I am a real fan of WordPress, which is, in my opinion, the most flexible and reliable of all self-hosted blogging platforms (hosted WordPress is also available). One of the reasons why WordPress is so flexible is that there are thousands of plug-ins offering additional functionality.
On this occasion I will be using a video shot with our Flip Camera HD and hosted at Vimeo and a plug in called Quizzin that allows you to create quizzes, that is to say, self-marking exercises within your blog posts.
Step 1 – Record the video
Devise an activity that elicits speaking. In this case my students are answering a set of pre-prepared questions. A dialogue or a more complex scene with acting and props works equally well.
Step 2 – Edit and upload the video
Once you have edited the video (don’t spend ages doing it!) upload it to a video hosting site. YouTube is good but is blocked by many schools, so I tend to use Vimeo for this purpose.
Step 3 – Quiz away
Install Quizzin (or similar plug-in) and save the required number of questions and answers. Then add the quiz and embed the video to your blog post.
That is it! The quiz can now be used by current and future students alike and the video provides an outcome – a final product – that your pupils can own and feel proud of at the end of the process.
The screen captures below show you the quiz as it looks in our school blog. To see and take the real quiz, head over this way.
Before
After
Is this something you think you can do with your classes? Let me know what you think or if you have any suggestions.
