Category: Video

A Great Free Video Editor for Schools

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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.

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How to Look (and Sound) Good on Video Calls

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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.

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Record Your Screen for Free on Windows 10

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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.

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The New YouTube for Kids Online Website

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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.

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iMovie: A Free Green Screen App for iPad

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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.

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Green Screen Tips from Teachers on Twitter

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green screen twitter tips.png

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of helping many different teachers use green screen effects in their classrooms. This summer I get the opportunity to do it again at ISTE 2018 in Chicago with my colleague Gina Rogers (@grogers1010). Although my presentations and workshops have evolved over the years, they typically include three elements:

  • Why green screen is so popular in schools
  • How to create successful green screen projects
  • What other teachers are doing with green screens in their classrooms

Often, I find that I get a lot of inspiration from teachers on Twitter. So, in this post I wanted to share some of my favorite examples from tweets I have seen that illustrate great educational uses of green screens. As you scroll through, click on any of the images below to see the original tweet and play any associated media.

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iPad Screen Recording Tips for Educators

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ipad screen recording.png

The addition of screen recording in iOS 11 was a great feature for teachers and tech enthusiasts who wanted to show people how you can master the power of the iPad. However, it’s also a great way for students to show what they know. If your iPad is up to date, it doesn’t need any additional software, or devices, because this new recording ability is built-in to iOS 11. Screen recording on the iPad is a little different from screencasting on other devices, so in this post I am going to run through a few of my top tips for success when recording your iPad. Are you ready?

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Is This The Windows Movie Maker Replacement You’ve Been Waiting For?

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This year has not been a great year for multimedia software. Google ended support for YouTube’s free online video editor, and Microsoft did the same with the popular Windows Live Movie Maker. Although there are plenty of other options for both sets of users, people did get kind of attached to these video editors and not everyone is ready to pay for an alternative, (or switch to a Mac). While Google has yet to make any real attempt to replace the YouTube Editor, Microsoft has just added video editing features to the latest version of the Windows 10 Photos app. So, is this the Windows Movie Maker replacement you have been waiting for? It depends.

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