Technology Tip Tuesday: December 3, 2013

APP OF THE WEEK: Educreations

To review this resource, I will give it the "FRAGALE 5."

1. What? (A brief overview of what the resource does)

According to the website, Educreations is a recordable interactive whiteboard that captures your voice and handwriting to produce video lessons that you can share online. Students, colleagues, parents, and really anyone (given a permission like a login or a link) can replay your lessons in any web browser, or from within our app on their iPads.

2. Who? (Audience, which grade levels can really benefit from this resource?)

All grade levels can benefit from using Educreations. This product creating app is fantastic for both students and teachers to use. It is fairly user friendly, and, in our school, I have personally seen Kindergarten, Third, and Fifth really utilize this wonderful resource.

3. Where? (In what learning context would this resource be relevant?)

This resource would really work in any classroom as a way for teachers and students to create presentations, therefore demonstrating higher level thinking. Also, this resource could be a great way to keep track of classroom instruction, providing you with the opportunity to then upload the lesson onto a blog for student review.  This could give absent students access to missed instructional time and even differentiate for struggling learners.

4. Why? (How can this REALLY help me?)

This app is an easy and effective way to boost student interest and activate genuine excitement about learning. Also, this technology will help teachers organize teaching and differentiation, a great way to show just what a dedicated teacher you are. In addition to personally created presentations, there is also a public directory (http://www.educreations.com/browse/) that displays other teachers’ presentations from which you can borrow and use to address the wide range of learners in our classrooms.

5. How? (Basic instructions)

 

You can find a starter guide for Educreations here (http://www.cvisd.org/cms/lib/TX01001642/Centricity/Domain/23/PDF/educreations.pdf).  I am also available to give you a tutorial at your convenience - simply fill out a Technology Coach Request form on my website (https://sites.google.com/site/reestechcenter/teacher-technology-center-requests). In all honesty, there are some little quirks with Educreations. To create a lesson, you MUST record audio and the lesson must be completed in one sitting. You are NOT able to save and finish the work at a later time. However, with a little practice and patience, Educreations can really become a favorite app in the classroom.

In closing, I will leave you with a video that gives you a hands-on look at Educreations in a first grade classroom. It’s pretty amazing! Enjoy J

 
*BONUS LESSONS LISTED BELOW*

- Here is a link to a sequencing activity for Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? that uses Educreations. Pretty neat! http://zigzaggingedtech.blogspot.com/2013/09/brown-bear-educreations-task-card.html

- Here is a link to a Kindergarten Math Activity using Educreations to demonstrate proficiency in CC standard K.MD.A.2 to describe and compare measurable attributes in which they compare to see which group has more than or less than. http://www.iteachwithtechnology.com/2013/10/ipad-lesson-educreations-math-for.html?spref=tw