Creating a Screencast For Teaching

This past week, in our technologies class, we created screencast videos, like the one that I have created above. The process of creating this video was a relatively simple one for me, but also incredibly engaging and tested my previous knowledge. I have experience using both screen casting programs and video editing software from my previous diploma in broadcast journalism. The above video was created in a little over half an hour, using Open Broadcast Software to capture my screen and Sony Vegas Pro editing software to edit the footage. One of my absolute favourite things to do with editing software is to create keyframes that can be used to animate movement, for instance, the zooms and pans used in the above video. In my opinion, this technique can be used to illustrate where the location of an element is on any given webpage or program that the video is attempting to explain or show off. This also allows for the entire window of the video to encapsulate the information being presented. You must make sure to edit to your voice over to ensure that the content you are showing does in fact match the words being said out loud.

              It had been such a long while since I had last been given the opportunity to play with my video editing software, and I was able to have so much fun meddling, zooming, and cutting dead air, but in what way could this process be used to educate effectively? People are visual and the simplest way to digest information for many is through visual stimulation. By showing off a video of someone’s desktop, you can teach a variety of computer programs and educational websites to kids with visual explanations for each function of the program or website. This will make it easier for students to locate the important functions of the programs used in class. A variety of options exist, from showing students how to operate educational websites, or how to operate common computer programs that students will eventually need to understand, such as Microsoft Word or Powerpoint.

              As we continue towards a more technically powered generation, it is important that we meet our students on their comfortable playing fields to ensure that both students and teachers are aware of the most useful technological tools for creating new skills and learning new information.