This year has been a crazy year for everyone, especially for teachers. One of the hardest things I have ever had to prepare for in my career is being a full time classroom teacher as well as a virtual teacher at the same time. Some of my middle school students come 2 days a week while others come 5. Keeping them around the same pace requires me to use a lot of videos and this is where Edpuzzle comes in.
For those of you who have never heard of Edpuzzle and are teaching through videos, I highly recommend it. Edpuzzle is a way for you to track your virtual or classroom students to make sure they are actually watching the videos that you assign and hold them accountable for that learning. Whether you are pulling a video from YouTube or making one yourself, Edpuzzle uses Google Classroom to keep track of students’ progress and prevents them from skipping ahead in the video, thereby losing valuable information. This provides you a way to make sure that the students have actually watched the video that you have assigned.
It is also interactive! Edpuzzle will stop the students at particular points, that you have chosen, and ask them either a multiple choice or open response question. This is a great way to keep students engaged while watching the video. You select the place in the video to stop, then type in the question that you want to ask the students. It is super easy! The video won’t play until they have answered the question. If it’s multiple choice, you can even select an answer and Edpuzzle will grade it for you. My high school children even like it. They say it prevents the boredom of watching just a lecture or video.
Edpuzzle is free to use for up to 20 videos. If you refer teachers or use my referral link below, you will get 3 additional videos. There is also a paid plan that allows for unlimited videos but the free version is great for anyone who wants to try it out. Another great feature is that you can find tons of videos already made. For example, if I am teaching adding decimals, I can simply search adding decimals and lots of videos from Math Antics and Khan (plus many many more) come up. These videos are already made, meaning other teachers have already added stopping points and questions. This helps especially when I’m in a rush and don’t have time to make my own.
I have found it to be a fantastic resource this year for distance learning. It adds accountability as well as a quick check for understanding for all of my videos. If you would like to try it out, sign up for the free version and use the referral code https://edpuzzle.com/signup/teacher?rc=58031x – This link will start you out with 23 free video slots in your library instead of 20. I am also adding an example of a video here – Introduction to Decimals from Math Antics if you would like to see an example of how Edpuzzle works.
I really hope you enjoy it as much as I am this year.
For Parents,Teachers, Scout Leaders & Really Just Everyone! 