Educational Origami

This week I am heading across the ditch to Brisbane to attend the MYSA Conference (MYSA – Middle Years Schooling Association), But its is taking me out of class for 3 days.

So I have to prepare relief for my classes and I have work that I want the students to cover. With all the best intentions in the world, the relieving or substitute teachers can only do so much, and teaching a specialist subject is and providing my classes with the information I need them to have is beyond what they can do.

ENTER TECHNOLOGY.

My laptop has a video camera integrated into it. So I planned and developed the paper based materials I needed for the classes and then open Windows Movie Maker (Yes Windows Movie maker). Its not much of a video editor but its simple and suitable for this purpose.

I selected capture from Video device and then checked it all worked.

I selected the appropriate camera, tested the audio, set the record quality and….

… And pressed Start.

Had I tried to write the amount of information I explained in the video, I would have been here all week. Instead of going through the usual process of “do this do that and make notes,” I have been able to talk to my students, explain to them the concepts and ideas and support them with worksheets, references and online resources.

And best of all I can recycle it with the other class.

Sometimes technology makes it easy!