Thing 26: Media Skills

One of the best ideas I got from this tool was from the article 9 Ways Classroom Photos Can Create Student Connection, by Jenn Horton.  I loved the way she had students write their personal mission statement, and then print it on a picture of the child.  We have students write their own mission statements at the beginning of the school year (as we are examining the school mission), and I think that producing them the way she does will yield a more meaningful result, and more student buy-in.

The Windows Screenshot Tips wiki webpage was a very useful introduction for me to what should probably be a very basic skill.  I am embarrassed to confess that I never knew I could create a screenshot of my computer screen, and realize how much time that could have saved me when I've been trying to explain a problem that has been going on.  In this case, I have a feeling that a picture is worth A LOT more than a thousand words.

The process was very simple, and I was able to make a screen shot using the first method described, holding the windows key and pressing the PrtScr key at the same time  (Hey, when did they put that key on the keyboard?).  Here is my first screen shot from my school laptop: Ta-Da.

And that folder, in my Pictures folder, labeled Screen Shots -- was that there before, or did the computer automatically create it when I made my first screen shot.  I swear that I had never noticed it previously.

I also learned to make a screen shot from my iPhone.  I have a feeling that this will come in very handy when I am trying to explain problems that I am experiencing there as well.  Here's a picture of a screen shot from my favorite new app, Do Ink:

Malaika Nicholas's blog entry 5 Ways to Make an Animated GIF (Without Photoshop!) introduced me to something that is pretty fun.  I chose to use the second GIF maker she recommended because it is free and purportedly easy.  I did feel that it was very easy to use, but when I went to publish the GIF I had created, I was informed that I had used premium features and it would cost be $7.99 a month if I wanted to continue.

I did not.

I was a little annoyed that I had gotten no warning when I had gone into premium features, so I tried to go back and make it as simple as I could, with no bells and whistles.

So here it is, a simple message to my students that there is no substitute for reading the book, using a snippet from a Key and Peele skit with the substitute teacher Mr. Garvey.

I hope to make some more animated GIFs, and I like that I can snag a three second clip from just about any video on YouTube and use it with my own caption.  These will be fun to include on my class website.