Flip Cameras - Basics and YouTube

I've been working with the Flip Cameras recently and have created a few videos to show how easy it is to work with the movie files the camera creates.

Taking Flip Video straight to YouTube:

What MovieMaker can do for your Flip Video:

For step by step directions on editing Flip Videos in MovieMaker download this handout: Flip Cameras and Movie Maker

Google Forms: Self-Graded Quizzes

Google forms can be used to create a quiz that can be graded automatically in the spreadsheet using formulas.  To save you time, these instructions are for a 20 question (or less) quiz using the template with the formulas already entered. 

Self Graded Quizzes in Google

1. Open up the following spreadsheet: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AuuREHWQtmebdHo1UjVINzRCaVIwVGhJb2c2YV9nNHc&hl=en


2. Save a copy of the spreadsheet into your own Google account.


3. Make a copy of the spreadsheet for a new quiz. Important so any changes on this quiz will not affect future quizzes! Open the spreadsheet and go to File – “Make a Copy.” Give the spreadsheet a new name


4. In the new spreadsheet go to Form – Edit Form


5. Do not remove the name or class period fields, as that will affect the formulas to grade the quizzes. You may edit the class periods field to represent just the classes you teach.


6. Add your question items to the form. Remember spelling will count against the results, so choose wisely when making your question types.


7. Make any changed to the theme


8. Save your form.


9. Open up your quiz and answer the questions correctly to create the answer key. Suggestion is to use Answer and Key as the first and last name fields.


10. Submit your answers.


11. Open the spreadsheet.


12. On the “Answers” worksheet, select and copy row 2.


13. Go to the “Test Answers” worksheet and paste the copied row into that worksheet’s Row 2.


14. Fill in the number of questions the quiz contains into cell B8.


15. Go to worksheet “Results.” If your quiz contains less than 20 questions, delete the extra question columns.


16. Make sure everything is saved.


17. Share the quiz link by directly linking to the quiz, or by embedding it into another webpage.
    
    
    
    • TeacherWeb - Enhanced Text page in the html view
    
    
    • Wiki - an html widget box
    
    
    • Blog – into a post with the html view
    
    
    
    

To get grades:

1. After students have taken the quiz, open your spreadsheet.


2. Go to the “Results” worksheet. If needed, fill the formulas from Row 2 all the way down the worksheet.


3. The averages should be displayed in column D. Check a few responses to make sure the formulas copied correctly.

To create a new quiz be sure to start from the original spreadsheet and not from a used quiz.

Download the directions here with screenshots:  Google Forms - Self Graded Quizzes

Survey in Google Forms

These instructions are geared for creating a simple one question survey where you want the results published online. This is great for voting on a favorite item. (Remember that people can vote as often as they want.)

Create a one question survey using Google Forms.

Directions to create a form: Google Forms

Share that survey to gather data. This can be done by linking directly to the survey or by embedding it into another webpage.

 

Share the Results:

1. Open the spreadsheet for your survey. http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=tTCzY6mXhDU8SsuRXWa895A&single=true&gid=0&output=html


2. The answers to the survey are shown in column B.


3. In Column D type in the possible answer choices starting with cell D2.


4. In Column E type in the formula to count the number of responses to each color.
   
   
   
   • Ex. =Countif(B2:B100, "Red")
   
   
   • =CountIf – formula to count by certain criteria
   
   
   • B2:B100 – the range of cells where the formula is going to count from. If you expect more than 100 results, then increase the last number to represent the amount of responses expected.
   
   
   • "Red” – type in the exact text the formula should look for in counting.
   
   
   
   


5. After you type in each formula, the spreadsheet will calculate the results and return a number in place of the formula.
   
   
   
   • You can see the formula again by double clicking in the cell.
   
   
   • If you see “#Name” or “#ERROR!” instead of a number – recheck your formula.
   
   
   
   

 To create a graph of the results:

• Highlight the cells you just completed in rows D and E.


• Select Insert – Chart from the menu bar.


• Choose the type of chart you want to use and set the labels, axis and other settings.


• Click “Save chart”


• A chart will appear on the spreadsheet.

To Share the Chart –

1. Click on the “Share” Tab on the spreadsheet.


2. Select “Publish as a webpage.”


3. Make sure the option “Automatically republish when changes are made” is checked.


4. Click Close.


5. Click on “Chart” in the graph window.


6. Choose “Publish Chart.”


7. A window will appear with the HTML code to paste into your website.


8. Paste the code into:
   
   
   
   • TeacherWeb - Enhanced Text page in the html view
   
   
   • Wiki - an html widget box
   
   
   • Blog – into a post with the html view or in a sidebar widget
   
   
   
   


9. Note:  Graphs changes will be updated every 5 minutes.

The graph below will update the results of the survey every 5 minutes or so.  You need to refresh the page to see the changes.



Download Directions Here - Google Forms - Simple Survey

Flip Camera - Uses in the Classroom

So now that you know how to use the camera, the question is what can I do with this in my classroom?

Here is a presentation that outlines Forty Interesting Ways to Use Your Pocket Video Camera in Your Classroom.

http://docs.google.com/present/view?pli=1&id=dhn2vcv5_6tv55j7g9

Some of the ideas include:

1. How-to video


2. Record Science Experiments


3. Take on Field Trips


4. Record something that the students will then have to explain what they are seeing.


5. Interview fellow classmates


6. Film Sports or PE - watch in slow motion to break down skills


7. Record information/celebrations for parents to see via website.


8. Record key parts of your lesson.


9. Attach camera to objects to get different Points of View.


10. Have students video what they are doing to show at Parent Nights, etc.

...and 30 more ideas.  Check it out and let me know if you think of any other uses!

 

Another resource I have found lists multiple web pages that deal with flip cameras and education:

http://marynabadenhorst.globalteacher.org.au/flips/ - Flip and Digital Camera Resources

I am looking forward to seeing what cool things the teachers and students can do with this cool new tool!

Flip Cameras 101

So what exactly is a Flip Video Camera and how do you use it?  Here are a few videos from YouTube to help get you started:

Step by Step on the very basics of getting started, including putting in the batteries, turning on the camera, and video tips.

 

Step by Step Guide on the Getting the video from the camera into Moviemaker.



 Computer World's Review of the Flip Camera, which includes tips for using the camera.

Goal Setting

I have just completed my 15th year in education and as I begin the second half of my teaching career I have become more reflective on my teaching style and what I can bring to my educational role as an Instructional Technology Specialist.   Each year as a teacher I come into the new year with a goal in mind.  In the early years it was discipline and how to manage the classroom without going home defeated every day.  As the years went by I focused more on content delivery and how can I hook my students into wanting to learn about people, places and events of the past.  Not an easy task when working with middle school students!  As I moved into Instructional Technology my goals have been focused on learning as much as I can in order to share that info with the teachers.

I have a new goal this year - help my teachers set goals focused on technology.  How can I help them gain confidence, try something new, or challenge those more tech savy than others?   We also have the new challenge of testing our students to make sure they are getting the technology info they need.

I have given the teachers copies of the  TA TEKS, SBEC standards,  Bloom's Digital Taxonomy, and the Levels of Technology Integration to get them thinking.   As they begin to come back to campus I am looking forward to seeing what goals are set and the challenge of trying to meet the individual needs of my staff.  I am also looking for different ways to deliver staff development to the campus.   This blog will be one of those ways.

I am looking forward to the journey.

Google Earth: Layers

There is something powerful about having first hand knowledge.  My daughter and I were reading an animal book recently that asks you to match up the pictures with different features, like feet, fur, colors, etc.  Usually we struggle through this book and she can't quite seem to see all the connections.  This time however she got all the matches right off.  What was different?  We had recently gone to the zoo.  Now all those pictures represented real things and she was more in tune with what they were asking since she had her own experiences to pull from!

This started me thinking about the power of field trips and what it really means to have a student that has never left the town they live in.  Then I thought of all the powerul tools we have to give students "virtual" field trips.  Google Earth is a great venue to make this happen.  With the ability to turn on different layers you can take the basic sattelite images and explore anywhere you want to go, includign the ocean.  Turn on 3D building layer and see the skyline of major cities, or of historic sites like the Alamo.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to use layers in Google Earth.