BP11_2009103_Slidecast

The slidecast is a clever twist to online help. It is exactly what it says it is, a combination slideshow and podcast. It is a relatively simple way to take a powerpoint, record audio on it, and post it online for all to hear and see. This makes it more valuable that just recording your voice with no pictures, or your powerpoint with no explanations. This is a great way to help parents who want to help their children, but can't remember anything about genetics, study or review. This is also helpful for those who are absent a lot or just need more time to process. Students can access it at home whenever they want to catch up, review, or even prepare for what lies ahead.

Slideshare has a free site that is pretty helpful except that you cannot record using it, you just upload both the presentation and the audio separately and combine on the site. Personally I found using Screenflow, which records your computer, voice, and video all at once, a much easier program to use. You can be sure of timing, and even include video of yourself if you are doing some explaining that is visual, or for those who need signing done. I made one for explaining mitosis because I made up hand signals to go with my powerpoint explanation. When I was teaching about mitosis, I found that showing them how mitosis works using my hands that they seemed to grasp it better. If I want to post just my powerpoint, my students would not be able to see the signals in action. Screenflow allowed me to do just that. My students said that they found it very helpful when they were reviewing for the test. They could not only look over the presentation again, but also hear my explanations and examples, which helped them so much more than words alone.