So, as I embark on the next phase of my ImagineIT project, I have taken some broad ideas, and narrowed them down to where my focus is now on just one aspect of my original project; creating instructional math videos for YouTube. The experience of this has helped me achieve my original goal so far, which was to increase student engagement in math. As the videos show, students are extremely engaged in the process of creating the videos. To take it a step further, I am thinking of trying to create an official school YouTube channel, where students have access
to a library of these videos. (If this is successful, in my “wildest dreams”, I could even see this being expanded to create a district-wide YouTube channel, but I am not prepared to take steps towards that goal at this time.)
So, the spring goals:
to a library of these videos. (If this is successful, in my “wildest dreams”, I could even see this being expanded to create a district-wide YouTube channel, but I am not prepared to take steps towards that goal at this time.)
So, the spring goals:
- I need to create a comprehensive, yet simple to use and simple to understand rubric for the students to use.
- Students need to create videos for each academic unit that clearly demonstrate their knowledge of the subject matter, and allow them to express their creativity while doing so. My biggest concern with grading using a rubric is the potential for stifling the creative process- I am interested in getting more feedback about that.
- I would like to get these videos organized on a youtube page for the class. If I can make this happen, or even have a place on the school website to store them, I will consider this a huge accomplishment!
Update on my ImagineIT project
Okay, here goes...At this point, finished my rubric for grading student videos. I have the students regularly creating videos, and have graded their last two efforts. They have learned very quickly how to make a high quality video, embedding the actual problems from the book into their video, and then drawing their work around the problems. Their explanations need some work, but are coming along, and more importantly, are showing improvement each time. I think the most important success I have to celebrate at this point is that my students’ engagement is noticeably better (to me) than it has been in years past. Students look forward to creating the videos, and have gotten competitive about pushing the envelope, seeing just how creative they can be, given their limited amount of time. Overall, at this point, my imagineIT has been a bigger success than I ever could have imagined. I am thrilled at this point!
Okay, here goes...At this point, finished my rubric for grading student videos. I have the students regularly creating videos, and have graded their last two efforts. They have learned very quickly how to make a high quality video, embedding the actual problems from the book into their video, and then drawing their work around the problems. Their explanations need some work, but are coming along, and more importantly, are showing improvement each time. I think the most important success I have to celebrate at this point is that my students’ engagement is noticeably better (to me) than it has been in years past. Students look forward to creating the videos, and have gotten competitive about pushing the envelope, seeing just how creative they can be, given their limited amount of time. Overall, at this point, my imagineIT has been a bigger success than I ever could have imagined. I am thrilled at this point!
