This is the final installment of Canadian Middle School Math teacher, Tim Boudreau.

How has Doceri changed how you interact with your students during lectures/ presentations/ small group instruction?

I tend not to give too many lectures in the classroom, but when I do, I often do the live screencast format. Knowing that everything is being recorded actually reduces the amount of student distractions, and classroom discussion tends to be much more on-topic.

Have you flipped your classroom?

Yes, and no.  I still introduce some concepts in the classroom, but even those lectures often are live screencasts which are then uploaded to Edmodo.  I can’t rely 100% on flipped videos for instruction simply because I don’t believe it is the most equitable way to teach; many students simply do not have access to tech and internet at home.  The flipped classroom model also expects a great deal of responsibility from students, and Grade 8 students are not all ready for that level of responsibility, in my opinion. I choose to introduce the concept of the flipped classroom, introduce them to the idea of seeking out information online and choosing where and when to view that content, but I do not rely on it exclusively for the above stated reasons.

Do you have any advice for teachers new to using Doceri, creating screencasts, or integrating tech into their class routines?

Try not to focus on all the different things that people use Doceri for and focus on just one specific task you want to use it for.  Do you want to start making videos to flip your class?  Do you want to use it to live screencast lessons for later review?  Do you just want to use it on the LCD projector to make your lessons more interesting?  Do you want to introduce it to your students as an additional presentation tool for projects?  Pick one task you think will work well in your classroom and focus on integrating it into your program.  Once you are confident you’ve mastered that use for Doceri, try introducing a different application to your program.  I find that teachers who try to do too much with technology feel overwhelmed and are much more likely to give up when things go wrong.

Expectations for integration of Doceri

Things will go wrong whenever you try to introduce something new, try not to get discouraged and consider changing how you are using Doceri if necessary.  If students seem confused, for example, spend a bit more time letting them play and experiment with the app before having to use it for projects.

Don’t expect your own screencast projects to be high quality, especially at first.  I poke fun at myself constantly when sharing my videos with students; I find it helps them relax and not take their own Doceri work too seriously.  Using Doceri is really fun! So  just enjoy playing with it.

More Pre Algebra Doceri Screencasts by Tim