Tag: Quicktime Player

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Class 9: Explain with Screencasts and Sketches

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as proof of “attendance” during regular class time.

A lot of a teacher’s time is spent explaining things to students – typically by talking to them. But teachers can create short videos to explain things that otherwise would need to be repeated. In this class, we’ll look at a few ways to “automate” explanations with video.

Edtech guru, Kathy Schrock defines screencasting as “the capture of the action on a computer screen while you are narrating. Screencasts can be made with many tools and are often used to create a tutorial or showcase student content mastery.” A related practice is sketching out a lesson with drawings and make a video using your smartphone.

HERE’S A FEW TIPS FOR VIDEO CREATION:
  • Keep it simple. Think of audience and purpose.
  • Keep it short. Why make students sit through a long how-to?
  • If you can, use a plug in mic (just a standard smartphone earbud mic works well). Do a quick test to check the volume level and mic position first to get sound level right.
  • Practice a few times to find efficient ways to demonstrate and describe what you’re doing.
  • If you will be entering much text as part of the task, I create a text document first so I can copy/paste text into what you’re demonstrating ( I hate watching videos of people typing.).
Two OPTIONS FOR CREATING VIDEOS – THERE ARE MANY MORE

Option 1: Use an app to capture a video screencast of what is on your screen.

There are many apps that can do this. Most of you have Macs. So I’ll go into detail on Quicktime Player, which is built into the Mac OS. It’s easy to use and quickly uploads to your YouTube account.

Another screen capture option is Loom – a free Chrome browser plug in. To get Loom open your Chrome browser and get the Loom extension here. Or you could turn a PowerPoint or Apple Keynote presentation into a video with narration. How to here.

 This video shows an older Mac running Quicktime Player.

This is how the Quicktime Player record controls look on latest version of Mac OS Catalina. The process is the same as the video above – just slightly different controls.
Scroll through two images.

Once you have finished your screen recording. You can upload to YouTube directly from QuickTime using "Share"

Once you have finished your screen recording. You can upload to YouTube directly from QuickTime using “Share”

Once your video is on YouTube get your YouTube video’s URL and paste it into YouTube Block in WordPress

Once your video is on YouTube get your YouTube video’s URL and paste it into YouTube Block in WordPress

Here’s two QuickTime Screencasts
from last spring’s class
Screencast
A “How To” Screencast

Option 2 – Sketch out a lesson and video tape it

Shoot a video using your smartphone. You can use little slips of paper or you could draw. If you’re not an artist, you could also shoot a video of you reading a picture book. Here’s a collection of picture book read alouds to inspire you.
Note: You’ll need an extra pair of hands or tripod rig to hold the phone.

Here’s TWo Sketch lessons from last spring’s class
Draw Our Life!
The Life of a Butterfly
ASSIGNMENT: Teach with A Screencast or Sketches | Screencasts 20-A9

Students will design and record a lesson. They will embed the video into a blog post and briefly describe lesson context, audience and purpose: For example, is this to help parents with homework? Or to provide students background for a new unit

If you use Quicktime Player, they should plan to load it up to your YouTube account and embed using the YouTube block built into WordPress.

If you shoot a sketch video on your phone, you can transfer it to a computer and then upload to YouTube from there. Embed using the YouTube block built into WordPress.

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Class 11: Teaching with Screencasts

Class will open with brief updates on final projects.

Edtech guru, Kathy Schrock defines screencasting as “the capture of the action on a computer screen while you are narrating. Screencasts can be made with many tools and are often used to create a tutorial or showcase student content mastery.” A related practice is slidecasting (creating a PowerPoint or Apple Keynote slideshow and then screencasting your narration of it as it plays on the screen). Here’s my Keynote turned video.

There are many other variations – Paperslide Videos, anyone?

Here’s a few tips for video creation:
  • Keep it simple. Think of audience and purpose. See One Take Video
  • I favor taking complex instructions and turning them into multiple shorter videos covering specific aspects of the task. Some students know one thing and not another. Why make them sit through a long how-to.
  • I use a plug in mic (just a standard iPhone earbud mic works well) rather than the microphone built into my Mac. I do a quick test screencast to check the volume level and mic position first to get sound level right.
  • I first practice the skill a few times to find efficient ways to demonstrate and describe what I am doing.
  • If I will be entering much text as part of the task, I create a text document first so I can copy/paste text into the app I’m demonstrating ( I hate watching videos of people typing.)
  • I make sure any images, websites or other content I will use in the video are readily available.
  • I try and do the screencasts in one take. I don’t worry too much about flubbing words – hey, it’s only a screencast.
Three options for creating videos – there are many more

Option 1: Screencast with “Loom.” An easy to use Chrome browser plug in – works on any computer or Chromebook. Your video is hosted at Loom.

Loom is a free Chrome browser plug in. To get Loom open your Chrome browser and get the Loom extension here.  It makes it super easy to record using your webcam, screen or both. The resulting video can be embedded into a blog or shared via email or social media. A great way to explain something in a visual way.

Note: Since making this video the embed code is now found by clicking the curved Share Arrow at lower right of video. Then pick </> Embed 

Where to get Loom embed code.

Option 2: Screencast with Quicktime Player (easy and built into Macs). But if you want to post on blog, you need to “host” the video on YouTube.

I typically use Quicktime Player, which is built into the Mac OS. It’s easy to use and quickly uploads to my YouTube account.  

Then get your YouTube video’s URL and paste it into YouTube Block in WordPress

Here’s a screencast I made on how to use Quicktime Player to make a screencast. (very meta).

Option 3:  Screencasting with MediaSpace – part of UP tech suite / use with any computer. Has the most options for editing and more. Video hosted at MediaSpace

UP’s MediaSpace  is the most robust app of the three and it opens up a few more options for capture and editing that using Loom or Quicktime Player.  It also provides a place – MediaSpace – where student’s can upload the finished product.

Here’s a how to use Media Space video. Note: this video assumes you are using Moodle. We are not. So you can skip ahead to 1:35 min mark when Ben starts a new video. You might also want to check out video tutorials on Microphone Setup and how to Trim or Clip Your Media Space Video

Assignment: Create a screencast (or slidecast) | Posts 19-A11

Students will design and record a screencast (or slidecast) using one of the three screencasting tools. They will embed the video into a blog post and briefly describe:

  1. Audience and purpose: For example, is this to help parents with homework?
  2. How you would integrate it into your lesson: For example, the 1st day of class, I created time to meet individually by using screencast for Adobe Spark Post and WordPress instruction.

If you use Quicktime Player, they should plan to load it up to your YouTube account and embed using the YouTube block built into WordPress

If you use Loom or UP MediaSpace, the video hosting is taken care of. You will need to get embed code and use with WordPress’s HTML Snippets