Using Videonot.es to Flip

As I was taking my training for technology leadership certification, I was introduced to a site called Videonot.es.   I learned quickly that a teacher who is flipping a class, or who wants to script can use this program and pull videos from YouTube and Khan, just to name a few.   A student who needs extra help can use this quickly and efficiently to create great notes for themselves.   

One thing I really like about this is the link to GoogleDrive.  Anything you create saves in your Drive to be used later for more reference.  If you are in a class that has a comprehensive exam, you can refer to these flipped videos as a study tool. 

It could be used by numerous grade levels, even staff could use it for professional development notes.

When we did our training for TLC, we used this site to take notes and it was very helpful and useful.  I can see a teacher who is trying to flip a class use this to be very successful. Kids can benefit a lot, and if you are in a GAFE school, it's even easier.   I suggest you look into it.

Simple ways to caption: Camtasia

If you are fortunate enough to have a copy of Camtasia from TechSmith, you can use that to make your videos accessible to all with captioning.  The software is about $300 for a copy, but, it's worth it. I have used it for several video projects and the outcome is very professional.

The people at Techsmith have established excellent tutorials for their product and there is a section devoted to captioning.  It has a speech to text capability, syncing with a script as well as manual caption editing.

Techsmith does have a free trial of the software to see how to use it and if you want to buy it. I encourage you to download it and make a video lesson. Don't forget your captions, they are a very important step to making a video accessible for students who need to read subtitles instead of just listening.

Simple ways to caption: iMovie

I have talked a few times lately about captioning video to make them accessible for all learners.   I am not a Mac user, but, iMovie is built into each Mac computer and it can be used to caption videos.   I saw it done at a conference recently, and it looked fairly simple to do.   Apple has made a whitepaper with directions on how to do this.  You can find one by clicking this link.

I think it is important to remember that all students need to be able to have accessible videos.  Not all students can learn my merely hearing, some need to read that is spoken to them.  Captioning is a simple step that will benefit your students.

iMovie does take a little longer to caption than using YouTube, but, it can be done prior to the upload and be built in directly to the video. One step that is different than editing captions in YouTube is the direct typing of word for word content.   YouTube does find the content for you and you just edit. With iMovie, you will have to type as you listen.  The steps are a little extra, but it is worth it in the end.

Simple ways to caption: Movie Maker

When it comes to accessibility, captioning is by far one of the best ways to make a flipped classroom an accessible classroom to many learners.   Microsoft Movie Maker has the capability of placing captions over video clips to help the visual learner.   I have located a tutorial on Microsoft's website that explains the process of using Movie Maker's title/ credit component. You merely place the credit over the video.  You can see the tutorial here.

I have used Movie Maker often for putting together tutorials for students and staff. It is an easy program to use and the fact that it is free makes it even better. It is available on every PC computer and if it doesn't appear, it can be downloaded to your Windows PC.  It isn't compatible with an IOs system.

There are several good tutorials for Movie Maker in general on YouTube as well.  It's worth looking into.

Simple ways to caption videos: YouTube

I recently went to a training for technology leadership certification and one of the things we talked about for a great amount of time was accessibility for all students. 

I've decided I'm going to take a little bit of time to talk about captioning because that is one of the ways to make things accessible for students.  There are so many teachers flipping their classes, but do they realize that not all kids can follow the aural cues and watch the video along side?   Some of them need to have their videos captioned because they learn better by reading than merely listening. I want to take a little time today to show you how to use YouTube to caption.  I have found this is one of the easiest ways to make it work. 

1. First of all, if you have a video uploaded to YouTube, captioning is simple.  Follow these steps:

1. Open your YouTube video manager where you see the list of YouTube videos.

2. Choose the video you plan to edit and click Subtitles and caption from the Edit pull down menu.

2. 3. Choose English as the original language of the video and it will regenerate a page that has the 4th image on it, When you click the English that has a green dot next to it, you will see a page of text generate.  This is your captioning.   

4.  You need to click the edit button and it will permit you to change the text to what it needs to be.  Sometimes, text is generated that doesn't make perfect sense, but with a few keystrokes, you can change it to make it correct.  Hearing impaired will tell you they need to just get the gist and not the entire context.  Another note:  You may want to add cues that relate to the sounds as well. (applause, music, laughter) as this helps the hearing impaired understand why there is no captioning for a long period of time.

5.  Once you have edited the text that came in, you merely publish it and then you will notice that the video has text the next time it is played.

This is a free service and really doesn't take that long to complete.  You will be able to help many students who learn better from words than audio.  It is a great way to meet the accessibility needs of all students.

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Recording Lessons for a Flipped Environment

If you are a teacher currently looking at the Flipped model or using it, I had an aha moment today I have to share with you.  My French students were learning verb families today.  I have tried several different things to show them the notes on the screen.   I have used paper, a doc camera and projector.  I have used the laptop and connected it to the television.  I am finding that not all of these methods give me the chance to record and show again so kids can go back and relearn if they didn't get it.  Mind you, verb families are easy, but there is an occasional student who needs to see the step by step.

I have an iPad so I used an app called show me. (P.S. it's not my favorite. I was in experiment mode. Show me only allows one page per session. I can't write that small.) I think I will use educreations in the future. As I go back to my story, I linked my iPad to the television with a vga cord.  I wrote right on the device and my notes were there. My aha moment came when  I decided after the fact that I can record that lesson with the program and share it with the kids. Perfect start of a flipped class.

In the future I will be using these apps and recording my lessons as I teach them. I think the kids will really appreciate the availability of the tutorials later.

Using educanon to make Q/A videos

As a member of edweb.net, I get several digests each day and lately, the bulk of them have referred to a site called educanon that teachers are using to make the flipped model more inviting, more accountable and more specific to the needs of the kids.



Educanon takes your YouTube video and allows for insertion of questions to assure students are paying attention and learning something from the video.  A lot of mentions lately are by teachers who are flipping their classroom or considering the flipped model.  They are making videos galore and inserting lots of questions to check for understanding.

I decided since I was using a flipped model, somewhat, in my French class, I wanted to give it a shot. I made a few video clips that had some questions inserted.  It was easy to use and the fact that it's free is even better.

If you look at the images I posted, you see the video I selected and the questions I added. You can also see there is a desktop, per se, where you assign work to specific classes.  All of your videos are placed in a queue and you select one to send to a class.  It is very simple to do.  It seems to me that it takes longer to preview the video than to do the activities with it.

I think if someone is going to consider flipping a class, this site is a smart move to generate questions and answers.  It will certainly hold kids accountable and show the teachers what kids know. I am going to start implementing videos into my classroom.

Blendspace for class flipping

My edshelf connection is turning into a goldmine for new tools to use in the classroom.  One such tool I came across was Blendspace.

Blendspace is a board per se, that allows users to add video, text, quizzes, and more to make the flipped class experience even more in depth.   It is very well organized and easy to use.  Some may remember edcanvas, this is now blendspace.

I sent a copy of a canvas/board to my French 2 class and I loved how the page worked, looked and assessed.  I was able to embed several videos to the site and then add a quiz at the end.  Even if the quiz is treated more as an exit slip, I am still going to see how much information the students have obtained and maintained.

The blendspace platform allows users to connect to many different web based tools, including dropbox, vimeo, google drive and educreations.   I can see, with the educreations component being an add-in that a teacher who uses that program for flipping a class will find a great deal of ease and success pulling tools for student use.

I am really impressed by how easy and quick this is to use. It takes very little time to establish a space, add documents and information.  I am excited to see how it works for my classes.

A new way to flip a class

A few months back I joined edshelf, a site that builds collections of apps and tools for different needs.  Being a member of the site, I get a weekly (sometimes more often) email with a list of tools that have recently been added to the site.  I happened to read the latest email I received and noticed there was a new app/ site called edpuzzle.  I thought perhaps it was a site to make games but I checked it out and saw something that appealed to me a great deal:  a site that allows videos to be clipped and modified and add voice overs and questions.   I immediately thought about my French classes and how I could use it with them.

As I have mentioned before, I am working on flipping my French class.  I was searching for something I could use to show the kids videos but also assess them to see what they have learned.  I think this site would really help me do that.

After an account is created, classes can be made and so can assignments.   You can pull videos from Khan Academy, YouTube or LearnZillion and build assignments with them.  What a great tool to assess and teach together.

If you are doing a flipped class model or trying to differentiate your instruction, this may be the way to do it. Take a look at this site, it's free, seems easy and probably will do a lot of good for classes.

Flip a class with Sophia

The growing trend of late is flipping a classroom where teachers become the facilitator of learning and students drive the instruction and focus more on their personal growth through the use of videos and tutorials.

There are several platforms teachers can use to do a flipped class.  I came across Sophia on twitter and I like the format it has to offer.

First off, it is free (or premium) and it allows teachers to create classes and assign videos to each class.  Secondly, there is an archive of items recorded and shared by other teachers that can be added to a class.  As a French teacher, I didn't find a lot of material, but, I found a few things that can be pulled into a classroom setting.

There is a creative mode where teachers can make their own tutorials and screencast, edit and publish.  It also allows you to make playlists for specific topics/ classes/ etc.   I like the tools and tricks it has to offer.  I think if flipping a class is a direction one wants to take, this site can do a lot.

I think someone teaching Math or Science can really benefit from the offerings here.  It allows you to search for specifics and the classroom setup is very helpful.

If you are planning to flip a class or pull some of the flipped model into your classroom, you might consider looking at Sophia as a place to get started.

From the Archives: Screencast-o-matic to Flip a class

Flipping the classroom is the new trend in education.  I decided a few weeks ago I was going to pull certain aspects of flipping into my class, primarily the notes and having them accessible later for the kids.  One product that is out there to do free recordings is Screencast-o-Matic.  I have used this site for a lot of tutorials and presentations.  In fact, I have had my students also make screencasts of their presentations to send to me because I felt it was important to do the public speaking aspect, but keeping an entire class interested for three days of presentation is hard at any age.

The site is very easy to use.  You click the start recording button, make the dashed box fit the area you are using (I tend to have the powerpoint or prezi screen ready to go in presentation mode) and press record.  You start talking and presenting.  You have 15 minutes to record. When it is done, you save it and export it in several different formats, easy as that.

Screencast-o-matic does have a few downsides.  The free version does not allow you to store more than one video on the server, but, if you export to your server, computer or upload it to youtube, you have no worries.  If you are flipping your class and need more than 5 minutes of video, this is a great site to use.  I have had a lot of positive experiences with it and would recommend it for any tutorial building, presentation needs.

A few ideas for use:
1. Flipping the classroom.  Record your lessons (if you have an elmo that has software linked to your computer, you can record as you present to the class for later reference or use a powerpoint and type in the information. Save the files to your computer and upload them as you need them.

2.  Class presentations.  Have the kids record a presentation and show it to the class.  It makes it something you can refer to later if you have several ways of grading things.

3. Tutorials.  If you are having students/ colleagues use a specific web 2.0 tool or the library catalog, use screencast-o-matic to walk them through the steps.  I used this to record a tutorial about setting up the teacher website.  It was a huge hit and everyone who watched it felt confident in their end product.

4.  Capturing a video stream.  Sometimes, we come across a video clip that is just perfect for a lesson but we don't want to use the entire youtube video or spend the money on the movie.  If you screencast it, you can record the clip and save it.  Do not forget to follow copyright laws and procedures and use creative commons, but, it is a faster way to get that clip of a video than downloading and editing in movie maker or a similar program.

It's a tough time flipping a class

Back in July I announced to my readers that I was flipping my class. Sorry to say but time is not on my side to do this. I started placing files per chapter into a one note document that I shared with my class but I came across some downfalls. First of all, Microsoft only allows a certain number of people to create a skydive account with the same IP address. This makes account creation an absolute nightmare when a portion of the class lives in an Internet free environment. Yes I have kids without Internet access! In one class alone four of the 12 have no Internet. Mostly because the only options are very slow dial-up.

I tried having a few a day set up accounts but it interfered with class time so I had to quit. I was able to integrate some components of flipping into my lessons and now that I know the steps to take and how much time is involved I will spend my summer next year developing a program that allows me to flip a class.

I know some have had great success with the flip. In fact, a colleague of nine did it last year and said she would never go back. She spent her prep time taping the training videos. I have been so busy during my prep I am lucky to grade! (I teach French and run the library so my time is spent working with kids and tech.)

I think my future in flipping the class could happen but it is going to take some downtime from being a librarian to do it. For now, I will stick with edmodo and posting notes and lessons online as we do them for later reference. That is the best I can do in the flip.

Using screencast-o-matic to flip a class

Flipping the classroom is the new trend in education.  I decided a few weeks ago I was going to pull certain aspects of flipping into my class, primarily the notes and having them accessible later for the kids.  One product that is out there to do free recordings is Screencast-o-Matic.  I have used this site for a lot of tutorials and presentations.  In fact, I have had my students also make screencasts of their presentations to send to me because I felt it was important to do the public speaking aspect, but keeping an entire class interested for three days of presentation is hard at any age.

The site is very easy to use.  You click the start recording button, make the dashed box fit the area you are using (I tend to have the powerpoint or prezi screen ready to go in presentation mode) and press record.  You start talking and presenting.  You have 15 minutes to record. When it is done, you save it and export it in several different formats, easy as that.

Screencast-o-matic does have a few downsides.  The free version does not allow you to store more than one video on the server, but, if you export to your server, computer or upload it to youtube, you have no worries.  If you are flipping your class and need more than 5 minutes of video, this is a great site to use.  I have had a lot of positive experiences with it and would recommend it for any tutorial building, presentation needs.

A few ideas for use:
1. Flipping the classroom.  Record your lessons (if you have an elmo that has software linked to your computer, you can record as you present to the class for later reference or use a powerpoint and type in the information. Save the files to your computer and upload them as you need them.

2.  Class presentations.  Have the kids record a presentation and show it to the class.  It makes it something you can refer to later if you have several ways of grading things.

3. Tutorials.  If you are having students/ colleagues use a specific web 2.0 tool or the library catalog, use screencast-o-matic to walk them through the steps.  I used this to record a tutorial about setting up the teacher website.  It was a huge hit and everyone who watched it felt confident in their end product.

4.  Capturing a video stream.  Sometimes, we come across a video clip that is just perfect for a lesson but we don't want to use the entire youtube video or spend the money on the movie.  If you screencast it, you can record the clip and save it.  Do not forget to follow copyright laws and procedures and use creative commons, but, it is a faster way to get that clip of a video than downloading and editing in movie maker or a similar program.

I am going to flip my class

I have decided after a lot of research, reading and chatting with others, I am going to take a jump in the deep end and flip my class this year.   I have spent numerous hours this summer talking to people on twitter, reading chats and reading blogs about the topic.   As a little background information, I am a French teacher.  I also run the school library. There are many times I am in the middle of class and someone stops in needing technology help. Yes, I have an aid, but sometimes the needs are things only I can do.  I think if I flip my class, a three minute interruption won't impact the kids learning.  I spend only a little bit of time each week doing lecture.  I have found that a short intro of the topic to the whole class and then small pod lessons works best with my kids.  I think what I am already doing is a little flipped, but, I intend to stop the in class lecture and move into the video mode.

I don't intend to make kids watch the videos at home unless they want to.  Since French is not a core class, most kids don't do homework anyway.  They often put it on the back burner to get their core work done.  I can't compete with math, science and English.  Both content areas often require a lot of night work and kids have so many other things to do outside of school.  They spend seven hours a day at school.  Why should they spend their entire evening doing more school work?  Plus, I have to grade it. 

Here is how I envision my class:
Kids will come in and log into Edmodo for their daily starter. (we are 1:1 so all students have a laptop.)  I will be using today's meet or poll everywhere to do warmups.  They will also see links to their videos.  They will be instructed to download the video and be given their daily assignments.  One of the assignments will be watching the video.  While that is happening, I will be in small group talking to the students, using the target language and answering questions.  As they watch the videos they will be taking notes which will be used for their grades.  I also anticipate a lot of projects and group discussion in French.  We are also going to be connecting with Francophone schools via skype and ePals.  I see my kids gaining a lot of their knowledge through communication.

I am looking forward to trying this and seeing how it works.