Culpepper Online

I love that the web  makes the world fit into our living rooms, and even into our hands with phones, ipads, etc.  I teach television broadcast at a high school, and the schools youtube channel has really made our students realize first hand how small the world really is.  Each day our staff creates their daily broadcast and within seconds it is global.  Once more, having other schools in the area (city and state) subscribe or watch them is intriguing to them.  Yet when they found out that schools in England, Saudi Arabia, and Australia were also watching them, it kind of freaked them out some. 

Each year we create our Halloween short, and this year was no different.  Though it has been posted on the youtube channel for  a while, I thought I would link it here as well.  The schools channel is www.youtube.com/leetvgenerals, and the schools site is http://www.lee.mps-al.org  Technology is great, and truly as Shakespeare stated, “All the world’s a stage…” 
RETURN TO ANN STREET – (link)

Hello Everyone.  Thanks to everyone for their continued support of the interactive games on the blog.  I try to make sure they are fully supported by all versions of PowerPoint.  The only regret that I have found as a MAC owner too, is that triggers are continuing to NOT be supported by MacOffice, including the new MacOffice ’11.  Quite tragic, b/c triggers are such a great asset to all versions PC or Mac.  The link embedded into this post is for Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader interactive game.  I have had it for a while, but am just now adding it to the portfolio.  I hope it is something that many of you will enjoy and have much success using.  Thanks for your emails and questions about all of the interactive PowerPoint games.  With the attached link – you will now have access to all of the interactive PowerPoints I have created – enjoy!  Be sure to spread the word. (LINK)

It’s been awhile, but it has been a busy time as school has started back with everyone and our time tables are all spinning.  An amazing realization has happened for me lately – in that as I teach broadcast media and television production, it is amazing how much fun you can have and remember why some have chosen the field of education.  As a class, we completed our second year filming a short Halloween “scary” movie for our high school class, and for the fun or 2100+ students at our high school called, ESCAPE FROM ANN STREET (link 2 video – Archive.org).  Though acting skills are at a minimum, just getting together, “out of the box” per say and creating some havoc, horror, and animated fun can prove interesting.  Though full of a few redos, and editing issues, it turned out pretty decent.  The students liked the experience, and although we did have some scheduling issues, and our 14 student class was only able to film 8 or so of those, we are looking for another chance to complete the task for a full cast.

My dilemma has been solved through the ever so popular commercials for MAC.  I have jumped on the band wagon due to the purest desire for excellence.  Though our school is mandated to purchase and work with PCs only – Windows, film editing is not an easy job for a pc.  Through much dismay, nausea, and frustration, I have throttled to MAC and their superiority for graphic and video intensive grace.  Having a hard-drive video camera now that saves as an AVCHD file, PCs cannot operate or handle the issue.  Since moving to the mac-world, I have had the greatest experience with this format, instead of hours of maddening face grimacing,  I can have the file(s) edited, made to a DVD, and even easily uploaded to YouTube for our contributing students/parents/friends enjoyment.  Yet, having a global audience is also a great treat as well. {Escape From Ann Street}; {Nightmare On Ann Street}.

This is merely a sample lesson/blog for a class that I was teaching at the Alabama Educational Technology Conference in Birmingham, AL.  It addressed how to create an active podcast/vidcast using blogs, and rss feed, and actively storing an individuals content online.  This is not an actual presentation or video, but merely a sample to demonstrate correct and active file linking to a mp3 or mp4 multimedia file and will expire in 30 days.

Video of Snow Falling in Montgomery, AL on March 1, 2010 (.mp4 – link to file)

One of the most interesting gaps between Apple/Macintosh and Windows operating systems is it seems that Windows is always trying to “play Catch Up”. The audio and video portability of iPods (iTouches/iPhones), podcasting, and all media seems to be such an easier user environment. Windows has environments that can be tweaked to work for all learning environments. One thought that rings true, although I do not know the percentage, all media is not put on portable media devices, but are vastly looked at online and/or downloaded to a computer (although portability is the most flexible).

The biggest notable difference between Windows and Mac’s is the fact of file output – .WAV (Windows) versus .AAC or .MP4 (Mac’s). Macs enhanced podcast offer a great flexibility of linking images with specific portions of a podcasts and also allowing chapter points that can be “skipped” to on a media device. An immediate Windows answer to this scenario is Microsoft’s Photo Story that easily creates a series of images where a voice track can be linked, but as you know .WMV files are not readily compatible with most portable media players, other than ZUNE’s, but the environment seems to be growing.

To read more and receive the full downloadable handout (.pdf – 322kb)… (click here)

Creating a Blog and RSS Feed — Using Edublogs, Feedburner, Archive.org, and Audacity to create fantastic media that can enrich students, teachers, and interested individuals opinions, knowledge and the like – for free is quite a feat.  This session will address how to set up a blog (using Edublogs), create a RSS Feed (using Feedburner) for iTunes, and setting up a podcast using Audacity, as well as setting up an account to archive our content with Archive.org.  Each of these entities are high quality free options for low budgets, or better yet, NO Budgets for educators.  This tutorial is set up as a “screen shot” video.  It shows specifics with imagery and detail to guide each reader/viewer successfully to set up an effecient website (blog), RSS Feed, how to upload content to a free resource server (Our Media.org/Archive.org), and including iTunes synchronization.  Creating a valid source for files that can be archived and subscribed to by students (and not just our own) around the world, as well as other educators to efficiently maximize student and/or teacher content.

How To Podcast with Windows – (download) (69mb – HQ), (.mp4)

 So many times, especially with all of “hype” or “push” for technology integration, many stumble with finding appropriate measures to use for classroom content.  Unfortunately, with all of the demands that teachers have on them, time is the most precious commodity.  This is a luxury that many do not have – and finding or creating resources with maximum effect with minimal investment is always something that is greatly needed for student reinforcement.  As PC’s are much more cheaper than Macs (although I am a HUGE Mac Fan), schools are typically forced to use Windows OS – just for cost effectiveness.  Yet, with PC’s, teachers have to jump through many hoops to accomplish their overall task.  Thus, offering a tutorial for converting their classroom presentations (PowerPoint), or lectures into another viable resource for their students; which can used for review, retention, and lesson follow-up seems valuable.  Here is a direct link that can be downloaded for investigation for teacher worthiness.

How To Convert PowerPoint To iTunes With Windows (41mb) (.mp4) (LINK)
Direct Download  – (mp4) (16:09) (41mb)

As podcasting continues to grow or some suggest its plateau….there will always be a need for tutorials, instruction, demonstrations, and how-to’s.  As Camtasia increasingly grows or offers greater flexibility in the marketplace (education included), there are some extremely adequate and intuitive FREE options that offer strong competition.  In this age of economic downturn, people continue to seek passionately the era of offering a helping hand to others.  This includes amazing programs that are viable, professional, and meets the needs of others.  The software I am addressing is one called – FREEZ (link) produced by Small Video Soft.  They offer six genres of free (high quality) software advantages for professionals which include: Ipod Converting Software (for any video file to iPod or iPhone/iTouch), DVD ripping, Screen Recording Software (Camtasia competitive), Flash file Conversion to iPod/iPhone compatible or even .wmv, .avi, and etcetera.  The best part is that it is High Quality and Free (with no Malware or Spyware).  I encourage you all to explore the software and the website – http://www.smallvideosoft.com

One of the great things that has been made public recently is an answer to many podcasters hopes – it is the thought and reality of FREE Storage, which allows actual files to be encoded, especially video and audio tracks – without them being converted to flash (which is great for size issues and embedding into another blog or website).  Yet, if you have an RSS feed that works for all podcatchers, and iTunes, unfortunately, flash content will not be downloaded to your iPod, mp3 player, or the like – except potentially phones or whatnot.  Yet the idea is to be able to carry content with you – and high quality content at that extent.  The most important issue unfortunately (and is only 1 of 2 negatives) is the fact it does not give you the direct link to the file (which all RSS feeds require). Although it will take you to the file, it does not give you a specific .mp3, .mp4, .m4v direct link.  Secondly, there is also the issue of maximum upload size – it only gives a 50mb limit.  Although great for audio, documents, etc., it is a definate negative for video (podcasting).  If Microsoft would enable direct link file extensions, it would be a gold mine for active podcaster/vidcasters financially.

Although you have create or generate yourself an account, it is relatively painless, and hassle free.  The best part is the flexibility that comes with Microsoft’s Skydrive, you can make specific content available to the public, or you can “hide” your files in your private folder – for those special documents that you would need to have for on the spot issues (presentations, classes, meetings, and etc.).  Excellent resource for all computer users – Microsoft’s Skydrive Live (link).

The Georgia Educational Technology Conference was amazing!!  I had the privilege of teaching two sessions at the conference (GICC – Georgia International Conference Center) which included (Session 238) Interactive Presentations in PowerPoint and was specifically focused on addressing issues to aid teachers with a truly more effective interactive experience in the classroom while using PowerPoint.  For those I promised extra handouts too, here is the Handout (1.81mb).  I also was able to teach (Session 56) Real World Blogging and Podcasting for the Classroom.  This focused completely on the Windows platform with FREE high quality options to help teachers and students work with a effective blogging environment through Edublogs, Archive.org, Feedburner, iTunes, and a few other principles in setting a site, content, RSS feed, and account with iTunes so that their content, ideas, and perspectives could be heard the world round.  For those who needed extra handouts, you can find them here:  Presentation File (3.55 mb) (DOWNLOAD), and the Handout (1.42 mb) (DOWNLOAD).  Thank you Georgia for a wonderful experience, kind remarks, and standing room only teaching environment!!

**On a last note, for those who are wanting the video segment with a completely visual “How To” for session 56 (Real World Blogging….), it will be listed in iTunes shortly.  Thanks Again!