It can be tough sending your child off to school for the first time, and for Kindergarten Teacher Elsbeth Schweitzer, she’s using Student Stories to put parents at ease. With the new extended video recording time, and capability to upload videos from outside of the app, Elsbeth is excited for parents to be more connected with not only their child, but with the classroom as a whole.
With eight minutes of recording time, students have a lot more time to get creative! Schweitzer is looking forward to showcasing her students’ artistic talents while bringing parents into the learning experience of the classroom. “Student Stories is opening the door just a little bit more and welcoming parents into the classroom community.” Here are a few ideas from Schweitzer on how she plans to use the video feature on Student Stories this year:
- Share learnings with parents: “The common core standards in math can cause some families difficulty when trying to help their child at home. We plan to have students record tips and tricks on Student Stories, teaching parents what we’re learning in class, directly from their own child!”
- Get creative with video projects: “We can use a video editing programs to put together projects to upload onto Student Stories. We’re excited for our Media teacher to show the students how to make movies and then upload to Student Stories to share with their families.”
- Create a more transparent classroom: “No matter how big or small, students can show their families what they’ve been up to throughout the school day, giving them a window they’ve never experienced before”
- Develop real-world skills: ”We plan to organize a ‘classroom news’ experience where students record announcements to send home to their parents, while also developing real world skills.”
- Share learnings with parents: “The common core standards in math can cause some families difficulty when trying to help their child at home. We plan to have students record tips and tricks on Student Stories, teaching parents what we’re learning in class, directly from their own child!”
Schweitzer is looking forward to posting longer videos on Class and School Story as well. “Our student leadership team makes videos about our PBIS expectations. Being able to share these with families at the beginning of the year helps parents better understand our school culture and expectations.” We’re excited to see all the creative ways students utilize the extended video feature this year. What sort of videos will your class create?