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Sunday, October 18, 2009
BP15_2009103_Web_2.0_Tools_Comments@Dave_Nelson
BP13_2009103_Web 2.0 Tools - TeacherTube
BP13_2009103_Web 2.0 Tools
TeacherTube
TeacherTube is a video hosting site, similar to YouTube. The videos and files art designed to be used for educational purposes. Creating an account was very easy and straightforward. Once created, there is some basic user information that needs to be added, and then you can begin uploading videos when ready.
Uploaded videos may also be stored in personal Video Albums, which would be very handy to categorize items uploaded at TeacherTube. The categories could be either by date, subject area, class, whatever you desire. Once you have selected or created a category, videos may be uploaded. TeacherTube allows a variety of video types, and states that there is no maximum length or file size. It does point out that if there is difficulty uploading a large file, that it may be better to split it and put it into two or more separate video files and then try the upload. When an attempt was made to upload, it did show a 100MB limit on file size.
I have used TeacherTube in the past as a viewer to present things at school, and decided to signup and try a download. For this testing purpose, I created a category, chose a one minute video that I had previously created that was a 5.5 MB mp4 video that was 60 seconds in length.
The file uploaded quite quickly and without any problem. When the video had finished uploading, a message popped up stating that it had completed and would be available shortly. The video did not show up on my site for quite some time. Two hours later it was still not showing that it was available. So I tried a .mov file for upload. The Estimated Time Left had little meaning as it show less than one minute for at least three minues, and the seconds could not be read as they flashed around. It took about 3-4 minutes to upload a 32 MB video. The message is “Successfully uploaded! Your video will be reviewed by the TeacherTube staff and displayed within a couple of minutes.”
I had the file set as private. There is a section to invite people to view videos, and to save trusted users for the private videos. I tried viewing the files after it had processed the video, and did a search to find the video.
TeacherTube may also be followed in Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, and by email.
Overall, the process worked quite well, the website did seem just a little sluggish in terms of speed, but not bad enough to prevent one from using the site.
Posted by Dave Nelson at 3:08 PM
1 comments:
Billy Goins said...
Dave,
I really like this resource. From what I can tell, it has all the functionality of Youtube.com with content specifically for students and teachers.
My students and I are developing a school news report along with video based projects. Within just a matter of minutes, I was able to find several sample videos to show my classes.
It will be nice to have a site that my students can view and contribute to with a reasonable amount of safety and confidence.
I also noticed a banner ad for a media program at some college in Florida, Full Sail University. I may check that out as well.
BP13_2009103_Web 2.0 Tools
TeacherTube
TeacherTube is a video hosting site, similar to YouTube. The videos and files art designed to be used for educational purposes. Creating an account was very easy and straightforward. Once created, there is some basic user information that needs to be added, and then you can begin uploading videos when ready.
Uploaded videos may also be stored in personal Video Albums, which would be very handy to categorize items uploaded at TeacherTube. The categories could be either by date, subject area, class, whatever you desire. Once you have selected or created a category, videos may be uploaded. TeacherTube allows a variety of video types, and states that there is no maximum length or file size. It does point out that if there is difficulty uploading a large file, that it may be better to split it and put it into two or more separate video files and then try the upload. When an attempt was made to upload, it did show a 100MB limit on file size.
I have used TeacherTube in the past as a viewer to present things at school, and decided to signup and try a download. For this testing purpose, I created a category, chose a one minute video that I had previously created that was a 5.5 MB mp4 video that was 60 seconds in length.
The file uploaded quite quickly and without any problem. When the video had finished uploading, a message popped up stating that it had completed and would be available shortly. The video did not show up on my site for quite some time. Two hours later it was still not showing that it was available. So I tried a .mov file for upload. The Estimated Time Left had little meaning as it show less than one minute for at least three minues, and the seconds could not be read as they flashed around. It took about 3-4 minutes to upload a 32 MB video. The message is “Successfully uploaded! Your video will be reviewed by the TeacherTube staff and displayed within a couple of minutes.”
I had the file set as private. There is a section to invite people to view videos, and to save trusted users for the private videos. I tried viewing the files after it had processed the video, and did a search to find the video.
TeacherTube may also be followed in Twitter, Facebook, RSS feeds, and by email.
Overall, the process worked quite well, the website did seem just a little sluggish in terms of speed, but not bad enough to prevent one from using the site.
Posted by Dave Nelson at 3:08 PM
1 comments:
Billy Goins said...
Dave,
I really like this resource. From what I can tell, it has all the functionality of Youtube.com with content specifically for students and teachers.
My students and I are developing a school news report along with video based projects. Within just a matter of minutes, I was able to find several sample videos to show my classes.
It will be nice to have a site that my students can view and contribute to with a reasonable amount of safety and confidence.
I also noticed a banner ad for a media program at some college in Florida, Full Sail University. I may check that out as well.
BP14_2009103_Web_2.0_Tools_Screenr
Screenr.com
If you’re familiar with Screenflow or Camtasia, then you’ll appreciate the value of screenr.com. Screenr is a free online tool for video capturing your computer screen and creating or sharable video files called screen casts.
Screenr is an extension of Twitter and requires users to create and/or access Twitter accounts. Users can also add an access button to their browsers toolbar to make future recordings quicker and easier.
Once inside the account, the process of video capturing the on screen contents is very simple. First begin recording up to five minutes of video and audio by simply clicking the Record your screencast now button, accepting the script and adjusting the capture window to the desired size, if desired select audio on and source, then click record. A countdown will appear briefly then recording will begin. Once the capture is complete, click stop and be returned to the Screenr.com account. Users may then add a description and post, Tweet, or delete the video. The video will be processed for the web and available for download to your local computer or mobile device as an mp4 file. It can also be shared or embedded into other social sites such as Facebook or Youtube.
Users can share screencasts with other Screenr members and leave comments when viewing screencasts created by others as well as subscribe to rss feeds for their favorite content creators. Although screencast authors can enter description, searchable tags would be a great addition for finding and organizing content.
In the classroom, the obvious use is creating step by step visual demonstrations for students. This would be very useful for visual learners or catching up homebound or absent students. Another, possibly less obvious, use is for student assessment. As students are completing a project, teachers could record and evaluate the processes or steps students used to create for example an edited photo. After completion teachers could see if students followed the procedures correctly or discover areas that were difficult for the student.
Screenr.com is a free and useful tool with the ability to create customized screencasts that can be used to create how to demonstrations for students.
BP13_2009103_Web_2.0_Tools_GoAnimate
GoAnimate.com
GoAnimate.com
GoAnimate.com is a fun and lively resource that allows users to create and share animated stories. More than just a tool for creating animations, GoAnimate.com is a community of users similar to Youtube.com or Flickr.com, where members can share their work and view, rate, and provide feedback to others about their animations. Projects can also be shared or embedded into other social sites such as Youtube.com, Ning,Com, or Twitter.Com.
The website provides a variety of ways of creating animated videos. There are easy to use background templates and characters that feature many well know personalities and TV shows such as President Obama, Willie Nelson, and the cast of Star Trek. Users simply choose a theme then drop and drag characters into a scene. At that point, select and apply characters’ actions, movements, and expression. The classic cartoon dialog bubbles can be added along with props, music, sound effects, and voice-overs. Once completed repeat the steps for each scene until the story is completed.
Instead of templates, more advanced or adventurous users have the ability to create their own character and template sets. The interface is similar to creating an avatar, users start with stock images then shape, tone, and color character attributes. The process is intuitive and most students will adapt quickly.
In the classroom, this tool provides a personal and interactive way for students to express their creativity. It could be easily integrated into language arts allowing students to develop characters and storylines. Another approach might require students to develop stories and animations that demonstrate understanding. For example their story lines could talk about a moment in history of discuss how to be safe on the internet.
GoAnimate.com has other advantages as well. It is an online program meaning students can access and work on it at home without having to buy or install software. Projects can be shared and along with students, teachers can collaborate and add comments. Completed projects can be saved and shared or embedded.
Tagging is also available to keep projects organized or to search throughout the GoAnimate community for projects or ideas.
GoAnimate.com
GoAnimate.com is a fun and lively resource that allows users to create and share animated stories. More than just a tool for creating animations, GoAnimate.com is a community of users similar to Youtube.com or Flickr.com, where members can share their work and view, rate, and provide feedback to others about their animations. Projects can also be shared or embedded into other social sites such as Youtube.com, Ning,Com, or Twitter.Com.
The website provides a variety of ways of creating animated videos. There are easy to use background templates and characters that feature many well know personalities and TV shows such as President Obama, Willie Nelson, and the cast of Star Trek. Users simply choose a theme then drop and drag characters into a scene. At that point, select and apply characters’ actions, movements, and expression. The classic cartoon dialog bubbles can be added along with props, music, sound effects, and voice-overs. Once completed repeat the steps for each scene until the story is completed.
Instead of templates, more advanced or adventurous users have the ability to create their own character and template sets. The interface is similar to creating an avatar, users start with stock images then shape, tone, and color character attributes. The process is intuitive and most students will adapt quickly.
In the classroom, this tool provides a personal and interactive way for students to express their creativity. It could be easily integrated into language arts allowing students to develop characters and storylines. Another approach might require students to develop stories and animations that demonstrate understanding. For example their story lines could talk about a moment in history of discuss how to be safe on the internet.
GoAnimate.com has other advantages as well. It is an online program meaning students can access and work on it at home without having to buy or install software. Projects can be shared and along with students, teachers can collaborate and add comments. Completed projects can be saved and shared or embedded.
Tagging is also available to keep projects organized or to search throughout the GoAnimate community for projects or ideas.
BP12_2009103_Web_2.0_Tools_Evernote
Evernote
What if the personalization and functionality of a blog, the organizational flexibility of tags such as those used in flickr, and the ability to copy or link to internet text, audio, video, and images were combined into one resource. That’s Evernote.com.
Evernote.com is a website that hosts an online notebook and related tools that allows users to capture and store entire web pages or selected text, articles and images. Similar to tagging images using flickr.com, Evernote entries can be tagged, sorted, and retrieved using categories or keywords. Using browser plug-ins or optional software, Evernote notebooks can be downloaded and synced between an online account, desktop computer, or mobile device. Online, individuals can share through networks, email, or embed or forward notebooks to other services such as blogs or tweets. At every level, students and teachers can use this tool to organize their day to day work, events, and activities. Like a digital version of a spiral notebook, users can create to do lists, add and organize notes, enter assignments, or anything else thing else that would traditionally be written in a binder or notebook. Lost assignments or illegible notes could potentially be things of the past and it can be accessed at school, home, or anywhere in between with any internet enabled device. While working on projects, lesson plans, or research papers, users can copy, store, tag, sort, and filter, sort images, text, link videos, and entire web pages for later use. Everything you in one location easily organized and quickly retrievable by user defined tags.Tags provide an effective way of organizing and retrieving information. As items are collected and pasted into notebooks, users can tag items descriptively, by project name, author, website, essentially any keywords that relate to the resource. Unlike folders, which are organized typically in a hierarchical manner, tags are multi-dimensional and canned be linked to multiple notebooks and multiple projects with ease and without searching through layers of folders.
The combination of resources, organization, and accessibility make Evernote.com a very powerful tool for the classroom, the home, and the business place.
What if the personalization and functionality of a blog, the organizational flexibility of tags such as those used in flickr, and the ability to copy or link to internet text, audio, video, and images were combined into one resource. That’s Evernote.com.
Evernote.com is a website that hosts an online notebook and related tools that allows users to capture and store entire web pages or selected text, articles and images. Similar to tagging images using flickr.com, Evernote entries can be tagged, sorted, and retrieved using categories or keywords. Using browser plug-ins or optional software, Evernote notebooks can be downloaded and synced between an online account, desktop computer, or mobile device. Online, individuals can share through networks, email, or embed or forward notebooks to other services such as blogs or tweets. At every level, students and teachers can use this tool to organize their day to day work, events, and activities. Like a digital version of a spiral notebook, users can create to do lists, add and organize notes, enter assignments, or anything else thing else that would traditionally be written in a binder or notebook. Lost assignments or illegible notes could potentially be things of the past and it can be accessed at school, home, or anywhere in between with any internet enabled device. While working on projects, lesson plans, or research papers, users can copy, store, tag, sort, and filter, sort images, text, link videos, and entire web pages for later use. Everything you in one location easily organized and quickly retrievable by user defined tags.Tags provide an effective way of organizing and retrieving information. As items are collected and pasted into notebooks, users can tag items descriptively, by project name, author, website, essentially any keywords that relate to the resource. Unlike folders, which are organized typically in a hierarchical manner, tags are multi-dimensional and canned be linked to multiple notebooks and multiple projects with ease and without searching through layers of folders.
The combination of resources, organization, and accessibility make Evernote.com a very powerful tool for the classroom, the home, and the business place.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
BP10_2009102_Flickr
Flatbobby
When I discovered this activity, I’m not certain which rush came first, being excited about the potential project or impressed by the simplicity of the idea. Flatbobby (http://flatbobby.blogspot.com/) combines two web 2.0 tools, blogger.com and flickr.com.
Flatbobby is reminiscent of “Where’s Waldo?” in that there is a character, Flatbobby, who is found in a variety of scenes and places. The genius and twist of the project is made possible by the interactive nature of web 2.0 tools. Flatbobby, originally mailed from place to place and host to host can now be “cloned” or printed and posed for pictures complete with stories of adventures and comments from around the globe. The pictures are posted on flickr.com by Flatbobby’s hosts and are collectively brought together into a blogger account so that everyone can see, share, and comment on the travels and adventures of Flatbobby. Did I mention this project was done by a K-8 student?
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