EDPUZZLE: Listen to this, it is seriously awesome!

Every few months a new ICT-Tool catches my eye, and I get hooked, obsessed, passionate and tell every teacher I talk to that it WILL really make a difference to their lessons. Well, that time is here again. My find, actually my colleague Brentson's find, is EDPUZZLE, a marvellous ICT-listening-TOOL. It is that good, I know you are going to start using it once you see the easiness with which you can make one, and how much your students will love it.

RATIONALE & ACADEMIC CONSIDERATION

Apart from ICT the reason for posting this is I believe by giving numerous listening formative assessments like these, the students can train their ears for better listening.  I noticed this by observing how many students, who may have been having lessons for up to eight years, yet still come to the English-preparatory-for-high-school-program with less than 20% in the final exams and after very poor returns on year-long projects in year eight, still have better listening comprehension compared to the students with little or no English.  Even those more successful student types who surpass those 'eight-years-in-English' students for reading and writing after a couple of months, tend to be no better in listening than those students with more years exposure to the sounds.  This has perplexed and frustrated me for years, so when I saw this tool I jumped at the chance of using it with a focus on making and ensuring the students with less exposure have more focused listening comprehension activities through this approach and platform.  The initial responses were extremely promising with the students saying how much they had loved it. It appears that since they can go back 'n forth and listen to it at their own pace with headphones on, then there is zero embarrassment or self-consciousness with peers.  

TECHNICAL ASPECT

The first step is to go to www.edpuzzle.com and sign up as a teacher. You will then have an account to make edited videos from your favorite shows/films, upload from several websites like youtube and vimio, or use video footage with your own audio track (this is good if your students like, and are used to your voice, so they can tune in quicker- it also allows you to share some of your own personal information with them, and they always like that).


Next, you work out the interface, which is reasonably friendly , and you will have it down in a few clicks.  You will make your videos, make your classes to which you then assign the videos you wish for those students, it gives you a summary of how much has been watched and formatively assessed for checking with the students later.

After you have uploaded a clip, edit or favourite video on to the site, OR, you have used the various websites available as direct uploads for video content, here is how it works...

Watch this video feed forward to learn more...

Once you make the videos they are stored in the Edpuzzle-listening cloud for easy access. 


Here below are some  EDPUZZLEs I made earlier and have embedded for you to have fun. 

THE CLASS CODE TO ACCESS THE FOLLOWING PUZZLES IS

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EDPUZZLE ONE : MY TV SHOW EDIT

EDPUZZLE TWO: A YOUTUBE UPLOAD

EDPUZZLE THREE: MY EDIT PLUS MY AUDIO VOICEOVER

 

I trust you enjoyed doing the EDPUZZLES?  I would really be interested to hear any feedback from you, and if you do I promise to get right back to you.  We could even collaborate should you wish, starting in August.  I will also be showcasing this platform at the Hisar School Google-edu conference in Novemeber.  Watch this space for more details.