Hackathons as a New Pedagogy | Edutopia

Hackathons as a New Pedagogy | Edutopia

Q: I wanted to pick your brain for your latest suggestion on easy, free slide show software. I want to just create a slide show with still jpeg images and add audio (probably an mp3 music file). Do you know what would be the best way?

A: so true, Prezi is not free anymore, Brainshark too. Wondershare slideshow advertises free download but I doubt it, don't waste your time.

Here is a link to an article 5 Ways Students Can Create Audio Slideshows
but I didn't try software listed there.

I looked at Google slides, it is free. You can't insert audio though, only youtube video. It is possible to create every slide as Youtube video and insert it in Google slides - odd process...

There is Movenote. It works with Google drive and allows you to add video or audio to your slides:

By Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Instructional Technologist, Instructor

July 7, 2014

I have used MoveNote to create tutorials for faculty. Faculty have taken to it like wildfire – they love how easy it is to record a video screencast that looks beautiful. Faculty at my institution are also having students use MoveNote to present and share projects and students are replying to each others’ MoveNotes online with the video reply feature.
Videos hosted on MoveNote.com are essentially shared as “unlisted” (available to those who have the link) — important share this with students if they create content.
One correction about the above review: There is a free version of MoveNote available (at the time of this writing) and the app is free for educators.
https://edshelf.com/tool/movenote/

People suggest using Google sites or google forms instead - you can create pages with Google sites and add sound there or add link to your slide:

Here is one way.
Just type in something like sound1 and link it to a sound file on the web:
 navajopeople.org/audio/audio2.wav
or in Google drive:
googledrive.com/host/0B6w5xqxWfszZTnZJUlh0QVlWWkk/Loop-Ambient-4.mp3
It will open in a new window. Just close the window when your done listening.

Remember that you can record your narration using audacity, save it in your Google drive and link to a word on your slide - like "click here to play audio".

https://productforums.google.com/forum/#!topic/docs/1xy9YwNIB7Q

My friend uses jing. If you have iPad look for Adobe Voice; it "is a free iPad app that lets you make an impact with an amazing animated video".

Q: I kept the interviews to show in my psychology course on VHS tapes. How do I digitize them to prepare for the online version of this course?

A: There are many services available to transfer VHS to digital files format. If you want to do it yourself look for USB Video Digital Converter. It comes with a software that allows you to edit videos on your computer, cut and save the chunks of your video in different format. You can find video tutorials online for different products. I am going to hook my VHS player with Sabrent USB-AVCPT A/V-to-USB 2.0 Digital Video Adapter to document the course materials I have on VHS tapes.

Q: Do you know online resources that define education terminology and jargon?

A: I would recommend the Glossary of Education Reform. It " was created to help journalists, parents, and community members—anyone with an interest or investment in our public schools—understand some of the major reform concepts being discussed by educators, researchers, and policy makers."

Q: I am looking for software to add simulations to my online course. The course has been developed as an outcome of the grant proposal and there is some funding left. Is it something on a market with reasonable budget?

A: I want to share what I learned at the ICELW conference about simulations. There is a SkillSims tool: http://www.etu.ie/

It takes ETU 6 days to create a complex branching simulation with images and audio (10 min. simulation) vs 45 days (Chapman Alliance). It is cloud-based service.

Here is a brief description of ETU's process:

So how our process works just to give you an idea is we do the following

1. Initial Web Conference Call (1hr) - (Attendees: Key Decision Makers)

If you would like to proceed, we can pick an initial project to focus on at this point

2. Deep Dive (1:30hrs - 2hrs) - Key Project Stake Holder, SME's or Instructional Designers 

Alternatively, we could pick a project at this point.

Where we have found more successful collaboration is if we pick an project after the initial 1hr web conference call.

Q: I would like to survey faculty needs of educational technology. What tool is available and easy to use?

A: SurveyMonkey is the most popular one. It is free and very user-friendly. Some people prefer to create a Google form for a survey. There are many tutorials online how to do so.
Check with your institution first - maybe you already have access to some technology, such as Qualtrics.

Q: Could you help? I need to make 6 power point slide-based videos and post the url in 2 hours for my class. Is it possible?

A: Sure it is. I assume that your slides are ready. First question: are you Mac or PC? 

Mac user - you can just record your screen with a QuickTime player. It is free. The instructions are here.
Save your movie as *.mov and post it at Youtube. You don't need to create a new account - sign in with the Google one. You can publish your video manually at Vimeo by uploading a video file. If you have a budget try Keynote

PC user - finally you have a choice. Try Screencastomatic - it works for Mac too. 15 min. long videos are free - much more powerful options than Jing. You can record a screen, web cam, or both. It is very user friendly. Download it, record your video. You have a choice to save your video as a file to upload to a website later or publish at Youtube. 

A few tips - please do test before you invest much time and efforts. Double check your audio devices. Make sure you set up your microphone before you start recording on PC. Check your Sound System Preferences on Mac. Pay attention where you are saving your video file at the end:)
If you are publishing on Youtube be aware of public setting by default. Go back and change it to private if you need. 

You still have time - run!

Q: I need to send my presentation to a colleague for the conference. How do I transfer big files?

A: there are many services available. They all have a free option. The most common services are Dropbox (2GB free), Box (250 MB free), WeTransfer (2 GB free) etc. Some of them offer to store files as well. Google Drive is also handy. Here is a link to more information.

Q: What video equipment would be reliable for the study abroad trip? Our group is going to a development country, remote areas. Students will take pictures and videos for their blogs and portfolio pieces.

A: Pack smart. Technology is offering great options our days, you don't need to carry heavy and expensive cameras to capture good quality pictures and videos. Flip camera such as Kodak Playsport is easy to use, it produces high quality image and sound, and has a pocket size. GoPro with a kit gives you a lot of flexibility. Cell phones with any Android systems or iPhones produce a very good video with sound. Use self stick  or grab and go tripod for stability, and practice before you go: try different camera angles, lighting conditions, battery life etc.

Q: My students are creating portfolios of their works. What apps could help them to stand out in a competitive world?

A: Adobe Slate would be the best choice but it is available for iPad users only. It allows to combine text and media content in a professional style and you don't need to be a designer. Check for alternative storytelling tools, name just a few: Pixotale for iPhone and iPad, Exposure for desktop, Explory,  Interlude Treehouse, Racontr, Storehouse and for Android: Comic and Meme Creator, AudioBoo, Talking Tom and Ben, WeVideo, Animoto, iStoryBooks. Every day something new pops out. Choose what works for you.

Q: I want to make my online course materials more engaging. Is it something relatively easy to use for a busy instructor?

A: Try Zaption to create a learning tour for your course. You can add existing videos from Youtube and Vimeo, trim your video to show the segments you want, add interactive elements such as quiz questions. There is a basic account for free to start.

Q: How to export audio from a narrated Power Point presentation? I want to update my slides but keep the audio.

A:  the question puzzled me for a second but I found a quick solution here. It worked for me.

If your audio is embedded in a PowerPoint file, you can extract the audio files by doing the following:

1. Save the presentation as a .pptx.
2. Navigate to the file in Windows Explorer, right click it and select rename.
3. Add “.zip” to the end of the file name so it looks like this: “filename.pptx.zip”.
4. Click enter.
5. Now, double click the file, then double click the ppt folder, then double click the media folder. You should see a list of all the media files in your PowerPoint.

Q: What technology is available to make writing activity more fun for my online students?

A: NewsMaker: "really is an extremely user-friendly program that students will enjoy. Now teachers finally have a tool driven by content not the technology". Here is an overview. Newsmaker improves writing, presenting and collaborating skills when students are emotionally involved in fun news production process; there is an opportunity to interact with a global community similar to publishing a blog. It will boost creativity in your classroom, especially online. Newsmaker provides the students another way of thinking about organizing their information creatively and using their sense of humor. Newsmaker tool  limits the amount of time students spent on editing and production. Students can focus on content and learning rather than production values.

Q: What is Teachscape?

A: Teachscape is a platform for education innovation network. Its "software tools, online content, and services allow educators to assess their skills and competencies,collaborate with colleagues, build their expertise, and plan their careers".