Using ScreentCasts - Why and How do you do it?

What is a screencast?
How do you create one?
What is the best way to use it in your class?
How do I link it to my classroom?   Or my course management system?

These might be some questions any teacher may have.  People have been posting screencasts into YouTube and all over the internet! Even I use screencasts with this blog, to better explain my "how-to instructions".  Let's start by answering some of these questions.

What is a screencast? A screencast is a recording of the actions that are taking place on a persons computer.  So, they are digital recordings. These recordings have video and audio and they can be made with software that you download or web based software.  You do need a microphone.

How do you create one? Well first make sure you have a microphone...either plug one into the computer or check to see if you have one built in! Now you need to either purchase or download some software or go to the websites that allow do the recordings right online. Below I will tell you how to use Screenr.

What is the best way to use it in your class? Screencasts can be used at any age or grade.  You can use them for a variety of reasons!  You can use them after you teach something that has a lot of steps, perhaps you have taught your students how to use PowerPoint. You can follow up for HW and have them review the screencast (with the step by step directions) and have them create a PowerPoint for HW.  If you are teaching an online class how to do powerpoint, the screencast can be the step by step instruction.

Another way I use screencasts, is for both my online and face to face classes, I post a "This Week in Blackboard" screencast.  The screencast is a step by step of how and what to do for class. So classes generally have a powerpoint or notes posted for the lecture portion, handouts or sources needed for any interactive exercises I do and lastly, the readings and HW I require each week (with due dates) .  I will do a screencast and the screencast will demonstrate how to open my powerpoint, how to open the exercises and how to submit the HW (how to follow the link to the submission area and how to upload the file). My online students love this feature, they feel like they are seeing me every week.

At the start of every course, I do a screencast showing my students how to navigate Blackboard and where to expect all my notes and communications.  Here is an example of this:

For face to face classes, screencasts give you the ability to review steps or material you covered in class, or give step by step instructions for something you don't want to cover in class, but want to make sure your students know how to do.  For example, may you teach a senior level class in a HS and you require a paper.  You know that the students should know how to do a bibliography.  It was taught every year of HS.  You expect it a certain way. You can post a screencast showing them how to do it.  This way, since you feel it has already been covered, you don't have to use class time to teach it. However, they have the ability to view your step by step instructions before the paper is due. Actually, that can work for college students too!

In the online environment, students sometimes misinterpret directions. A screencast is a great way to get those directions across to your students in an auditory and visual fashion..  This way you should have no confusion.  In an online class, it helps you to remove the confusion of what to do, where to click and the teacher is not right in front of me.  It helps to bring that feel  of the teacher is near to students who are having trouble with online classes.

How can you make one of these? Well there are a variety of programs. there is Jing, Camtasia and Screencast-O-Matic and many more.  However, I am going to focus on Screenr - one that is good for Unix users, Mac Users and PC Users!!! It won't work on an iPad because it requires a plugin iPads can't use.

1. First make sure you have a microphone! You can purchase one for as low as $20 however, educators should check with their IT department, I am sure they can help with this!  Laptops that have webcams have microphones.  Look to the left of your webcam, there should be a hole there ....really it is a microphone. If you are not sure - look in your settings (mac users) or control panel (pc users) look to see if you have an icon for audio devices and click on that. Look on the outside of your laptop or the front or back of your tower - there will be a hole for a plug and it will say mic!

2. Go to http://www.screenr.com/http://www.screenr.com/  
The screen will look like this:

Look for the red button on the top that says record. Click on it! That is how easy it is to do this! You can record without even signing up!  You just cannot publish!  They may require you to have a plug in - you just follow the directions if it comes up with that error!

3. Now that you have hit record, drag the dashed lines that appear on your screen to show what you want - choose your microphone and hit record.  You can do this for free OR pay for it! The free version allows you to record up to 5 min.  Try that to start, just until you get used to using it!

4. To publish your screencast you will be giving an option to sign in with your twitter, Google, Yahoo or Facebook, Linkedin or Windows Live account.  They ask you to describe your video or put a keyword in and then you click on publish! and it is done!!


5. When you are done and your video is published, you can embed the screencast into your classroom software program just as you would a youtube video or you can download it as an mp4 file or even import it into facebook or twitter. You can even just provide the URL (web address). To see how to embed videos look at my previous post about embedding YouTube videos.

Screenr has a little video to help you get started! Please see below!

YouTube and Blackboard

 In my last post I discussed how to add items like your syllabus to Blackboard, or how to create new menu items.  If you are wondering how to do that please see the post from earlier this year. Today I would like to talk about how to add a video to your Blackboard content.  Of course, this can be done with many types of web-based programs, but today we will talk about using YouTube videos and embedding them into Blackboard.

How about some multimedia? Would you like to post a YouTube video? YouTube has a multitude of content, much of it being less than 11 minutes long. These videos can be perfect little inserts for your class. I like to use YouTube videos in both a traditional class format and online class format.  The use of videos in the classroom is not uncommon. For a traditional class, you can use a video to demonstrate something you cannot do in the classroom. I might use a video as a HW assignment to prepare them for something for the next class or to reinforce something I have instructed. In my online class, I like to use video to create a classroom environment. You can use videos to recreate the visuals that you might demonstrate to a class if you were standing in front of them. I also might use them for the same reasons I use them in a face to face class, to reinforce something from my lecture or to demonstrate something they cannot see in a classroom. YouTube is great place to get videos because it has so many and because it is such an easy tool to use. Once you find a YouTube video, you can email a link to the video very easily, you can easily “grab” the URL or webpage address from it and post it somewhere and you can embed the video in any web based environment that you are using.  

I prefer to use the embed function because it is easier for the students just to hit play. If  I post a link they have to follow the link and then hit play, it is one more step that can be confusing. You can even embed a video into powerpoint! But today we are focusing on embedding a video into Blackboard!  You can go to www.youtube.com and you can search for a video - use simple key words. For example I can type phonemic awareness and retrieve videos based on those terms. I can also type electoral votes explained and retrieve a dozen or more videos based on those terms. You think of the topic, YouTube has a video based on it.

Once I have find a list of videos, I need to review the videos to see if they match my content and are appropriate.  The majority of the videos will be less than 10 min, if not less than 5 minutes long.  I usually perform the search with a criterion of what I am looking for, and then I view a dozen videos and pick which one works for my lesson.  I never choose a video just for the sake of choosing! It has to fit my criteria! It has to have educational value or meet the instructional goals of my class.

So you find your YouTube video - what can you do now?

• You can post a link to it
• You can embed it (my favorite)
• You can email it (least favorite

I prefer to embed it in Blackboard so let's start from the top.

1. First go to http://www.youtube.com/ and search and locate a video of interest by typing in to the search box your terms.  I have typed phonemic awareness and now will click the magnifying glass to search

2. Select a video from the list and watch it.   Remember, it needs to be a video that is worthwhile for you instruction, not just for the sake of watching a video.  In a literacy course, you might have a video of someone who is demonstrating how to use a specific assessment.  In a chemistry course you might find a great video that demonstrates good lab safety.  What is the purpose of employing a video? Is this for a face to face class and are you doing it to demonstrate something you did not get to demonstrate in class? Is this an online chemistry class and so you want them to see this demonstration because it is exactly how you would have done it?  Maybe it is an example of a marketing tool that you are teaching in class. Please make sure this fits the educational goals of your class and you are not just inserting a video for the sake of having multimedia!

 

3.  Now that you have selected a video let's figure out how to share the video. Below all YouTube videos are buttons for you to use! If you hover - that means point your mouse over the buttons, you will see what each one means. Point and click on the button that says share.

When you click on share, the following options will appear below. Now you need to click on Embed so that more options will appear.

The new options look like this: 

 The grey boxes pictured above represent the size you want the video to be when you embed it, they have numbers above them I would just leave it be for now, however you should try all the different sizes at some point so you can see which you prefer. I prefer the smaller one because they can always make the YouTube video a full screen when watching it, but I like the smaller size to display in Blackboard so that they don't have to do a lot of scrolling.

 Once you have made all your selections just highlight the text in the box. It starts with <iframe video and in my picture above it is already highlighted.  Now press the control button on your keyboard (CTRL) and while holding it down, press the C button on your keyboard.

You are now ready to go into Blackboard.

 

4.  How do you enter the YouTube content into Blackboard? Go to where you post items in Blackboard. And create an new item. In the version of Blackboard that I am using, I click on  Build Content  and Item

 5. The Create Item screen will appear.  You need to enter a title for your video and in the text box below enter any instructions you want to appear to your students.

When you are done with that you then need to "toggle into the html view".   You do that simply by pressing the button that is two brackets together. It is located with all the formatting buttons on the text box. See below.

When you click on the toggle button, the text box will change - it will still have your text - but the html coding will appear around it. Point your mouse and click at the end of the last sentence. In this case there is a <br /> so I would place my cursor there (the blinking stick is the cursor).  And then hold the Control key on your keyboard and then press the V key too! The text that you copied from YouTube will appear there.  You will see the start of the YouTube text - remember it started with <iframe  and within it it will say youtube.com

Click on the Submit Button in Blackboard and your video will now be embedded into your blackboard content page. Please see the following screencast for the same step by step directions that I gave you in this blog!

 

Managing with Blackboard

So you use blackboard and you are wondering where to start. Let's first think about time management. There are lots of bells an whistles with Blackboard, but you could lose yourself for hours if you try to figure all of this out while you are planning your class. So let's start with the basics!

If you are teaching a traditional face to face class, what is the best method to approach blackboard. You can:

1. Use Blackboard as a form of communication
2. Use Blackboard as a place to post assignments
3. Use Blackboard as a place to post your lectures so that students can access your notes before the lecture or after the lecture
1. You might want to consider using powerpoint or some sort of demonstration software if you do this

These three options are a great way to start with Blackboard. So let's start by looking at them.

Communication
Your Syllabus
The first place where faculty and students can have problems is communication. For some reason, directions always seem crystal clear to faculty (to us) but not to students !  There are lots of reasons things can go awry when giving directions.  As a result faculty create very structured syllabi to present to students the very first class, generally the syllabus is printed, disseminated in paper form and discussed in detail.  Posting that Syllabus in Blackboard prior to class starting, and throughout the semester, gives students a great place to constantly refer to, so that if they have questions, they can look there. What I do, is I change the title  "Information" link that is found in the Course Menu to be "Syllabus" - this is where I post my syllabus.  I post it as a document and I post it like a webpage! What you say, well, first I post it as a document. This gives the students the ability to open the document that we went through so thorough in the first class. I don't like to post word documents - I post pdf's! Why? Well not only can the pdf not get edited but it doesn't matter what software you have on your laptop, ipad, tower - and it doesn't matter what version of word processing programs you have. Adobe Acrobat reader is free to everyone and so it is easy for people to use (most people have it already installed on their computers). I also take out the information that is time sensitive, like due dates for assignments etc, and I post it as text in an item box, therefore making it look like a webpage.

To rename a link, click on the double arrow to the right of the link in the course menu. There you will have the ability to rename something!

Posting Assignments
You can do three things.

1. You can make a content area in your course menu that is just for assignments - then you can post all your assignments within that folder.
2. OR you can post all your assignments as a link in the Course Menu 
3. Lastly, you can make a folder for each week of your class and post the assignment in the week it was given or the week it is due.

When I started using Blackboard, I actually did option 3! But, it was problematic, although everything for the lecture in the one folder - lectures and assignments, seemed like perfect one stop shopping to me - some of my students found it difficult to find things if they were to go back or wait to do assignments. About four years ago, I started creating an assignment content area from the course menu. I have had great success with that. Most students prefer it. The second option, to post a link to each assignment within the course menu is one I have begun this semester...I will let you know how it works out!

To create new content areas - simply click on the plus sign at the top left corner of the course menu. It gives you the ability to create a new content area. You also have the ability to show it to users right away by selecting a check box. If you want to wait, don't select that check box. You can give users the ability to view a content area anytime by simply clicking on the double arrow to the right of the link and when the option drop down menu appears, choose show link.

When you create a new area, Blackboard always places it at the bottom of the list, to move an item, simply click on the double arrow to the left of the link, don't let go, and drag the link to where you want to go.

Posting Lecture Notes
Again how you present this to your students depends upon how you want to go about it! You can create one content area entitled course materials, or lectures, or whatever you call it, or you can create a link for each week, or lecture or whatever within the course menu. You know how to rename a link and how to create course content areas by looking above, so let's move on to how you post either a document that contains your notes (word, or pdf or something like that) or how you post a PowerPoint!

To post any type of file, look to the right of the screen when you are in a content area. There is a menu with buttons that start with Build Content  then Create Assessment and more. If you click on Build Content you have many options. You can click on Folder to create a new sub-content area, or you can click on item to create a new item with text and links or file to upload a file.

What do you want to do? If you created a content area called lectures, you could create sub-folders for each lecture, or you can create links to each of your lectures. It depends on how much you want to post. If you are simply posting a PowerPoint for each lecture of the class, (15 PowerPoint for 15 weeks of class) you may want to just use file and just upload your file to Blackboard. It may be an easy way to start using BB (Blackboard).

If you have handouts some weeks, but basically just PowerPoint, you may want to use file to upload any PowerPoint files for those weeks, but for the weeks that you have a handout AND a PowerPoint, you can use item - item gives you the ability to select multiple files - plus the ability to write directions.

Lastly, if you want to post additional things besides PowerPoint, handouts, webpages, links to videos and more, just lots of different things, I suggest you use the folder option for each lecture or week of class and then post everything you need, in that folder.

Personally, I would start off simple, just so you get used to Blackboard, and you can be consistent. This will give you the ability to digitize your notes if you need to, there are multiple presentation softwares available, always try to go with the one that is easiest for everyone to view no matter their computer.  Using course content programs can take a little time, but it will improve communications with students, and give you the ability to post more information and even save a tree! This gives you less times at the copier, or less time waiting for items to be copied. In addition, recycling material from course to course, is much easier with Blackboard, at some point when I review the more advanced options of Blackboard, I will show you how to copy material from course to course within Blackboard.

Below I give you the a video that has the detailed instructions on how to work in Blackboard, so that you can see all the buttons and options that I have discussed here.

Course Management Systems and Learning Management Systems

I decided I would look up information about course management systems and learning management systems and I learned that there are all sorts of different discussions and debates about both. They have mainly to do with the administration of these systems as well as what the instructor can do in them and how much they cost.Sometimes, they are combined together!  Let's focus on how to use them and how they benefit the learner. As a teacher/faculty member I am more interested in what I can do with them. So today I would like to focus on why we should use them and how.

My Class is in a classroom - I teach "face to face" - the old fashion way! Do  I need a system for that?
First of all, let's address the traditional style of teaching. You come to the class, you teach, you assign HW and dismiss. The hardest part is the preparation part, that is, if you are a good teacher! What we do in the classroom is the easy and fun part! During the course of a class you may give dittos or handouts. You also may have spontaneous or planned discussions, interactive sessions of some sort and lastly you may have a time set aside for demonstration or pure lecture. What you do depends on teaching style, learning style and topic.

These online systems can be used to post HW assignments, powerpoints or word docs if you want to share them with your students and you can post them prior to class. You can allow students to view them prior, or you could set up blackboard to "release" them during your lecture, or after your lecture. These days,  many students come to class with some sort of mobile device, phone, laptop, ipad/tablet they are all used in addition to the paper notebook. Students like to open up your files and follow the lecture this way. You can post discussion boards and have students discuss readings (to see if they are doing them) and have to students journal (using blogs or some journaling device) about what you did in the classroom. Students can submit assignments to you electronically, so no more walking around with bags of paper that you have to grade. And if the students can be mobile with their devices, so can you! You can grade and read on the run!

Benefits:

• By uploading your files to Blackboard (BB) you can teach your students to be prepared for class. If they review the notes ahead of time, then discussions can be more interactive. 
• I found that it forced me to have my lectures done in advance. No more "winging" it, however it also allowed me to redesign my classes so that I could do more interaction with my students. Lastly, it kept me on schedule within my lecture.
• Having the HW posted electronically and even submitted electronically reduces the paper that I have to hand out...a big savings to the Universities I worked for. In addition, no excuses are tolerated for not having work done. "I missed class" or "I didn't hear that" doesn't work
• Easy to post rubrics, and to reuse the good ones! I have found this benefit is tremendous for both the teacher and the learner. Now they know what I expect so I have received much better products! Plus it reduced the number of questions.
• Discussion boards are useful because they helped me monitor who was reading and who was not. Many students who are not comfortable with discussions in class are more comfortable with virtual discussions

Concerns

• Initially, I was concerned that students would not take notes or even attend class if I did this. However, one work around to that is not to post everything you are going to say. In fact poweroint should really just be an outline - not pages of information on slides.
• Investment of time - there is a learning curve to the programs. What can you do about that? Well all the universities and colleges now have courses or quick training classes that faculty can attend to learn their program. In addition, many schools have Instructional Designers or Educational Technologists...people who assist you in designing and using the space in these systems. Look around, you can find it! The initial investment of time can be costly, however, having the ability to copy stuff from semester to semester is invaluable and a HUGE savings of time.
• Some faculty, I found, were just copying the same stuff from semester to semester - not updating their course. I was embarrassed by this and frustrated. Here is a news flash, those people would do that in the traditional classroom environment too! Same handouts and same course materials would get used. I mind my own business and choose what I know is good to reuse and what I need to update. For me, having the ability to update while in the lecture has been a great success.
• I am great at typos, and sometimes I don't see them...until I am in the middle of my lecture! What's the work around! Find the student who will test things for you prior to the lecture, some are great at editing! I have a student name Jody who is an English Teacher changing careers. She is always helping me find my mistakes! I tell the classes to look for them and to raise their hands when they see them. Sometimes in my boring lectures (due to topics not me!!) I will purposely insert the mistakes, just to keep the class awake and paying attention. The only way to make sure you have no typos or grammatical errors is to complete your lecture within plenty of time prior to class, and to review and edit....review and edit and then, to do it again!

My class is hybrid or online
Well, than why are you asking this question? Your students will not see you at times or at all! You need to use these systems to communicate content, to monitor progress and to create interactivity in the virtual world. You can use it to not only upload lectures, but to give access to videos, recordings, interactive using social media tools and more.

I use these systems to make my online classes more than the students reading my notes. I give them a voice - using blogs, wikis, discussions. I assess them using online quizzes and assignments. These assignments and quizzes enable me to post explicit directions and instructions as well as to grade and record the grades easily. I use all types of media, images, videos and audio files are integrated so that I can appeal to all senses.

Conclusion
I think I have discussed enough reason for you to check out these systems. Look for the people that your university has put into place to assist you. Find a friend who is a strong user already and look at how they use it!! Next I will specifically write about Blackboard. I will give you some design tips for your class and some tips in the efficient use of BB.

How Do you encorporate Technology into the Classroom? I don't have time...

Recently, I was in a discussion with someone and we were discussing /teacher resistance to adding technology to their classrooms. The person I spoke with, commented that many people feel that technology will save them time. He suggested that technology is just a tool, and that it doesn't always save time.


So there it is folks...the truth is out....whoever told you that technology saves time...they lied. What are you saving time for anyway.? What? Do you want to have a life!!! By the way, technology doesn't always save paper either....

My hope is that this blog, will be a tool to help faculty, teachers, librarians or anyone who has to integrate technology into their academic life, mainly for pedagogical reasons, but even for organizational reasons. WAIT! Stop the presses! How is that different than the other sites that are out their reviewing software! Well,  instead of reviewing software after software, I would like to choose a tool and come up with discussions on the best methods of using that tool in the classroom. I am hoping that other people will see this blog and comment ...either requesting information on a technology or telling me their story!  Remember, when we use the term pedagogical in education, we are referring to instructional strategies, or the best use of instructional strategies. Combine that with technology and you have a information literacy pedagogical method...huh? Information literacy has to do with understand information sources. But it is  not just understanding information and its sources, but knowing or understanding which sources are the best to use - and knowing which information resources we still need to find.  Mash that with pedagogy and technology and we are looking at which technology can enhance our teaching strategies and how do we find new strategies and technologies. OR if we think of this in a student centered mind frame, what technology can we use to appeal to all of our student learners. Which will enhance our instructive methodologies so that our students strongest learning abilities are enhanced beyond their wildest dreams!

So how do we start?
The first step to learning anything new is to figure out what we don't know, recognize that we don't know everything, and to figure out what we do know!  Some of you feel inadequate, some feel frustrated and some are just looking for something new!! That's ok!! If you realize that you don't know everything, then that takes the burden off your shoulders that many of us carry...it's ok not to know everything, really!!! Even if you are an educator! In fact one reason I like to teach, is because I like to learn more, nothing helps facilitate that more than teaching does!  One reason I like to work with people about technology is the more I teach technology, the more I learn about technology.

So what do we know?
Well many of us know how to use word or a word like product (any mac users? Do you use Pages?). What do we know how to do in word processing programs? We know how to do page numbers, how to bold, italicize and underline. We also know how to do tables and other complex functions!

What other software do we know?
We also know presentation software. We use powerpoint, or keynote and we can bold, italicize and underline in that as well. We can look around the screen, many of us know how to do animation and more. 

What does this really mean?
That means, we know how to investigate software, and get functions going. Don't worry, if you have to play around with a software to figure it out, you most likely cannot break it!! Have you ever really broken your computer? But how do we investigate anything...by reading! Of course! I will try to give you resources that will help you keep track of the latest and greatest....this way you can help me find new technologies.

If you don't know how to use powerpoint, don't worry, soon I will talk about presentation software...and I will post it on the web...This is the first article of many.

What's next?
I have just finished my general introduction to this blog.  My next topic is going to be how to use course management system to enhance your online course content as well as traditional in class experiences. If anything, course management systems can help store files for you for the semester. We will discuss what things all course management systems have in common. I will use two or three examples Blackboard, Moodle and perhaps Sakai. If you have a request...let me know. My next blog posting may be interactive....so look for the words, pics and videos...The lesson from today's blog, is don't stress...you do know stuff!! And...keep reading. (For some reason, people think technology means less reading...I don't think it means less anything!)