Tag: SlideCasting

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Class 3: Screencasting

We’ll open class with a discussion of some of the tools and approaches we’ve used so far and then we’ll have a chance to try screencasting and find out how to embed the video into a blog post.

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 slideshow and then screencasting your narration of it as it plays on the screen). There are many other variations – Paperslide Videos?

I make use of many edtech tools in my classes and workshops. Rather than teaching an edtech tool to everyone in a whole class setting, I think it is more efficient to make a short screencast and post it to my WordPress tutorials at YouTube. That creates many flexible learning “tutorials” that I can use as part of flipped or blended lessons.

Here’s a few tips for screencasting:
  • 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 screencasting – 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 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.

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.  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.

Note you might also want to check out video tutorials on Microphone Setup and how to Trim or Clip Your Media Space Video

Assignment 3: Due Feb 7 | competed work

Student’s will use class time to design and record a screencast (or slidecast) using one of the three screencasting tools. They will use HTML Snippets (at WordPress to embed it in a blog post.

Then in your blog post 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.

Remember, if you use Quicktime Player, they should plan to load it up to your YouTube account. If you use Loom of UP MediaSpace, the video hosting is taken care of.

How to use HTML Snippets to Embed External Content on the blog

 Image credit: Adobe Spark public domain media
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Class 7: Create and Share Content

Note: We will begin class by using this Google form to assess progress on our Critical Thinking Design Project.

Today’s class is the second in our three-class exploration of blended and flipped learning. Last week we looked at options for screencasting / slidecasting. This week we’ll look add a few more options for teachers or students to create content. Students will practice their skills in preparation for our next class where we will look at how to incorporate blended / flipped content into lesson design.

There many options for creating content – but here’s two categories and some free tools that will have many application for lesson designers.

Techniques we’ve already used

  1. Create content using VoiceThread and share with student. Shoot your own video – edit with iMovie. See class 5.
  2. Use Mac’s QuickTime Player or CaptureSpace to create a screencast / slidecast. See class 6

Create and share slides

  1. Export Powerpoint or Keynote slides to Slideshare  – sample by former student Peter Gallagher. Peter’s extensive collection of Slideshares.
  2. Here’s how to add an audio narration to a PowerPoint or a Keynote slide show.
  3. Use Google slides  – here’s an example of how to animate a math problem. Here’s a hack for adding a narration to Google slides.

Create and share videos

  1. Add narration to  PowerPoint or Keynote (#2 above) Then export as videos which can be shared as files or uploaded to YouTube. This is the technique Jeremy used to make his slidecast)
  2. Create a Paperslide video
  3. Create an animation using Toontastic 3d. It’s fun and a free tool from Google that works on smartphones, tablets, and select Chromebooks. Other animation creation options with free intro levels are Plotagon or Powtoon.

Host video content (created by you or found online) in a lesson
Add your commentary / questions, monitor student responses.

  1. Use EDPuzzle (includes library of lessons you can use)
    – Works with YouTube, Vimeo.
    – Has shortcuts to many popular videos series including: , Khan A, Numberphile, Crashcourse, National Geographic and more.
    – Can be embedded.
    – Sample Grade 3: Mathablanca
  2. Use TEDed (includes library of lessons you can use)
    – YouTube content only.
    – Cannot be embedded.
    – Sample: Who’s the Historian in Your Classroom

To simply share your YouTube or Vimeo videos without nuisances such as annotations and related videos using SafeShare.TV

Image credit: Creative Commons / Adobe Spark

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Class 6: Screencasting Techniques

We will open our class with a student updates on their progress on our critical thinking design project and agree to some firm due dates. Then we will turn our attention to a new skill – screencasting.

Screencasting / Slidecasting

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 slideshow and then screencasting your narration of it as it plays on the screen). Kathy’s screencasting resources.

I make use of many edtech tools in my classes and workshops. Rather than teaching an edtech tool to everyone in a whole class setting, I think it is more efficient to make a short screencast and post it to my YouTube collection. That creates many flexible learning “tutorials” that I can use as part of flipped or blended lessons.

Here’s a few tips for screencasting:

  • 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) rather than the microphone built into my Mac. (The built-in mic on my desktop sounds distant and echoes because of it’s placement in a corner of my office.) I check the volume level and mic position first to get sound level right and make sure I’m not “popping” when I say my “Ps.”
  • 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.

I typically use Quicktime Player, which is built into the Mac OS. It’s easy to use and quickly uploads to my YouTube account.  Here’s a screencast I made on how to use Quicktime Player to make a screencast. (very meta)

 

Screencasting with CaptureSpace

This week we’ll explore how to screencast / slidecast using the CaptureSpace tool that’s built into UP’s MediaSpace. It’s a robust app that opens up a few more options for capture and editing that using Quicktime Player.  It also provides a place – MediaSpace – where student’s can upload the finished product.

Note you might also want to check out video tutorials on Microphone setup and how to Edit Your Screencast Before Upload

Assignment

Student’s will use class time to design and record a screencast (or slidecast)  using CaptureSpace. If they use Quicktime Player, they should plan to load it up to there YouTube account. It could be related to our critical thinking design project, an upcoming lesson they hope to use in their placement, or just some content or skills they would like to describe.

After creating and uploading the video to UP MediaSpace, students should write and upload a blog post that describes what they hoped to accomplish with the video and what they see as the challenges and opportunities of screencasting / slidecasting. They should use the MediaShare “Share” function to create an embed code so they can include to their screencast in the blog post.

Here’s a how-to video explaining how to do that (made with QuickTime)

 Image credit: Adobe Spark public domain media