This is a guest blog post by Pat LeMay Burr, Ph.D., University of the Incarnate Word.
There are now three billion Internet users worldwide. 90% of the U.S. population can connect to the Internet. In 2016, approximately 704 million hardware units will be purchased.
So, what can your students do with what they now have? Increasingly, almost anything. Two major media categories for realizing creativity, mobility, and productivity on various devices (audio and video production) are discussed below, and additional opportunities are noted in the separate table.
Audio Production
Audacity: A longtime favorite of PC users, this free and amazingly powerful download allows creation of original audio files and editing of files from other sources. It works well for audio interviews, using a splicer microphone that allows simultaneous input from two contributors. Compress final files to optimize them for mailing and upload.
iTalk Recorder: This free iOS recording app is so simple. Press the big red button to record; press it again to stop recording. The app features three levels of recording quality and allows for emailing files directly from the app.
AudioBoom: Record and edit straight from this free app or just follow friends, podcasters, and content providers. You can record up to ten minutes per clip for free for an unlimited number of clips. You can also explore featured and trending content from around the world.
PowerPoint (PPT) with Audio: PowerPoint production now includes audio options, including uploading from your hard drive, connecting to an online source, or recording via a headset microphone. Open PowerPoint, go to Insert, Audio, and then choose the next step from the dropdown menu to experiment with this easy-to-use option.
Video Production
Photo Story: Another longtime favorite free download from Microsoft, this one has more sophisticated options than most users ever realize. Import JPEGs, voiceover, and music. Panning, timing changes, and on-screen text headings are optional. Ordinary photos can evolve into a dramatic educational video in minutes.
ShowMe: An iOS download, this simple-to-use video production application has features similar to the Microsoft Photo Story software. While Photo Story-compressed files are default-stored on a computer hard drive, the iOS files are stored at the ShowMe server and can be made public or private.
Screencast-O-Matic (or SOM): Both Photo Story and ShowMe applications rely on imported files as the source material, but SOM captures anything visible on the computer monitor. The flexible “capture” boundary may cover a small screen segment or the entire screen. Use keyboard commands to avoid showing on-screen mouse movements in the final video. Voiceover is available to explain, refer, or highlight material captured in the video.
Summary
The creativity, mobility, and productivity that were once limited to Windows products are now available for non-Windows users. The array of devices and options are, more than ever, offering new learning moments across the curriculum.
Additional Tools for BYOD Success across the Curriculum
