Screencast Reflection

Positive and negative reactions to the creation of your groups' instructional screencast materials.
Most of the feedback responses said that we included everything we should have and that there was nothing missing from the powerpoint screencasts! The first screencast was hard to hear. Some of the advanced topics we included many people did not know of, and learned something new. The feedback said that people learned a lot from our screencasts, that we included a good amount, and focused on different parts of a PowerPoint that were harder to learn individually.

Provide a brief summary of the feedback that you received on the Google Form. Was this feedback helpful? Why/Why not? Please explain.
The feedback was positive and constructive. I believe it was helpful to see what the other individuals thought was important for them to know, like teaching how to do the narration and slide transitions. People were very detailed in what they liked about it, as well as what could have improved. For example with the microphone, some people had trouble with the audio, which allows me to realize to make sure everything with the microphone is set up right, and to test it out a couple times.

Were the screencasts that were created by the other groups' useful/helpful for your teaching/learning? Would you use them in your future classroom? Why/Why not?
The screencast on both Microsoft excel and word were extremely helpful. Especially with Excel, I have never been one to enjoy using Excel and was always anxious because there was never any instruction in my classes about how to use it. Watching the screencast provided me with both basic and advanced features that I did not know, and now I am confident in using Excel. I really enjoyed the Microsoft Word screencast, because I can see myself using their advanced features in my own classroom. Showing us how to correct a document was very helpful, and a great tool to be able to know how to use. Being able to know how to correct papers on Microsoft Word will allow myself as a teacher to correct the papers on the computer, and send them back to the students via computer, saving enormous amounts of paper.

What students might benefit from the use of screencasts? Please explain.
I feel as though all students can benefit from the use of screencasts. This is because it allows students to be creative in the process of making a screencast and explore what they are focusing on, like Excel or Powerpoint. The students can learn a lot about the programs they are making a screencast of by just the process of doing one. In terms of a student using screencasts already made for them, it can be a great review tool for exams, papers, and projects. Students can refer back to the screencast, and if they are visual and audio learners, it comes in handy and may be a lot easier to use then just reading directions.

Would you consider using screencasts in your future classroom? Why/Why not? Please exp
I would use screencasts in my future classrooms because they are a great learning tool in both making a screencast and listening/watching one. The students can get a great review from screencasts, and I believe, as it has done for me, boost self confidence in using different programs like powerpoint, excel, and word. It gets the students involved in both group work and individual work, strengthening their participation skills.