauto.gatech.edu/2006/01/04/machinima-essays-wanted/ http://movies.lionhead.com/movie/51468 - Called my Nightmare, you will recognize the video game footage and get a good idea of what's possible from this one. http://movies.lionhead.com/movie/49563 - DreamTown - A spaghetti western digital style?
Google Earth Videos	Video blogs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Videoblog / http://freevlog.org/ ) are not screencasts but sometimes, these videos include sections of screen captures. One popular inclusion is Google Earth. Here are few video logs postings where google earth was used: http://randomshow.com/archives/9-Wonderful-World.html http://ridertech.com/blog/videos/road-to-whistler/ A few tutorials on how to create a screencast using google earth - http://www.camcorderinfo.com/content/How-To-Create-a-Zoom-out-to-Orbit-Video.htm / http://www.gemcor.com/media/randomaccess/C1018474727/E20050714110320/ http://www.techsmith.com/community/blog/movies/google.html
Annotated Pictures	I have not seen a screencast using this technique but I think it would add one more dimension to the art interpretation idea presented above. Here are two annotated pictures: http://flickr.com/photos/louisakelly/63357207/ and http://flickr.com/photos/ha112/901660/ You can find more here: http://flickr.com/photos/tags/annotated/
A Young Artist talks	This is an effective way to add "voice" to student's art work. Rather than video-taping a student talking about their art, the piece could be photographed or scanned and brought up on the computer monitor whereby they would use the mouse to "point" at things they want to highlight. This screencast could then be used during a parent's night or on the school's website - I guess, in a sense it's not a true 'screencast' since it doesn't use straight screen captures but rather photos - but still, I wanted to share the excellent idea! http://roepker.podomatic.com/enclosure/2006-01-07T18_29_24-08_00.wmv
Coaches reviewing plays	http://www.techsmith.com/community/blog/movies/soccer3.html

Dr. Robin Kay of Educational Mini Clip fame, from the University of Ontario Technology Institute, notes the following advantages in a paper he presented at the Leading Learning 2006 Conference:

Students

1. alternative to detailed, text-based instructions which can be cumbersome to follow and decode
2. can access key explanations even if they miss a class at any time
3. good review for tests
4. can stop and start explanations and digest information at their own pace
5. access to multiple methods and explanations for solving problems
6. equity in education for student in more remote areas

Teachers

1. can share ideas, explanations, and strategies with colleagues
2. can develop explanations skill, particularly teacher candidates
3. could be used to have student prepare for a new topic
4. provide extra-help to a much larger audience
5. can provide “content” help for teachers needing review
6. tutors better able to provide assistance to struggling students
7. enriches online courses

Parents

1. parents can keep up with what their child is doing in a specific subject
2. parents may be able to help their child

Slide Explanation: Using Powerpoint as a computer white board....

1. Let's say you want to review with students how to layout a business letter.
2. Add the Word Doc file showing your business letter layou to a powerpoint slide ( Insert, Object, Word Doc.)
3. Go to VIEW SHOW to bring up your slide as the presentation mode.
4. Right Click on the slide and from the menu chose POINTER OPTIONS (choose FELT PEN)
5. Now you can start up your recording software, mic yourself and point away... your computer is now a whiteboard!
6. In the example above, I have not added audio, this allows me to explain information in my own words during a presentation/demo in the class, I could record the voice over later or even have a student do the recording using their notes from my original presentation.

Additional Resources on Screencasting:

Software For Screencasting	Mac - http://www.ambrosiasw.com/utilities/snapzprox/ Capture video from Computer Gameshttp://www.fraps.com/ Audicity Software Tutorial http://www.educause.edu/Screencasts/Audacity/Untitled.html http://labnol.blogspot.com/2005/05/screencasting-to-help-your-mom.html http://www.applian.com/replay-screencast/index.php Wink - http://www.debugmode.com/wink/ Wink Tutorial - http://web.scc.losrios.edu/instrdev/wink/using CamStudio - http://www.camstudio.org/ Help - http://www.donationcoder.com/Reviews/Archive/ScreenCasting/ Camtasia - http://www.techsmith.com/ http://www.unixuser.org/~euske/vnc2swf/ Windows Media Encoder - A screencast showing how http://udell.roninhouse.com/movies/democapture.wmv http://www.notateit.com/ - NotateIt software creates a multi-page 'magnetic' whiteboard on your computer http://www.smarttech.com/
Forum / Discussion Group / Support / More Info.	http://www.myscreencast.com/forums/index.php http://www.techsmith.com/learn/camtasia/current/general/featuresarchive.asp http://www.elsua.net/2006/01/20/using-screencasts-to-augment-instruction/ http://showmedo.com/ - a site where you can View / Request / Make Screencasts http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/pub/a/oreilly/digitalmedia/2005/11/16/what-is-screencasting.html http://www.techsmith.com/community/education/default.asp
The "King" of Screencasting - Jon Udell	A Heavy Metal Umlaut: The Making of the Movie http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/network/2005/02/07/primetime.html http://www.donationcoder.com/Reviews/Archive/ScreenCasting/ Umluat Screencast http://weblog.infoworld.com/udell/gems/umlaut.html
the "King" of Math movies - Tim Fahlberg	http://www.wbm3.com/text/index.html - Whiteboard Movie Making Methods http://www.emathonline.com/ Dr. MacNiel's site (part of Fahlberg's team) http://www.coolschooltools.com/sc/1c/ - picture in picture example
Other Screencast Sites	http://www.rose-hulman.edu/~doering/PLD_Oasis/video_tutorials.htm - circuits http://www.emathonline.com/ http://www.atomiclearning.com/windows http://www.screencastsonline.com/sco/ http://www.tokash.org/gregarius/gregariusScreencast.htm http://business.newsforge.com/business/05/11/09/2044220.shtml?tid=35 - Open Office tutorials http://blogs.msdn.com/alexbarn/archive/2005/11/24/496869.aspx - Collaborative Screencasting

Visit the Technology Enhanced Learning Blog - www.newmediaworkshops.com/telblog