Week 3 of my Practicum

This week I worked on three instructional videos for using Camtasia 8.  These videos were somewhat shorter in duration then my previous videos.  However, that did not make the process go a lot faster like I thought/hoped it might.  I added closed captions to my videos and had some problems getting the captions to show up on the videos once they were saved, but thankfully it all came together.

The first video I made was a tutorial on how to use a callout in Camtasia 8.  Callouts are used to point out or highlight important information or objects on your screen.  This video was the quickest and simplest of the three I made because it is a simple tool to use and it was easy to demonstrate in Camtasia.

Below is the tutorial on using a callout in Camtasia 8:

The next video I made was a tutorial on how to use the zoom function on Camtasia.  The zoom function helps guide the viewer to where you want them to focus.  This, in turn, makes it easier on the viewer because they are not searching the screen for the information you want them to retain.  This video was a little more difficult to make because of the different screens and functions I was trying to highlight.  The more words in your script and functions you have to demonstrate, the more difficult it is to get right in one take.  I need to write Camtasia technical support and ask them to add a function where you can stop the recording and back it up to where the mistake was and just start the recording from the mistake.  

Below is the tutorial on using the zoom function in Camtasia 8:

 

The final video I made was a tutorial on how to show the creator via webcam on the screen of your Camtasia video.  This was the shortest video, but it was difficult because I had to use multiple screenshots to illustrate my points instead of being able to use video recordings.  One thing that threw me off at first is that when Camtasia is displaying your webcam feed in its video, it does not appear on the screen until you stop the recording.  After you have stopped the recording, you can move the webcam box and adjust the size to fit your video needs.  

Below is the tutorial on displaying your webcam within a Camtasia 8 video:

Week 2 of my Practicum

I dove a bit deeper into using Camtasia 8 this week.  My first video on how to take a screen shot using Camtasia 8 turned out pretty well.  However, I needed to make a couple adjustments.  The first correction was not introducing myself because of how these videos will be used in the future.  I added a call out to one segment of the video to give a better visual instruction of what needed to be done.  I also zoomed in and out on certain portions of the video so that the viewer would be able to follow along with more ease.  Now that I have made these adjustments, I think it is a much more user-friendly video.

This week I made a tutorial on how to create a "screen-capture" using Camtasia 8.  A screen-capture is a video recording of the screen.  This took some time because of the information I was providing.  I was hoping I could record the screen and then bring up another recorder interface while making the video.  That was not the case. I ended up taking quite a few "screen shots" of different items in Camtasia.  A screen shot is a still image of the screen.  The next step was pasting the screen shots in the paint application and cropping them to an appropriate size.  After I saved the cropped screen shots, I imported them to my Camtasia Studio.  I adjusted the dimensions of the recording box within Camtasia to fit my needs and began recording.  I have a brand new appreciation for anyone that narrates anything because it took me at least 15 takes before I got the speaking portion correct.  Finally, I added closed captioning to the video.  

I am also working on several other videos that will be posted in this blog in the coming weeks.  I was given a YouTube video to watch and I am making several videos that will instruct the user on how they could make the same style of video in Camtasia 8.  

The below video is the revised Screen Shot video tutorial in Camtasia 8.

The below video is the Screen Capture video tutorial in Camtasia 8.

The Beginning of My Practicum

I am finally starting my practicum for my graduate degree in Online Teaching and Instructional Design.  The focus of my practicum will be to create user-friendly tutorials for designing projects within Camtasia 8 Studio.  Camtasia 8 Studio is a software that was developed for creating videos and presentations directly using screen-cast.  It can also be used as a direct recording plug-in to Microsoft PowerPoint.

My first task was to familiarize myself with the software and make a video that instructs the user on how to take a screenshot using Camtasia.  The actual process of taking a screenshot on Camtasia is pretty straight forward.  However, my first attempt at making a video within Camtasia was somewhat challenging due to some technical issues on my end.

I was able to take and edit the video without too much difficulty.  The problem was that I did not realize my speakers had not been plugged in since we changed the layout of our office.  I spent around 45 minutes trying new options within Camtasia to add sound to my video.  After recording my video, I played it back and there was no sound.  There is an audio record option in Camtasia so I thought I might be able to start the video recording and the audio recording at the same time.  This did not work because when I started the audio recording, my video would play straight through without letting me stop the video.  I finally realized the speakers were unplugged!  With the speakers plugged in, I was able to make more progress. 

Once the video was completed I added Closed Captions as an option.  The speech to text function is not the best in the world.  I corrected all the errors of the speech to text and saved my first project on Camtasia.  I converted the video into a MP4 format so that I could send it to my professors.  Having spent some time exploring Camtasia, it seems to be an excellent way to make videos and I am excited to learn more.

The video tutorial on taking a screenshot in Camtasia 8 Studio is below.

Shattering the Myths of Online and Blended Learning

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There are so many myths and misconceptions about blended an online learning that it only makes sense to take a class and found out what's real.  Having completed this course, I can tell you that most of the myths and misconceptions are just that, myths and misconceptions.  

Having not spent a lot of time in the classrooms yet, I was pleasantly surprised to see that students with disabilities are not being overlooked when it comes to blended and online learning.  Too often, this group of students are only taken into consideration after other students have shown success.  This is disappointing and I am glad to see the trend going the other way.

My biggest struggle with this class was writing my literature on blended and online learning in the K-12 grades.  There has not been enough research into this exploding field.  With blended and online learning proliferating at such a rate, there needs to be more in depth research into best practices, student learning rates, and satisfaction.

Having taken a number of online classes, there was not much that surprised me.  As mentioned before, I am excited about the opportunities for students with disabilities in an online and blended setting.  I will admit, I did not know how much effort goes into designing an online or blended course.  It is a lot.  Not only do you have to develop the material, you have to learn how to incorporate it into a learning management system.  This can take longer than actually putting the material together.

I think my biggest takeaway from this course will be to ensure that the lines of communication are always open and the students feel comfortable in contacting me.  The students are the losers if the teacher is not approachable or does not communicate effectively.

I really enjoyed this course.  I especially liked the fact that our professors gave us the opportunity to set up our own personal learning plan.  The ability to pick the parts of the course that best met my learning needs was a big plus in my book.  It really helps you take ownership of your own learning.

 

Online Sites and Apps For Science

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There are so many options available for teaching science with an online component.  One is called Study Jams.  It combines learning with music and singing.  This can get your kids out of their seat and we all know that we can remember lyrics to songs we have not heard in 10 years!  Science A-Z is an online resource that integrates science and literacy while assisting teachers in satisfying standards in both science and English language arts.  Learn 360 enables you to manage, share, and collaborate using a variety of resources located within the site.  Brain Pop is a site that uses videos, text information, games, and quizzes all provided by the site.  I have not seen any online resources used for science in my classroom.  One of the focuses of the class I am writing this blog for is to make sure you are not just lecturing at the front of the classroom.  Science can be difficult to understand if you do not provide your students with some hands-on opportunities.  While online sites are not hands-on, they provide a different level of interaction and opportunities that lectures do not.

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There are certain aspects of science that are much more enjoyable to do rather than to watch.  Using baking soda and vinegar to fill a balloon with gas or making jello to show how a liquid becomes a solid are a few examples.  However, there are some aspects of science that cannot be recreated through hands-on activities in the classroom.  Being able to see how blood moves through the body or what a functioning organ looks like in real life are a few examples of how technology brings science to life.  

Online resources can bring aspects of science that have previously only been shown through pictures.  Students can view body functions and see the universe through vivid videos and interactions.  Online resources can provide students with the opportunity to actually see how the universe works or how the human body works.  They can also provide students with the ability to do experiments that would not be possible because of safety concerns.  There is so much opportunity to give students more applicable learning methods then the traditional pictures and lectures. 

 

Science Vocabulary Content

 Science Vocabulary Content

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I have seen a variety of strategies used in my classroom.  My teacher has a word wall with science terms posted over most of the back wall on laminated squares.  These squares are colorful, neat, and informative.  They all contain an example or have a drawing that describes the term. Here is a picture of the wall (I apologize for the quality of the picture).

The kids regularly look back at the wall during science instruction and try and find the term they are looking for.  Most of the students have difficulty spelling these word and use the word wall to assist them in the spelling of these words.  She also had the students make flash cards to help them with the meaning of the terms and the spelling.

She has the students play bingo.  They get to pick a prize if they get bingo.  Last week she called it “Hingo” instead of Bingo because they were going over heat, radiation, convection, and other terms involved in this portion of the science lesson.  This really motivates the students because if they do not know the terms, they will never get bingo.  Several students thought they had bingo, but they had incorrectly identified some of the terms.  They were going to play again the next day, and I am sure the students that did not know a lot of the terms went home and studied so they could win a prize. 

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I think the students would benefit greatly from using the Time to Talk strategy.  It is difficult for students to understand the meaning of the word if they cannot use it in a conversation.  Giving them the opportunity to use the words in their colloquial language will aid them in understanding the concept.  It also gives the teacher the opportunity to show them how to make the transition into using the word or concept in more conceptual way.  

It might also benefit them to use graphic organizers.  It is more visual and can help to display words with a range of contextual information.  Students have different learning styles.  Using a graphic organizer can make the data seem less overwhelming and complex just because of how it is displayed.

Technology Related Challenges in 21st Century Schools

There are so many challenges related to technology change, with many of those challenges not having anything to do with the technology itself.  The burden of finding affordable technology that everyone is comfortable with is a challenge that has never been faced before.  Check out this video on some of the challenges and amazing things that are happening with technology.

I have selected four technology related challenges to explore in this post.  They are:

• Money
• Parents
• Training
• Administrators

Money

This is obviously one of the most important factors when dealing with technology change.  However, it is almost impossible to address because funding is determined by the government.  Each district must decide how to use these funds appropriately.  Elected officials are really the only ones that can change how districts are funded.

Proposed Solution:

Besides electing officials that are open to and willing to increase budgets, the only avenue I see is ensuring that the money is spent effectively.  Have trusted staff (teachers) review any new software systems to make sure they are user friendly.  Wasting money on systems that no one on the staff feels are efficient is irresponsible.  Also, administrators can look at technology to save money (E-books).

Parents

Some districts and schools do have the funding to incorporate technology into their schools but do not have the support of the parents.  Some parents reject new technology because they do not understand how it works and how it would be used.  Others fear for the privacy of their child and worry about access to inappropriate material.  I spoke with a teacher that has worked in the U.S. and Denmark.  Beth Borten said, "My students in Europe had google accounts and e-mail addresses 5 years before students here. They were doing project-based learning and flipped classrooms years before anyone in the states. The problem I ran into with the same age group of students in America was that their parents and the district weren't ready to give 4th and 5th graders e-mail accounts. I started asking for it in 2011. I finally got it in 2015, and only with closed access e-mail addresses". 

Proposed Solution:

Educate parents on what the new technology is and how it will be used in class.  Also, make sure privacy concerns and access to content is addressed.  I believe most parents will accept changes if they understand how it will be used to help their child.

Training

Another problem is making sure our teachers are properly trained.  If you do not feel comfortable with a new system, you will most likely resist the change and continue to use your old system if possible.  An article (http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol9/910-bohn.aspx) I read believes there are four types of resistant teachers:

• Those who believe administration will not help or understand them.
• Those who don't have confidence in their teaching and don't know how to improve.
• Those who prefer traditional methods and believe change would require too much work.
• Those who lack the desire or motivation to improve. 

In Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement (Schrum & Levine, 2009), the different generations in technology are described.  They range from digital immigrants to digital natives.  Digital immigrants are those people that still look up movie times in the paper.  Digital natives are those that were born and raised in the digital world.  I am a millennial, which means I fall in the middle.  

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Proposed Solution:

Teachers need to be consulted when implementing new tech systems.  This makes them feel a part of the process and you get real feedback from the operators.  Ensure that the teachers have plenty of opportunities to learn how to use the new software.  It is very stressful to try and learn a new system on the fly.  Make sure that there is someone that can properly coach the teachers through the new systems. Confidence is key when using new technology.  This video was interesting to me because it talked about teachers learning from students.  I think some teachers do not like to ask students for help.  This is probably ego or fear of losing control.  Students take pride in being able to help their teacher.  
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Administrators

Administrators can be resistant to change as well, but not always because they resist change.  Sometimes it is because of the cost or the backlash from parents and/or teachers.  Some administrators fear that if they change, their productivity will be affected.  Others are more concerned about he dollar amount.  

Proposed Solution:

The dollar amount can not really be adjusted.  However, as stated before, most people only fear what they do not understand.  If everyone is kept in the loop as necessary and everything is explained properly, there is a much better chance of success.