Jonathan Wylie

How (and Why) to Use OBS.Ninja On Your Next Zoom or Meet Video Call

Laptop on a desk next to an iPad. There is a Zoom call running on the laptop screen. — Photo by Gabriel Benois on Unsplash

I had been doing some research recently around the idea of using an iPad as a document camera on a Zoom or Google Meet call. It can be a great option for showing books, manipulatives, worksheets, or other learning materials during a video call with students. Zoom has built-in functionality to help facilitate that process. Google Meet does not, but you can make it work if you join the call for a second time on your iPad. However, if you want an easy way to show a mobile device on Zoom or Google Meet call, you should take a look at OBS.Ninja.

How to Use mmhmm to Engage Students in Online Learning

A blue fence with a yellow desktop computer spray painted onto the fence. The computer has the words Stay Connected displayed on the monitor. — *Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash*

The global pandemic of 2020 forced many classrooms into online or hybrid learning environments. For educators that had to teach like this, it was not familiar territory. They had to adapt quickly and learn new ways to engage and motivate students who were not physically present any more. Technology helped teachers navigate many of these scenarios, and it continues to have a profound effect. That’s why apps like mmhmm are quickly becoming a popular addition to a teacher’s toolkit. Here’s why.

5 Ways to Show the Battery Percentage on Your iPhone

A hand holding a blue iPhone. The back of the phone is facing the viewer.

Recently, when I upgraded my iPhone to a newer model, I noticed that the battery percentage was gone. This was a little unsettling. I love seeing the battery percentage on my iPhone. Without it, the small, white battery icon is just not precise enough, and it rarely serves to give an accurate representation of how much longer my iPhone will last. However, I soon learned that the battery percentage was not gone, it just moved, and in the latest version of iOS there are multiple ways for you to show your iPhone battery percentage. Here are five of my favorites.

Continue Reading ->

New Zoom Backgrounds from Canva

Create Customizable Zoom Backgrounds for Canva.

Have you seen the new Zoom backgrounds in Canva? These customizable templates can be a great way to add some visual prompts in a remote learning environment, but they can also be a simple way to inject some fun into an online classroom. In this post I will show you where to get them, how to add them to Zoom, and an easy way to combine multiple backgrounds so that you can quickly change between them when you need to. Here’s what you need to know!

Organize Google Drive Like a Pro!

A woman typing on a latop. Next to the laptop is a book, a notebook and a variety of highlighters.

It’s time to organize your Google Drive. You’ve been putting it off for months and things have got way out of hand. It’s getting harder to find the files you need with the search bar, and the mess you created is seriously starting to annoy you. If this sounds familiar, you’ve come to the right place. This step-by-step guide is designed to get you back on track and bring order to the chaos. Let’s get started.

Continue Reading ->

How to Translate Websites on iPhone or iPad with Safari

Image of mountains. Text reads, translating websites on mobile devices.

The release of iOS 14 brought hardly any changes to the Safari web browser, but it did include one notable feature that Apple is sure to build on in future releases. Website translation is now possible when you visit sites that were written in one of seven different languages. This is useful if you are trying to see how news is reported in different countries, or if you are traveling and want to keep up with the latest information in that region. In this post, I am going to show you how that works, and give you some options on what else you can do if you are looking for a language outside of the seven that Apple currently supports.

A Beginner’s Guide to the iOS Shortcuts App

The iOS Shortcuts app is one of Apple’s best kept secrets. It might seem a little intimating, but with practice, Shortcuts will open up a whole new way for you to use and interact with your iPhone or iPad. This app expands the functionality of your device so that you can do things that you never thought possible, and it will save you time on repetitive tasks. Best of all, you don’t need to be a programmer or have any technical knowledge in order to get started using them today.

Continue Reading ->

Loom for Education: Free for Schools

Loom for Education is a free premium tool for teachers and students at K-12 schools, universities, or educational institutions. It can be used for screencasting or video messaging and is an increasingly popular alternative to Screencastify or Screencast-o-matic. Loom is available as a desktop app, Chrome extension, and a mobile app for iPhone and iPad. Here’s why you might want to take a look at this great free screencasting tool.

Review: Vostok Amphibia SE

The Vostok Amphibia watches are a range of classic dive watches that were first produced in the USSR in 1967. Their simplicity and reliability meant that they quickly became a stalwart choice for the Russian military, with some even venturing into space and back again during the 1970s. This particular Vostok, (reference number 420B35), is a special edition model that has a number of noteworthy upgrades over the standard Amphibia watches. It is available with a blue or a black dial and all of them retail for less than $150 USD.

Continue Reading ->

The Only Screencasting Tip You Really Need

Computer keyboard and a cup of coffee on a table. Text reads, One simple trick to improve all your screen recordings.

You won’t be short on reading material if you search the web for the world’s best screencasting tips. There are dozens of listicles with all the advice you need to become a screencasting pro. Personally, I don’t see the need to add to them with yet another top ten list. Instead, I am going to spend some time talking about just one tip. It’s the one thing that improved my screencasts more than anything else, and it can improve yours too.