‘Animoto for Education’ Service

Unit 1 P3.
– An example of an Animoto video created with the extended time limit.

Animoto has been utilised by staff for quite a while, but sometimes it can be annoying only having thirty seconds to get a student’s message across. Animoto are now allowing teachers the chance to increase the student presentation time limit for free. We recently went through the process with Sophie from BUC to try and understand how the system works.

Though the website recommends setting up new email accounts for the students who want to benefit from the ‘Animoto for Education’ scheme, we found that the process works just as smoothly when students use their current college-given Gmail account. Simply get them to set up their own Animoto log in, and then enter a promotional code to gain that extra minute.

YouTube – ‘Video Questions Editor’

By now, all of us should know about YouTube and how it has changed the digital video age. It turns out that there is more going on ‘behind the scenes’, but still available to the public.

If you are creating videos for e-Learning purposes or just wish to pose questions to your viewers then this may be of use to you.

Sliderocket – Online Presentation Tool

Sliderocket is a tool which is used to create online presentations and / or edit existing PowerPoint presentations with more powerful tools. Sliderocket houses most, if not all of the tools PowerPoint would offer you; but there are a few elements which can make your presentation what you had always wanted it to be.

Present.me – Interactive Slideshows

Present.me is the predecessor of PowerPoint presentations.

This is a website which takes existing Powerpoint presentations (imported to the Present.me site) and allows you to either record an audio voiceover to run alongside the presentation, or to record you (via webcam) showing and speaking along with the slides to add a more personal touch. Present.me isn’t tailored for any specific department; it is aimed to help you in whatever field you may work in.

Screenr – Screencasting

A screencast is a video recording of whatever is happening on your computer screen at a specific time, often with audio narration recorded live. Screencasting has so much potential in teaching and learning.

Below, I’ve embedded a screencast Sam did using Screenr a while back. It was during an ‘e-Learning clinic’ where he was helping a colleague work out how to do gap fills in SMART Notebook – See it here.