Vidcasts

What: Last week in class we learned about vidcasts. After learning what podcasts are and how they work, vidcasts were pretty simple and in my opinion it shouldn't be too hard to create a vidcast of my own. The assignment is to make a vidcast, but it is not due until next week. This week however, I will be doing research about the World War 2 (our topic) and finding as much information and pictures possible.
So What: I think vidcasts can be really helpful in classrooms. They are really good when introducing a subject that will be taught in class because the teacher can show a 5 minute clip and the kids will already have a summary of what they'll be learning. Vidcasts (at least short ones) cannot teach a lesson, but they can be really useful either before learning a lesson or after learning a lesson. Having students create a vidcast after they have learned a section in class can be beneficial because they will be able to take everything they have learned and condense it into a short 5 minute (give or take a couple minutes) clip.
Now What: Having students create their own vidcast is a great assignment because it's not the usual "boring" assignment. Students are engaged in what may be a new way of learning, and they can work with a partner to put their thoughts together. I think vidcasts will be a great tool for parents and colleagues as well as students. Teachers can create vidcasts of different activities, lesson plans, fun class days, etc. This way parents are able to see what is going on in class without actually being in class. Also, colleagues can look at the different vidcasts and learn about new ways of teaching that have been effective in other classrooms. Vidcasts can be a very helpful tool in the classroom setting and I'm excited to one day implement it.