Video Archives - Jonathan Wylie

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.

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.

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.

A Great Free Video Editor for Schools

A boy in bed, illuminated by the screen of a laptop. Text reads, Animotica: Free for schools

For the last couple of weeks I have been playing with a free video editor for Windows 10 called Animotica. It’s available from the Windows Store. As you might expect, the free version does come with an optional in-app purchase and that means if you want to take full advantage of all the available features, you need to upgrade to the Full Pro account. However, the Full Pro plan is just $16 for a lifetime license and there are no monthly subscription fees. Better still, schools can get a Full Pro license for free.

How to Look (and Sound) Good on Video Calls

A laptop sitting on a table. Text reads, 5 Ways to Improve Your Video Calls.

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably doing a lot more video calls than you used to. The current pandemic has got us all well-versed in communicating via Skype, Zoom and Google Meet. However, as comfortable as we might be with our new found communication skills, there are still a few easy things you can do to take your video conferencing skills to the next level. In this post, I look at five ways that are guaranteed to make you look (and sound) great at your next virtual meeting.

Record Your Screen for Free on Windows 10

black Xbox controller. Text reads, Record you Screen with the Xbox game bar. Learn more jonathanwylie.com

The ability to record your screen and share it with others is one of those skills that I think we should all have in our back pocket. It’s a great way to share knowledge with others or demonstrate mastery of a concept. Today, there are all kinds of apps that let you do this. Many are free, others are not. It just depends on how polished you want the final product to be. In this post, I am going to take a look at a hidden feature in Windows 10 that allows anyone to record and share their screen for free.

5 Alternatives to Zoom for Video Calls

A rotary dial telephone. Text reads, the best alternatives to zoom cloud meetings

We have used Zoom at work for a few years now, but today it seems like everybody is using Zoom. It’s a great tool and has a lot of useful features to make communication easier and more efficient. However, it’s not the only video conferencing tool that is out there right now. So, if you feel like a change, consider one of the following alternatives to Zoom.

The New YouTube for Kids Online Website

Picture of an iPhone. Text reads, The YouTube for Kids Website by Jonathan Wylie

For a while now, YouTube has had mobile apps for Android and iOS that customize the YouTube experience so that it is more suitable for younger kids. It filters out as much of the more objectionable content as it can, in order to provide a safer viewing experience that is coupled with some parental controls. In the past, the apps have not been without their problems, but the website offers new hope for a safer YouTube experience for kids.

iMovie: A Free Green Screen App for iPad

As much as I enjoy using Green Screen by DoInk, there are still teachers that find it hard to get paid apps approved, or to raise enough money to put a paid app on all the devices that they want it on. Consequently, I still get a lot of questions about the best free green screen app for the iPad. Up until today, there weren’t a lot of options, but a recent update to iMovie has opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

Free Online Teleprompter for Green Screen & More

a vanishing perspective view of a boardwalk. text reads, teleprompt.me: free online teleprompter

While browsing through my Twitter feed the other night, a tweet from Eric Curts (@ericcurts) caught my eye. It was a link for an online teleprompter called teleprompter.me. The interesting thing about this particular teleprompter is that it is voice activated. Here’s how it works.