web tools – 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.

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!

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.

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 5 Best Ways to Take a Screenshot in Windows 10

A Microsoft Surface on a dark surface. Text reads, How to take screenshots in Windows 10.

When a screencast is overkill and a GIF is just too much trouble, the humble screenshot is exactly what you need. Whether you are reporting bugs, capturing evidence, or creating tutorials, the ability to take screenshots is a valuable skill to have. In this post, I am going to show you five ways to take screenshots in Windows 10.

Jamboard: Google’s Best Kept Secret!

A long table with five chairs. Text on the wall above the chairs reads, Jamboard: Google's Online Collaborative Whiteboard.

In October, 2016, Google unveiled their vision for the future of interactive whiteboards. They called it the Jamboard, and it began shipping to customers in May of the following year. The Jamboard has a 55″ 4K touchscreen display that includes WiFi connectivity, an HD camera, microphone and speakers. The $5000 price tag puts it out of reach for many people, but the software that powers it is free for anyone to use, whether they have a physical Jamboard or not.

How to Install Chrome Extensions in Microsoft Edge

Woman using a Microsoft Surface computer at a table

Microsoft’s latest attempt at a return to browser supremacy is finally here. The new Chromium version of Edge, (Microsoft’s default web browser for Windows computers), is now available for Windows and MacOS. Chromium was developed by Google and is used as the foundation for the Chrome web browser. However, because it is an open source project, other developers are free to adopt it for their own uses. Opera, Vivaldi, and Brave are just a few of the third-party browsers that currently use Chromium to power their products, and now Microsoft have joined their ranks. This means you can now install Chrome extensions in Edge. Here’s what you need to know.

Continue Reading ->

The Best Features in Canva Pro for Teachers

winter road. text reads making the most of your canva education account.

I know that by now, many of you will have applied for your Canva Education accounts, and if you are anything like me, you have probably already started to dig around and see what new features are available to you. In this post, I round up some of my favorite Canva Pro features to help you get the most of using your Canva Education account in the classroom. Here’s what you need to know.

Introducing Canva for Education

A piece of paper on a desk. Various stationery surrounds the paper. Text on the paper reads Free Canva Pro Accounts for Schools.

Canva, one of my favorite online graphic design apps, had a big announcement for schools today. They’re calling it Canva for Education. This new offering gives teachers and their students access to premium tools for absolutely no additional cost. Intrigued? I was too. Here’s what you need to know.

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.