AUDIO TEST!!!!

We'll be doing some recording later in today's workshop,

so we need to be sure that your headset is working properly.

Plug in your headphones -- can you hear this video?

You know, getting (and keeping) their attention doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be super-adept at technology; sometimes it just means taking advantage of technologies that they love . . .

ACTIVITY: please use your cell phone to answer the following question:

Here are just a few examples of technologies that facilitate student engagement right away.

Think about how each of these tools could be used to support your student-success strategies that you came up with above:

Wordle:

Wordle allows you to create beautiful word clouds from a website, from student discussion, or from a text file (like a speech, or a student's paper!). I've had a faculty member suggest running the course syllabus through Wordle, to see what words were really emphasized - are you sending the message that you think you're sending?

How might you use Wordle for your courses?

	Here is wordle's version of my del.icio.us bookmarks. Here, I just copied the embed code from the Wordle website, then included it on this webpage.
	And here is a different example - I compiled comments from my youtube channel and pasted the text into wordle. Instead of using the embed code, I took a screenshot of the wordle and saved the image.

Now it's your turn . . .

Create a Wordle of your own! Be ready to share - where did the words came from? how you might use this tool for your class(es)?

Resources for learning to use Wordle:

• Wordle+Cheat+Sheet.pdf
• Want more ideas? Check out Forty-six Interesting Ways to Use Wordle in the Classroom.

PollEverywhere:

• Ask about student expectations
• Let students suggest some of the rules
• Ice breaker
  
• Student questions
• Student feedback (includes expressing concerns about the course)

Need resources to get started?

• Note: At this time, Polleverywhere does not integrate perfectly with Blackboard 9.  The "Live chart" widget works, but the "Web-voting" widget (which would probably be more useful in the context of Bb) does not.

• Handout: Sign Up for a PollEverywhere Account
  
• Handout: How to Create a poll in PollEverywhere
• Handout: Power Tips from the folks at PollEverywhere
  

Animoto:

Need resources to get started?

• Handout: Create an Animoto Account 
• Handout: How to Create a Video Using Animoto

Screenr:

Normally, I use Jing for my video tutorials -- it's free, with a 5-minute limit on the recording time (so plan accordingly!), but it does require a download. The tool we're going to show you today - Screenr - is a very simple screencasting tool that is entirely web-based.

Why is Screenr a good tool for a beginning screencaster?

• Extremely easy to use
• No download required; everything is web-based
  
• 5 minute recording limit (some tools have less than 5 minutes)
• Video displays within the Screenr player
• You can re-size or move the Screenr recording frame, so you have the flexibility to record only a portion of your screen
  
• You can send straight to Twitter or YouTube at no cost
• You can get the URL or the embed code (i.e., allows you to easily include/share video via Blackboard, social networking sites, or other webpages)
• Works with Mac or PC
• Screenr started life as a Twitter client, so you can sign in to Screenr with your Twitter login -- but you can also use your Facebook login, or Yahoo account, or gmail... including your MEID@maricopa.edu account (see handout below).
  
• We haven't seen anything that stipulates storage space limitation within Screenr -- I used my account to create about 40 screencasts within a couple of days (average about 4 minutes each), and had no problem.
  

Downsides to Screenr?

• The video is one-shot - no editing after the fact
• Although Screenr videos are not searchable by others, your screencast will appear in the Public Stream (shows "Recent Screenr Activity") for a few hours after you have posted it.
  

Here is a sample Screenr video that I created to give feedback to a student on a website that he was building for class:

Need resources to get started with Screenr?

• Handout: "Using Your MEID Account to Log In to Screenr"
  
• Handout: "Create a Screencast with Screenr"
• Handout: "Share Your Screenr Screencast"
• Video demo: "Create a Screencast with Screenr"
• Video demo: "Share Your Screenr Screencast"

Screenr Tips:

• Because Screenr records everything in one shot, with no post-recording editing options, you want to :
• have an idea in advance what you want to say. Five minutes goes fast, so plan accordingly!
• if you are going to go longer than 5 minutes, leave some time at the end for a "to be continued" sort of a statement, then start another video.
• if you don't like the finished recording, don't fuss about it - just delete it and start again. Remember, it only takes a few minutes.
  
• The player size never changes, so the more you try to fit into your capture screen, the smaller it will look on playback; however, there is a fullscreen mode that you can use for playback, and you will get everything in clear detail, even if it looked small in the regular player:

"What kind of microphone will I need? Is it going to cost a lot?"

In the workshop, we used Cyber Acoustics AC-850 headphones that were provided by CGCC Media Services.  As of January 2012, Amazon had these headsets for $26.31 -- but feel free to shop around.

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