When I taught middle school students how to use video to tell a story, I quickly ran into the same challenge that I had when I taught the writing process to 3rd graders. Some students will quickly digest skills and strategies and speedily move along the continuum, while other students take more time. I solved this by using video to teach video production.

By recording your lessons on video, you too can empower students to work at different rates. For the video production class, I recorded all of my lessons using Captivate. Captivate recording everything I did on the computer and included my voice describing my actions. ActivStudio can essentially do the same thing. There’s an example below.

Imagine this. If all of your lessons for the writing process have been recorded. Whether a student is absent or would like a second demonstration, they can easily access that instruction for review. Students can move at a quicker pace. Guest teachers can negotiate classroom management while you teach by proxy through the computer. This technology gives you more time to meet in small groups and individuals. There numerous are possibilities. Here’s a link to what teachers at one school are doing with video.

To get started make sure that the Flipchart Recorder is on your activStudio toolbar. Click on the Flipchart Recorder and choose “Fullscreen Recorder.” Press record. Choose where to save the video. Press record again and there you go. Once finished you’ll have a video named “rec.avi.” Which is great!

If you develop instructional content with video, you have great work sitting on your computer. However, if you upload it to a website or blog, students can access it from anywhere. Our district has a great resource with WordPress. With your own WordPress account, you can organize your lessons for students to easily access whether they are at the library, home or school.

WordPress will display your video better if you reduce the size. The easiest way to to use Windows Movie Maker to convert your file from rec.avi to rec.wmv, with the size of 320 by 240 pixels.

Below is a video created using ActivStudio that demonstrates how to take a video created with ActivStudio and to convert it so that you can upload it to your WordPress site.

You can use this technology to teach any subject! Have fun recording lessons that empower students to pick up the pace!

Video Conversion

Creatively and Effectively Using Promethean Technology in the 3-5 Classroom

The purpose of this class will be to develop understandings about how to use the visualizer, activstudio software, and Promethean products to increase student understandings and engagement across all content areas. Each class will focus on a different content area and how to most effectively, efficiently, and creatively plan for instruction. In addition, we will develop ways to share our resources in order to learn from one another and cut down on planning time. This class will focus mainly on grade 3-5 content, but could easily be adapted for younger and older students.

Dates: March 3, March 10, March 31, April 7, April 14, April 21
Times: 3:30 – 6:00
Location: Crawford Elementary, Room 41

REGISTRATION

Today I encountered a projector that would only project with a pink hue. Whether it was plugged into a laptop or a visualizer, it was pink. I think what happened is that someone started up the projector using the S-video. That changed the settings automatically so that when you try to just use a VGA, the projector shows a pink hue.

Here’s the info on how to reset a projector to normal.

Menu>Signal>Computer Input>RGB

Here’s a post from the APS Technology Learning Fair committee.

This year, APS will host its first annual Technology Learning Fair. Planning is still underway, however we are looking for a few good people to help with planning and carrying out this event. If you would like to help, please email Shannon Wentworth (scwentworth@aps.k12.co.us) or Gwynn Moore (gmmoore@aps.k12.co.us).

FAQs

What is a Technology Learning Fair? A Technology Learning Fair is very similar to a science fair. Students complete special projects which have a strong emphasis on technology and then gather to share what they have learned and how they created their projects.

Why hold a Technology Learning Fair? Technology is no longer the future of education. It has become an important part of today’s education. Students need to have a well-rounded twenty-first century education which means providing them with access to twenty-first century tools and techniques. A Technology fair helps showcase what our students can do with today’s technology tools. A technology fair is also a way for schools across APS to share their visions and achievements with each other and the community.

When will the Technology Learning Fair be held? The Technology Learning Fair will take place on Thursday, April 17th. Set up will occur from 3:00-5:00 PM. Judging will take place from 5:00-6:00 PM. Entries will be open for public viewing from 5:30-7:00 PM. The Awards ceremony will begin promptly at 7:00 PM.

Where will the Technology Learning Fair be held? Hinkley High School will be the location for the Technology Learning Fair.
Hinkley High School
1250 Chambers Rd.
Aurora, CO 80011
303-340-1500

When are applications due? Student applications will consist of pages 2-4 of the Student Notebook (downloadable from the Technology Learning Fair website http://www.apstech.wikispaces.com). Applications need to be submitted via inner-school mail to either Gwynn Moore at Paris Elementary or Shannon Wentworth at Sixth Avenue Elementary no later than February 29, 2008.

Where can I learn more about the Technology Learning Fair? Click here to learn about the rules of the Technology Learning Fair.

Here is some info that Jay sent us on making sure that staff and students refrain from using markers on electronic whiteboards. Be especially careful to notify subs. One teacher this year had a sub the day his Promethean board was installed. The first thing the Guest Teacher did was to write on the board.

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Here are some suggestions from Promethean Planet’s Forum:

“Here’s what I’ve seen and heard as I travel to schools:

1) drape an actual sheet or some type of cover over the board

2) post bright orange signs on the board with the international sign for “do not” – circle with line through it – use markers on the board

3) have no markers anywhere around the board at all

4) assign a couple kids in each class to immediately tell a substitute teacher not to write on the board

The rest might just be good fortune…”

“If you use a “fitted sheet” the elastic around the corners will hold it on the board.”

Hope this helps, Jay