Weekly Reflection #2: Screencast

Trying Screencasting for the First Time

This week, our class had the opportunity to try out screencasting. I have never done this before, so I was excited to learn how to do it. For my screencasting video, I worked with Kate, and we explored Epic! Books. We created a video explaining how to use the website and highlighting some of the fun features it has to offer for students. I enjoyed learning how screencasting works and how it can be used to share information and teach others how to navigate different websites.

Exploring Epic! Books

Epic! Books is a digital reading platform designed for students, with access to around 40,000 books for readers of different ages and reading levels. One of the Things I found interesting about this website is the variety of reading options it provides. There are traditional digital books, audiobooks, and read-alouds, which allow students to listen to a story while following along with the text. During our screencasting video, Kate and I talked about how to navigate the website and explored the different features that make it engaging and fun for students. We split the talking on the screencasting video, and I talked about how to log in with a student code and how to find your account, and then Kate talked about what students can do within the website. I think having so many books available in one place is a great way to encourage students to explore different genres, discover new interests, and develop a love for reading.

Using Epic! Books in a Classroom

I think Epic! Books would be a very useful resource to have in a classroom. Teachers can create their own classroom on the platform, giving students access to a variety of books that they can choose from based on their interests and reading abilities. This would be especially useful during silent reading time because students could independently select a book that interests them. It also provides great options for students who benefit from audiobooks and read-alouds.

I think one of the most important features is the ability for students to follow along with the text while listening to a book being read aloud. This can be especially helpful for students who are still developing their reading skills, as it allows them to hear the words while seeing them on the screen. It can help support word recognition, reading fluency, and comprehension while making reading a more enjoyable experience. Overall, I can see myself using Epic! Books in my future classroom because it offers students different ways to access books and supports a variety of learning needs. It also gives students more choices and independence in their reading, which I think is important when encouraging them to become confident and enthusiastic readers. The only downside of Epic! Books is that it is only free during school hours, so for students who want to use it at home, they can’t unless it is paid for. This is the only restriction that I have found about this platform.