MoveNote for Direct Instruction and Proofreading

Movenote, like most everything else I use and share on ClassApps, is free. It can be accessed via tablet and computer--there's even a Chrome app! So, what does it do? Movenote records you and a slideshow, document or photograph side-by-side. On one side of the screen you can upload slideshows from your computer or Google Drive and on the other side you can narrate or lecture on it. This is done by connecting a webcam and hitting record. The app only allows you to add photographs, so if you have a webcam, it's much easier to do this on a computer.

There are two ways that I use this in my classroom. The first is to create short, direct instruction videos. This allows me to record, and re-record as many times as it takes to get my lecture just right. It also allows my students to watch the slide-show as many times as they need to; pausing, rewinding and skipping ahead to fit their own needs. 

The second is for proofreading. Logistically, it's not possible to watch all my students proofread. It's a critical step in the writing process and one that my students often skip. With MoveNote they can photograph (or screen shot) their writing, add it to MoveNote, and record themselves proofreading it. This is tremendously valuable to both the teacher and the student. It provides me with proof that they really did proofread their paper, and it allows the students to hear their writing and listen for strengths and weaknesses in sentence fluency, ideas, word choice presentation, and other traits. They could do this with the regular "Camera" app or a sound recorder, but seeing the paper there on the screen is more fun and makes assessment faster. In terms of reading fluency, I think there's a lot to be learned from watching a student's eyes move across the screen and see when they move smoothly, double back, or stop completely.