Monday, April 22, 2013

Explain Everything - screencasting for the iPad

Explain Everything is a sophisticated screencasting app for the iPad.  It is a full featured app that doesn't require any account.  The app costs $2.99 but is well worth the price.

This program has many features useful in screencasting:  upload photos from gallery, add arrows, use a pointer, add text and sound.  Great tool for making tutorials or having students demonstrate their understanding of concepts.




Videos can be stored locally on your device as well as being shared with a number of cloud based storage programs such as DropBox.  Videos can also be directly uploaded to YouTube which is a great feature.





Educreations - screencasting on the iPad

Educreations is a simple and free screencasting tool for the iPad.  It allows the user to create tutorial videos using drawing, text, and photos.  Teachers and students can easily use this tool to create lessons or show understanding of a topic.

Requires a free account set up online.  You will also download the app from the iTunes store (iPad only).

While adding text and photos, recording pauses.  Save screencast to local iPad or send to cloud and share the URL with students.  They do not require an account to view these videos.


Wednesday, April 17, 2013

10 Great YouTube Channels


  • Veritasium  -science video blog featuring experiments, expert interviews, cool demos, and discussions with the public about everything science
  • Vsauce -videos about many topics including science
  • C.G.P Grey -mainly social studies topics (ex. The Vatican Explained, 5 Historical Misconceptions etc)
  • Minute Physics  - very short, usually under 5 minutes (ex. How Big is the Universe?)
  • Smarter Every Day -all types of science topics (Slow Motion Cat Flipping Physics, Helicopter Speed Limit)
  • SciShow   -less than 5 minute videos  (Marie Curie- Great Minds, Why Ferns Have More Chromosomes than You)
  • Crash Course -world history, US history, biology, ecology, chemistry, literature
  • Numberphile -videos about numbers! (ex. Fibonacci Tartan and Bagpipes, Safecracking with Feynman
  • AsapSCIENCE - animated shorts, under 5 minutes (The Science of Goosebumps and Music Chills, Science of Hair Loss/Balding)
  • Bad Astronomy -advanced astronomy, space and science (How Much Pressure Does it Take to Crush a Concrete Cylinder)

Unsplash - free photo gallery

Unsplash A wonderful collection of free photos. The photos below model good digital citizenship by giving attribution to the photographer....