Screen-capture

Tools to take learning beyond the classroom

http://screencast-o-matic.com/

With this tool you can present whatever is on your screen and talk your audience through it (screen-capture).  Producing a video of your screen and sharing it is very easy to do. There are several free versions available:  Screencastomatic, which I will look at in more detail in this post, and Jing, which works in a similar way.  Snagit is another excellent tool, but is not free.




Screencasting can be used to:

• flip the classroom

Language presentation can be received at home, allowing students the opportunity to follow it at their own pace, reviewing as often as necessary.  Class time can then be devoted to group work and one-to-one advice.  

• provide visual and verbal feedback

Teachers can talk through corrections on students' work, pointing out highlighted areas,  expanding on short written comments and making suggestions for improvement.  It's the next best thing to giving face-to-face feedback, which is not practicable in a classroom of up to 20 students.  

• recap

Salient points from a lesson can be highlighted, providing students with the opportunity to review at their leisure.  Pronunciation can be modelled, brainstorming ideas shared, together with vocabulary lists and grammar input. 

  

Here's an example of a screencast being used to recap points from a lesson.  This could be embedded into whatever learning platform you use with your class, enabling students to review language points whenever they wish. 

This tool can help students take ownership of their learning.  It helps with engagement, encouraging students to act and work outside the classroom.  Learners know that the teacher has put in a great deal of effort to provide such detailed feedback and recap opportunities.  They feel valued and the outcome should be that they value their learning.
Russell Stannard's article (2012) provides more details on how screen-capture can be an asset to  English language teachers and students.
Russell Stannard, The Guardian.com