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Google Meet vs. Screencastify

By JESSICA MOTTA

With the Coronavirus pandemic still among us, there have been many changes in the education system and the way in which we are educating the young people in our society, from kindergarten through college.

 

Obviously, there is the classic solution: Google Meet. The schools that are not fully back in person, which is many schools throughout America, have a hybrid system in place. This system employs the use of Google Classroom and Google Meets to educate and teach the curriculum when the students are not in school.

 

Other schools, however, on the days where students are not in person employ the use of ScreenCastify. This is a tool teachers can use to record a lecture video, save it, and upload it to either Google classroom or email it to students to use as a supplement to in-person learning.

 

Both of these tools have their pros and cons. The benefits of Google Meet include the fact that those who are in-person and those at home can learn at the same pace. Both sections will receive the notes at the same time, which reduces the amount of catch-up work for the teachers. In addition to that, this allows for the students to learn who else is in their class that they would otherwise never see. Knowing who is in your class can be very beneficial in the case that you need help with the material,  if you did not catch what the teacher said in the Google Meet, or for collaboration

 

Of course there are also disadvantages to using Google Meet. The internet is a great thing, and can be very helpful, as long as it works. There have been many times where the WiFi went out and joining the meet has been a problem. When there is nothing to look back to for notes, this can result in serious consequences and missed material that is essential to the class. In addition to this, some kids cannot learn if the material is talked at them instead of having the teacher work with them or being able to go back and rewatch the notes for clarification. By using Google Meet, children are sometimes unable to ask the teachers questions as well. I know that personally, if you raise your hand or make a chat in the chat box, the teacher doesn’t always see it, which could leave you more confused than before.

 

Now with ScreenCastify, there are obviously things that are better than what Google Meet offers. By recording a ScreenCastify video, teachers are allowing their students to access the lecture video as many times as they need. This ensures that students have the ability to to fully understand the lecture before any exams, as well as provides a very useful study tool. In addition to this, ScreenCastify allows students to work at their own pace. Just like in regular in-person learning, sometimes the teachers go through a topic too fast for some students, and having a lecture to look back on can let the student work at their own pace. With having the notes video available to them at all times, students can also choose what time of day works best for them. Many kids work well later at night and not in the morning, and with Google Meets, they do not get that option.

 

The drawbacks, however, include the fact that it can be very easy to fall behind. If you are not on top of your school work, it is easy to let the ScreenCastify videos pile up, copying homework from someone else in order to pass the class. In addition to that, some kids like the option of being able to ask the teacher questions as they are going through the lesson, receiving immediate feedback instead of having to wait to ask questions for office hours.

 

Personally, I believe that using ScreenCastify is better. I like being able to learn at my own pace and come prepared to my teachers office hours or class the next day with a list of questions and clarifications. It then allows me to go home and review the video again, rewatching it with the information I have and understanding the concepts better. I also enjoy being able to do the assignment on my own time, not feeling obligated to complete the assignments under pressure.

 

Overall, with the year everyone has experienced, as long as you’re passing school, the method of which you learn holds little significance.

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