Video iPhone Apps

Since I have an iPhone, I downloaded the suggested video apps to give them a try.  Sock puppets is a silly app where you choose a sock puppet to animate.  You get to pick the background and props, then you record your message. The sock puppet says your message in a silly voice.  I'm not sure what the practical applications would be for this app, but it's definitely fun!  My daughters especially enjoyed using it.

Tellagami allows you to create a character and give it your voice. The final product can be shared via social media sites, or even by text.  It would be fun if all students had access to this technology.  It would be an awesome way to do an "exit ticket."  Instead of writing something down, they could record their answers to my questions or tell me what they learned and then post it to a class Facebook page!

Videolicious is like a slideshow with a recorded message.  The free version is limited to one minute, with one sound bite and 10 supporting shots.  Again, if all students could use this, they could do a quick presentation of a topic or it would be a fun way to do a "get to know you" activity at the beginning of the year.

Video Tools

PixiClip (www.pixiclip.com) reminds me of the video tutorials on Khan Academy.  As such, it would be awesome for making video tutorials to post on your class website or blog.  I could see using this to prepare review material for the SOL, or for any unit.  Instead of just going through a boring presentation, you could use PixiClip for the same topic, but in video format instead. According to Garr Reynolds, "videos can provide a welcome change of pace in a presentation."  Maybe part of the lesson could be with Powerpoint, but then a video created on PixiClip could be added to change the pace and keep students awake and engaged.

Jing.com is similar to what I already do with my SMART Notebook software on my school laptop.  I can record everything that I do, including audio, and then save it to play later.  It would be nice to add a video of myself also like the screencast that Dr. Kimmel does.  Again, I would use this to post tutorials on my class website.  Making a screencast that shows everything I did during direct instruction would be so helpful for students who were absent that day.

Animoto.com is a free video source that allows you to use your own photos to create an engaging video.  The personal side of this site would be great to use to make videos of a new baby, a party, or a wedding.  In the classroom or library, I could see using this as a creative way to showcase student work.  You could take photos of all of the student work and then creative a video to post on the classroom website.  Or the video could be shown in class as an end of year celebration.

I was playing around with the video creation tools on Animoto.com and made this short video of photos from a beach vacation our family took. It was quick and easy.  It's too bad you are limited to 30 seconds without paying. Music is automatically added, which is nice because I think it helps to create an emotional connection to the video.  Achieving emotional connection through video is recommended by Garr Reynolds in his book, Presentation Zen Design.



Outer Banks Vacation

School Library Websites

I did a google search looking for examples of school library websites using Weebly.  I’m planning to use Weebly myself, so I thought those would be the best examples to choose.  I’ve found that I prefer fairly simple, streamlined websites that have a title or a welcome at the top, and links to pages on a horizontal bar just below the title. 

One example I liked was this website: http://gmslibrarywebsite.weebly.com/.  It is simple and uncluttered. According to Reynolds (2014), using one or two fonts with different colors and sizes is a way to create harmony and add emphasis (p. 43). I believe this website has achieved this harmony. The main page highlights the current event going on at the time, which is the summer reading challenge.  Below that, there are quick links, such as the library catalog.  I think it’s useful to have a catalog link very visibly to website visitors, since many people coming to the site are looking for books.  That’s one thing that’s always bothered about my own high school’s website.  You have to click not-that-visible tab to get to the catalog.  Another thing I like on the GMS library website is that it highlights a new book on the front page.  Also, it lists pertinent info like the library hours.

Another good example is this website: http://bhslibrary.weebly.com/.  The main page is uncluttered and has useful information. As you scroll down, the images and links on either side are bilaterally symmetrical, which Reynolds (2014) says be a desirable effect (p. 187). I like the rolling picture bar right under the title.  Again, there is a link to the library’s catalog right there in a visible spot.  Links to the various pages are clear as well.  It has a big section about summer reading to help give students ideas.

After looking at the various tools to create websites, I think I’m going to use Weebly.  It’s fairly intuitive and there are many design options to help get you started. Once I really get working on my website, I may change my mind. I looked at google sites, and while that seems user friendly as well, I thought that the design elements were more limited.  I checked out Wix.com and did not like any of the design choices as they didn’t seem like they would fit well with an educational library site. Other website design services did not seem appropriate for the site I am trying to create. For example, Smore seems better suited for a business or marketing, and school rack seems better suited for a teacher’s class website. 

Reynolds, G. (2014). Presentation Zen Design: A simple visual approach to presenting in today's world. : New Riders.

Audio Tools

Vocaroo.com allows you to simply record a message without downloading any software.  After the message is recorded, you can save it.  The only options however, were to post it online somewhere, such as a social networking site or your blog, or to email it. You cannot download as an audio file.  It is convenient in that you don’t have to sign up for a service.

Audio Pal also allows you to record messages without downloading anything.  On this site, in addition to recording with your microphone, you can to call a number and record the message. Then you get a link to the message in an email.  Again, you don’t get an audio file to download, just a link to embed. I personally would not use this site because you are required to give your email address. I try not to do this unless absolutely necessary because I already get enough junk email!

Voki does require you to create a free account to use.  I created an account to try it out because I thought creating a talking avatar was a neat idea.  I kind of enjoyed creating a little character and giving it a voice.  However, I wish there were more options for customization of the character.  It could be fun to use a talking avatar of you on your classroom blog so the students could see “you” as well as hear you when you upload an audio file.  Once you finish creating your animated talking avatar, you get a link to embed on your website.  You can also post it directly on social media sites such as facebook, twitter, wordpress, and blogger.  Mine is posted below.

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

I explored the other resources in the sandbox and am very intrigued by VoiceThread. I had never heard of it before, but it seems pretty amazing.  It would be most useful for me as online tutoring or to continue class discussions at discontinuous times. I also really like Narrable.  I could use Narrable to make short audio reviews to go along with pictures, PPT slides, or other written material. I could see using this to post review material before the end of course SOL class. I made a one slide PPT on the rock cycle. I used and cited images from the Creative Commons.  I used Narrable to add audio. 

This is a rough cut, so to speak!  I only did it once and did not re-record.  I didn't record directly on Narrable. I used Audacity to record the file and exported it as a mp3 file.  I uploaded the mp3 to Narrable. Enjoy your short rock lesson!!

Podcasts in the Classroom

When I looked at the list of "50 Educational Podcasts You Should Check Out" by Julie DeNeen, I was super excited to see my favorite podcast of all time on the list!  StarTalk Radio, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson (who is brillant and wonderful, by the way), is educational and very entertaining!  He always has a comedian co-host to liven up the show, though Dr. Tyson is funny all by himself.  He has a way of taking really complex material and speaking about it in such a way that anyone can understand.

I have used short segments from StarTalk Radio in my classroom because it perfectly fits into my curriculum. Part of earth science is Astronomy, so many of the topics discussed on the show are relevant to what we do in class.  Every once and a while, they do Cosmic Queries where listeners send in questions to be answered by Dr. Tyson.  More than once while we were doing the astronomy unit, a student would ask a question beyond my knowledge base.  When that happened, I'd stop what I was doing and go to StarTalk's Facebook page to submit the question!  We haven't had one answered yet, but I keep hoping to hear my name as a submitter.

If you've never listened to it, give it a try.  Just click on the link below. I have learned so much from this podcast!

StarTalk Radio

Another version of my Infographic

It was suggested that I try adding a chart or graph to my infographic. I found a great chart showing satisfaction levels of online learners and added it.

Infographic. Digital Image download. https://magic.piktochart.com/infographics. Piktochart, n. d. <https://magic.piktochart.com/>

Infographics

All over the place lately, people are using infographics to display information about various topics. Marketers use them often to promote products.  I have seen many on Pinterest related to health and fitness. Infographics are a great way to showcase data in a concise and attractive manner. Several tools are available online to create your own infographic.

Venngage.com allows you to use various templates or start from scratch with a blank one.  One of the things I liked most about this site was that there were many different types of templates available.  It was not quite as "cookie-cutter" as some of the others.  With Infogr.am.com, limited designs were available for use.  However, it does have a great chart and graph feature that would be straightforward to use to create whichever type of graph or chart best fits your data.

Two others that I explored did not seem useful for my purposes.  Visual.ly seemed to be primarily for business.  Also, I couldn't figure out where on the site to go to actually create my own.  I searched for "What About Me?", which was suggest by Andrew Johnson in the article on 8 Best Infographic Tools.  However, I wasn't able to find the place to go to create your own.

The tool I ended up using to create my own infographic was piktochart.com.  I liked the free templates that were available.  The only negative I have for this one is that most of the content is only available for the "Pro" or paid users. I wish more of it was free content.  I made an infographic of tips for taking an online class.

Infographic. Digital Image download. https://magic.piktochart.com/infographics. Piktochart, n. d.<https://magic.piktochart.com/>