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, and here:
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.
And then this one from GCast:
Good luck, have fun, and keep an eye on the clock.
DF
7 comments:
As will most school, I cannot access Youtube due to the blocked by school filters. It’s too bad as some really education informational videos cannot be accessed. I try to always have a short online video in my lesson when it applies and beefs up to content with visuals and animations. When teaching about the elements last year, I used the Periodic Table: Ferocious Elements online video from http://www.teachers.tv/video. It uses the periodic table to explore some of these elements and discover why some are more reactive than others. However, when I tried to access it today I received the message: “We have detected that you are accessing this website from outside the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, rights have not been granted for international streaming and downloading of this program.” I wonder why I was able to use it and now because I don’t live in the UK, I can’t view it?
I went looking for another video on TeacherTube but didn’t find the video and most of the element videos were songs to remember the periodic table elements. Also, as I’m not a member of the site, I had to sit through the same advertisements for each video viewing.
Videoblogging is a great resource and I just posted a video onto the class blog which I have never done before. Students are required to create a photostory for their project on a specific catastrophic event and present it to the class so I uploaded a benchmark I created during the Ritti training for them to view. Students can ask their questions on the blog or any remarks about the video. I am thinking of having all the students post their photostory on the blog so students can view their favorites and post positive feedback. I have to further investigate screencasting. I am thinking of using one as a tutorial for lab safety and procedures.
Class Blog with video:
http://teamrscience.blogspot.com/2010/04/blog-post.html
Session 11 has definitely got me thinking. My first thought; I wish that all of this stuff was available when I was in school! “100 ways to use your iPod to learn and study” is awesome and something I’m definitely going to share with my students. One of the things that scares me most about these technologies is the thought of having to teach my students how to use them after teaching myself. I’m glad to see that there are so many resources and online tutorials available which will certainly help. I just envision myself running around the computer lab trying to help each student and having to repeat myself a million times while pointing to their screens instructing them where to click next. Therefore, my second thought is that I have got to learn more about creating screencasts. I visited the links available in the notes sections and am going to have to spend some serious time reviewing this information. One thing is for sure, being able to successfully create screencasts and make them available on my blog could be the solution to the above mention computer lab chaos. In some cases, already existing tutorials could be used but knowing how to provide students with “custom” tutorials would be awesome.
For example, one of the huge problems that we are facing as a school is teaching our freshman how to upload entries into the online digital portfolio system. We no longer have designated classes where students are being taught these skills. I am currently serving on a committee that is working on rectifying some of the problems with our existing portfolio system. After this session, I’m thinking that a screencast (or series of tutorials) available on the school website for students and parents to view would be an amazing tool and hopefully a solution to this problem. I also think that if I’m going to include blogging and using a wiki text into my classroom that is would be best to provide students with video tutorials as to how to use these tools. When I see all of the potential that these Web 2.0 tools have to offer, I find it very frustrating that my students don’t really have the opportunity to learn how to use them during their school day. I keep having that reoccurring thought that it isn’t really an issue of “if” we should include technology into our classrooms but more like we “must” do so in order to prepare our students for the real world.
(Apparently my comment this week was a little too long so I had to post it in two pieces).
I’m really looking forward to someday being able to assign projects that require my students to create their own video podcasts. I have often found that while some students are scared to death to make a formal presentation in class, they jump at the opportunity to perform a skit or do a video project. Being able to record these projects and post them to a blog would be beneficial to both me and my students. I could have students evaluate and critique one another’s work or review them prior to grading myself. This would also be a great way to share these projects with other teachers or administrators in my school or even parents in the community. For example, there are a number of beautiful walking trails on our school campus. These are commonly used by both students and community members. A co-worker of mine had once mentioned collaborating on a project where students would create podcasts that pointed out different features of the trails that could be downloaded by community members. To be honest, at that point, I wasn’t exactly sure what she was talking about. Now, I’m thinking this would be a great project and one that we could incorporate video podcasting into as well. I also like the idea of using video podcasts as a recruiting tool. I would love to have my FFA officers create a fun informational video to share with potential FFA members and their parents. It could capture the various events and activities that take place during the year.
I am looking forward to the opportunity this summer to really sit down and reevaluate some of my existing lessons and put all of this information to use. I’ve been jotting down all of ideas I’ve had for using my blog, creating online text and now incorporating podcasting and video casting.
I also uploaded my deliverable 3 this week. I wrote a letter to my administrator proposing that I be allowed to implement a class blog. I explained how a blog will be a valuable communication tool with both my students and their parents. I also described the concept of “collective intelligence” and how I believe that my students can benefit from reflecting and discussing their learning experiences with one another. I provided evidence from Dave Fontaine’s article in regards to this concept. I also provided links to the blog created by the Narragansett High School principal as well as the Duck Diaries. I believed that this blog in particular was an excellent illustration of how blogging can benefit a number of students even in different grade levels. I recommended using Blogger because I feel as though it is very easy to use and I like the fact that I can monitor the information being posted. I discussed potential stumbling blocks such as student safety, posting of inappropriate materials, Internet bullying and student access to computers. Overall, I found this assignment to be quite thought provoking. While I have been brainstorming how to use these tools throughout the course, I hadn’t really stopped to think about how I might justify this to an administrator or parent. It really made me think about how I would explain the benefits of these tools to others (which is quite comical considering that I didn’t even know most of them existed several weeks ago!).
I absolutely love my iPOD. Like most other technology my husband talks me into agreeing to buy, I find myself thinking about how I ever lived without it. This week and last week's sessions have really opened my eyes to how much is out there for educational use. I now even envision creating a podcast or videocast for my blog.
When we first began this course, I was amazed and appreciative that Dave posted his powerpoints with audio and with accompanying text. Now that I have made a first attempt at creating a podcast, I am more in awe of this. It takes a great deal of organization and confidence to say what you would like in a coherent manner without stumbling and making a fool of oneself (me in the case of my first attempt to podcast). Thanks, Dave, for presenting us with a high quality product.
I really enjoyed the article "100 Ways to use your iPOD to learn and study" and will include it in the lessons I am creating for the final project.
To me, the most interesting aspect and absolutely relevant and exciting for use with any class I have or may have is Screencasting. I can see that this will help me tremendously. I am currently in the situation where I have a limited amount of time to spend with each new client (student) to orient them to the program and to the Distance Learning product we use. I fully intend to create screencasts to post on my current blog so I can walk clients through accessing and using the program most effectively and for using other Web 2.O tools. I can't wait to do this.
Throughout the reading I have noted a number of people wishing they wish they had all of this technology when they were in K-12. It certainly would have made learning more enjoyable. I tried to get my classmates to allow me to create a video of our presentation this week in my graduate class. Unfortunately schedules conflicted. I am excited about using footage that I have already taped and creating a video web blog or VLOG as it had been mentioned. Some of the fascinating sites I note for this session were: Audible Education. Those books on tape would have really helped me out while going through nursing school. Further I appreciated all of the U-Tube tutorial especially the free ones that show how to embed footage and make it available for others to subscribe to. This experience has been a true eye opener.
Podcasts- Week 11
I read over some of the comments already posted this week. M. Searle commented that the summer will be a valuable time to reevaluate and incorporate some of these tools. Right now ‘I have a little more than I can digest’. I can convince myself that I am excited about podcasts but I am not really getting it. I have looked through examples and I can see the benefits absolutely. I would love be able to provide an extra tool for the special education students that I service. I have I guess I had a hard time this week. The gcast site is ‘no longer accepting new sign-ups’. I decided to try out the podbean site but once I left the page I could not find my way back to the edit section. Then when I found the directions, but it does not seem that I am able to do the activities in the podcasts I have observed, perhaps it is the limitations of the site I chose but more likely I need to review again because the limitations are mine. I think I will walk away for now and revisit after school tomorrow.
This is what I had started earlier…can we call it a work in progress….
-Ali
Here is how we get around YouTube being blocked at my school. You go home, find the YouTube clip you want, then go to zamzar.com and paste the URL in. Zamzar downloads the clip and sends you a link when it is done that you can download, save to flash drive, burn to CD, embed in PowerPoint, whatever. That is what I have teachers do.
I have created a BUNCH of screencasts for our teachers and students, simply because there is only 1 librarian for 2 buildings! This way, I can "teach" the kids how to do a particular task, like green screen in iMovie, without having to physically be in the classroom demonstrating. Then, if a student needs to see it again, or missed class that day, the screencasts are available. I use screentoaster to record my screencasts, which has been a TOTAL DREAM! However, it soon will become a pay site- ACK! I have done screencasts on Animoto, iMovie, our library catalog, and much more here: https://sites.google.com/a/saline.k12.mi.us/middle-school-library/how-to-videos-2
We have recently given the teachers the ability to "screencast" BUT they haven't given any of them any microphones. That's why we have to figure out a new system to allow the teachers to teach a technology concept for FREE that is EASY! Grrrrr.
We still need to work on getting projects available so students can load them on their iPod for further study. At this point, most of the podcasts and vodcasts are made by students- teachers haven't really entered this area, which they really need to.
So far, we were the first middle school to get our stuff up on iTunes University for K-12. That allowed several of our teachers to upload their documents as well videos so that other teachers (or students) I suppose can download and view them. Getting this to be easy has been DIFFICULT! It is a million steps to get your stuff on iTunes University. It would be better to host it on our own server, in some kind of protected wiki format, so that teachers of the same topic across the district could search by curriculum strand and use each other's stuff. Ah...if I only had more time.....
Post a Comment