Experimenting with Screenr

So I had some students get lost on the way to the computer lab when I taught my lecture on using Google Sites to build Online Writing Portfolios. After my first year of teaching with the bus and my bike as my green forms of transportation, I vowed to never again use physical portfolios--80 students worth of binders is far too much for rush-hour on the bus. This way, both myself and my students could save paper/ink and I could save my sore shoulder muscles. That was when I turned to Google Sites so students could submit online (weightless) portfolios.

 Never again.

This year, I decided to experiment with my new introduction to Screenr by doing a shorter version of my  Online Writing Portfolio How-To lecture. If you might be interested in going from paper to online portfolios
(highly recommended!), then feel free to link to my tutorial videos. The template I designed in the Public gallery is also public as well if you want a more plug-and-play approach to incorporating student programming into your curriculum.

Part One: Getting Starting with Google Sites
Part Two: Selecting a Template
Part Three: Selecting a Design Template & Privacy Settings
Part Four: Editing Tools

If you've tried online portfolios with this or some other application, please feel free to post your experiences in the comments. What worked? What didn't? What did students find confusing about the need for online writing portfolios?

Review for ScreenR

This week I will be reviewing a technology application called Screenr for the purposes of giving feedback to students' writing online.

I recorded my initial review using the screencapture/audio recording. You can listen to me verbally fumble with this technology here.


Overall Review:

Platforms?
Mac and PC
Smartphone compatible

Lag?
Not that I could tell--I recorded the capture with 4 bars of wireless Internet access. I would not even try this kind of recording in my office, where I usually have only 1-2 bars.

Video Quality?
While the preview is not in HD, the final published versions of casts are automatically formatted into HD.

Length of Recording?
Sorry ScreenR, but 5 minutes just isn't enough for me. Please put out an expanded version!

Methods of Sharing?

• "Like" through Facebook
• Tweet through Twitter
• Embed HTML code
• URL Address
• Download as an .mp4 file
• Publish to YouTube

My Preference for Sharing?
I would probably prefer to post these to a teacher channel on YouTube, but for me, that brings up questions of student privacy--even though it isn't sharing a grade. I'm thinking about directly emailing links to students instead.

So all in all, I am still considering this application, but I want to do more research before I marry it.