Wednesday, June 18, 2008

921--Session 6

One of the elements we'll be covering in this session will be videoblogging. This is the ability to post more than just text to your blog, but entire videos to help support your lessons. I've shown you a few examples on our class blog this semester.
One of the great things about this tool (there are many to choose from) is that every resource and skill I will be showing you can be done for free. You may read past participants' comments here: http://edc921.blogspot.com/2007/03/session-6-podcasting-and-videoblogs-in.html

Here is example of a college using a vodcast (a video podcast), to help them solicit prospective students. They've posted this to YouTube so whenever a potential student does a search for Franklin College they'll receive this video as part of their results:












This session you will have the ability to go into as much depth as your curiosity allows. There is basic, elemental information available, as well as advanced information, instruction tutorials, and text directions for you to recreate and duplicate what these models show you. Similar to the distinction I made with Podcasts about the ability to simply use this tool, as opposed to creating videos yourself, please remember that I try to give you more information than you can digest with the hope that you will revisit these sessions in the future when the need (or desire) arises.

Good luck, have fun, and keep an eye on the clock.

DF

11 comments:

Mr. Dudley said...

I think that adding video clips to a blog is really cool. I was visiting a math teacher's blog where she had posted video algebra tutorials and was blown away by how helpful that could be for my resource students struggling with nightly math homework.

Just to practice, I grabbed "Conjunction Junction" (from the old Schoolhouse Rock series) from teachertube and posted it to my blog. It was remarkably easy to do!

--JD

Erin Wright said...

Erin Wright
Reading Specialist
Coventry, RI

Session 6: Beyond Podcasting

This session provided so much information. I like the possibilities presented with screencasting. Video blogging seems way out of reach for me right now, but it’s nice to know I have all the resources I’ll need if I should ever want to try it out. It might be nice, at this stage, to just practice using videocasts in the classroom.

I can’t believe how many videos youtube plays each day. It’s still a wonder that it sold for over a billion to google.

I wonder:
How big are google and apple now that these things have exploded in the last few years? What role will they play in the future?

Erin

Mrs. Matarese said...

Session 6 Comments

While I wouldn’t consider myself an “advanced user of Web 2.0 technology,” admittedly, I learned a great deal in sessions five and six. I think that having visual information to help communicate content to students is always more effective than just delivering instruction verbally. Also, the right video can make any presentation more dynamic and memorable. Apple’s website seems to be very user friendly. Kudos to Mr. Dudley for already adding a video from TeacherTube to his blog.

I really like the idea of screencasts. However, as I was re-learning how to convert ml to L, I couldn’t help but think of the comments Jack posted to his blog. In his blog, he brought up, very eloquently, some provocative issues regarding blogging and technology use in education. These comments were also posted on our class blog for session two. If you haven’t read them, then you should. Reading his blog made me wonder about my role as an educator in the future.

Lynne Deakers said...

I too think Jack's comments on his blog were extremely thought provoking but I don't think we will all be out of jobs any time soon. If we use these new technologies to enhance the students education and require their intelligent use in the classroom setting we are encouraging critical thinking and self directed learning and making it engaging for students. As a librarian I feel very strongly that we also must expect students to read a lot. It is a survival skill they can all master and enjoy. How else will they be able to manage the glut of information out there. My 2cents!

jack'sblog said...

Let's get realistic and talk about student motivation, or lack thereof; shall we? Call me a pessimist, if you would like, but I prefer the term "realist," which means I consider the old bell curve to be more of an apt measurement of student motivation than student abilities. In other words, most students who bring IPods, cell phones and other digital devices into my classroom now are not only breaking school rules but also using them to divert their attention away from the lesson content. I have used videos, power points, books on tape, and other resources to address multiple intelligences, and that hasn't motivated the reluctant -- or recalcitrant, if you will -- learners one jot. There is nothing about pod or vodcasting that makes me think: "Oh, wow. This will get students to want to pay attention and apply themselves!" More likely, they will take that IPod and do what I, an avowed music lover, would do with it -- play music. A lecture, story, presentation, etc. isn't going to be any more appealling to them than it would in its traditional medium. That being said...
I think these tools would work well for a student who needs to be home tutored. Better yet, pod and vodcasting would be a nice elective course for those districts who aren't seeing their budgets slashed to bits. But in English class the reality is this: To become more proficient readers and writers, students must read and write. If students are going to get tested on reading comprehension and writing abilities, then students should read and write in the English classroom. There is no better way to read and write than the old fashioned way, and any student who is motivated to become more proficient at these skills needs no technology to do so. Books, pencils, pens, and paper will suffice. Thank you, Mr. Gutenberg. Your invention has been the best for literacy for the past 600 years, and the digital age will not change that.

Jeannine said...

Session 6 Comments

Podcasts and video blogs opened a whole new world to me. This technology is amazing. I found a great video clip called The Crazy Professor. It seems like a highly motivating lesson aimed at improving reading comprehension skills. I added it to my blog under helpful links as a way to introduce teachers in my district to videoblogging as well as to show them an interesting way to get students excited about their reading.

I think Video blogs and podcasts would be ideal supports for parents and students who have questions with homework and class assignents. I always hear parents say that they can't help their child in Math because it's not taught the way they remember it. What a great resource it would be if teachers or specialists could post that information on a school blog.

CHSEinfo said...

Ami Sinclair
Resource
Cranston, RI

Session 6

When looking for educational podcasts on some of the examples many videos came up that were not educational. I think that finding an educational video that would be helpful for the students will take some time. I will have to try some of the videos that the other classmates have mentioned.

I like the fact that many news sources have videos. When the students have nothing to do I try and get them to read the newspaper. Most of them say that they hate reading. Now that I know they can watch videos they might actually learn what is going on around them.

Using podcasts in the classroom seems like something that the students will really enjoy but it will take a while for me to truly figure out the most beneficial way to use them. This is going to take a lot of trial and error this summer.

Mrs. Kiernan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mrs. Kiernan said...

This year we had access to discovery video streaming through PBS. It was a great video streaming resource. I accessed many videos to supplement my curriculum. One series in particular that my students absolutely loved was called Pendimonium. I tried to pull it up to embed it into my blog, but it looks as though we can't access it during the summer (I think!!). Another great video (I was able to grab this one) that my students loved was the Animaniacs 50 States and Capitals video. I found the words, printed them out, and the class sang this song together. It was a great way to get them to learn their States and Capitals. I found that video on Teacher Tube. Overall, I found that being able to supplement my lessons with videos was a great help, another way to differentiate.

I also used the School House Rock series, I bought the DVD, but all my students learned about Conjunctions very quickly!! Another favorite in my class!

Unknown said...

I love the idea of using video clips and blogs on my blog. At the risk of sounding really uptight, I once again turn to copyright. I took a look at the ourmedia site mentioned in session 6, but found it difficult to maneuver. I played around with teachertube but when I went to terms of use, it sounded like under their intellectual property section that you cannot use their videos without permission. Does this apply to embedding them in your blog? In essence aren't you just streaming from their site? If you give credit is that enough or do you have to ask permission as well? Dave what are your thoughts?

Ms. DiTusa said...

I watched the vodcast about Franklin College and immediately thought about…dum dum dum…OPEN HOUSE! You know, we educators stand up and speak to a large number of people each and every day – I have between 85-95 students each year – yet no matter how many years we’ve taught, we all (yes, all = admit it) get a little weak in the knees when it comes to addressing the parents of those little darlings. Teachers also sympathize with parents of multiple children – they’ve seen and heard it all before and might just be there for the brownies and punch served at the end of the evening. For a while, many presentations have included PowerPoints; however, a vodcast would be a fresh, new, and different approach to delivering information to parents on that evening; what is even better is that they can watch it at home with their children, some of whom may be apprehensive about the upcoming school year. Furthermore, I am on the only looping team in my school, so Open House is an opportunity for the teachers to explain, answer questions, and address concerns about this situation. Through a vodcast, we could, among other things, incorporate information and reflection about looping in the form of interviews with students who had spent a two-year duration with us. We could also include a preview about what students and parents can expect by showing video of what has been done in previous years. In addition, using a vodcast at Open House will serve as an introduction to the type of technology that will be used in the team’s classrooms throughout the year, technology that can be accessed at home so that parents can follow what their children are doing at school.

Next topic: I’m now addicted to TeacherTube! Talk about the need to watch the clock!

As I become more familiar with podcasting and vodcasting, I intend to use more of what is already out there rather than producing my own, at least at first. Since my students are forced to listen to me so much already, I’d like for them to hear what others have to say. I mean, I can be entertaining at times, and on a good day, I can crack a half-decent joke, but I do not foresee my students rushing home to their computers just to view a vodcast starring me as I enlighten them about the wonder and glory of the semi-colon. Perhaps I will include a lesson about a particularly difficult skill or concept, which can serve as a tutorial for kids who benefit from hearing things more than once; this use of podcasting and/or vodcasting would also reduce the need for extra help after school since the kids will be able to access my explanations. This technology will come in handy especially when it comes to the writing process. The math example of screencasting would be a powerful way to model the steps in the process, display my own writing, and narrate my thoughts as I move through the steps. I could even provide project explanations to accompany my written instructions; that way, parents know exactly for what the students are responsible in case their children “forget” to tell them or only convey bits and pieces. I’ve drifted from my initial statement…although I have some ideas, I plan to ease into the use of podcasts and vodcasts by using what is already available.

When I first began teaching, I always tried to find an effective hook, a way to spark student interest at the beginning of a unit or a class. If I wanted to use music in some way, I had to acquire a record (yes, sometimes I used RECORDS!) or a cassette tape, get the appropriate player, cue up the cassette (which I had to rewind and cue up again for the next class), and play it loudly enough for the students to hear but not so loudly that it became scratchy. If I wanted to show something, I had tape from the television or drive to the store to rent it or visit the library to check it out, skim the entire show/movie to find exactly what part I need, reserve a television for my classroom ahead of time, show the tape, and rewind to the exact place for my next class. If I wanted to use photographs or famous images, I had to check out these massive books, which only one or two students could use at a time, or I had to photocopy, essentially losing the essence of the work since the copies are made with black ink. Sometimes, I even had to use the big reel thing at the library, you know, the one with microfilm or microfiche or microwave...whatever it was, and search for hours. My hard work usually resulted in getting the students’ attention, but it was not always practical, convenient, or efficient. Now, we teachers have access to so much more, so we need to invest in the Internet in order to revitalize students’ interest in learning and motivate them to explore on their own what truly moves them. We need to take advantage of all that is available to hear and view and experience, and we can do that through podcasts and vodcasts.