Day Forty Six. Trying something new this week. I have begun playing around with Screencastify to produce “instructional videos” as a way to add a more personal touch to delivering our work, hoping to offer some assurance and clarity to kids who need more than the printed page. I feel a little clunky with it, but I think it has some promise for future applications as I reflect and get better with the platform, which, by the way, is free and super easy to use.

Here’s an introductory rap for the rhetorical appeals that I wrote and “performed” for my kids.

In addition, here’s the “walkthrough” of the week’s assignment. For me, the five minutes (limit for free version) was a challenge, but maybe it’s good because kids’ attention spans are not much longer. It’s nothing groundbreaking. Really, I’m just talking my kids through the assignment (maybe “talkthrough” is a better name), but I suppose much of our work is talking to and through. I have missed that part. I suspect the kids have, too. So, I decided to give this a shot to see if it helps. I hope, at least, it doesn’t hurt. It’ll be interesting to hear what the kids think.

Won’t be winning any awards, but I do feel like it adds something, like it closes the distance a bit. I hope my kids feel the same.

Happy Monday, all. Stay safe.

Do. Reflect. Do Better.