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As an English teacher, I prided myself on pushing students to explain their thinking in great detail. A few sentences were never enough. I wanted to feel like I had access to their every thought on a subject through their speeches and writing. But, when my students crossed the hall to enter their math classes, they frequently commented about how relieved they were to write and speak less.
But, students don't have to stop explaining their thinking once numbers are introduced. Students should be challenged to explain how they arrived at their answers. Students can make arguments about why their method of problem solving is superior to their classmates.
Screencastify provides a simple way to have students explain their thinking in real time. As students solve a math problem, their thinking is constantly evolving. A screencast allows that dynamic process to be captured and analyzed.
A Screencastify recording is perfect for a formative assessment. Students get the opportunity to see where they are deficient in the moment and teachers get an opportunity to see exactly where the breakdown in understanding might have occurred.
Using Screencastify, students could even share their process with each other. With video, students have the opportunity to get inside each others’ heads and understand different methods of reaching the same conclusion.
Research suggests that screencasting creates deeper understanding for students and offers better insight for teachers.
A screencast moves math students beyond showing their work and into a realm of owning and explaining their work. When students can truly articulate their choices, they are mathematicians.
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