Tag: iOS

Adobe Voice
instructional technology, iPad, Mobile, Presentation, Share, Video

Make Professional Looking Voice Stories with Adobe Voice

Mendi Benigni

“Adobe Voice is a free iPad app that helps you create stunning animated videos in minutes.”  Just “pick from over 25,000 beautiful iconic images to show your ideas (or choose from photos on your tablet).” Record your voice over the images, one image at a time.  “Set the mood with a musical soundtrack and choose the perfect look with just one tap. Watch your story automatically come alive with cinema-quality animation and share it with anyone online.”

— https://standout.adobe.com/voice/
As I started exploring Adobe Voice I was impressed by how easy it was to use but I wasn’t sure what I would use it for.  However, the more I played with it the more I realized that it has an enormous number of uses.  Adobe Voice allows you to create a slideshow of sorts with icons, Creative Commons images, and text.  You then add your voice to each “slide” as narration.  Finally you embellish your project using themes that control the font, color, and transitions of your slides and background music to set the tone of the project.  When your project is complete you share it by clicking on the Publish button and can easily publish it to the Adobe Cloud as well as social media, email and text.
Student Uses Faculty Uses
Create a biography/autobiography
Create how-to videos
Recount a story
Create an oral history
Promote an event
Create a public service announcement
Promote an idea
Tell what happened
Teach a lesson
Record a lecture
Create a personal introduction
Recount a story
Introduce a new subject
Summarize a chapter

 

What I liked was how easy it was to use.  I also like that it uses Creative Commons images and free music so copyright is not a problem.  The sharing is super easy and the fact that you can share them privately is also very important when working with student projects.

What some may like less is that you can’t add any video.  This isn’t a deal breaker for me and I know that it’s kind of outside the intended purpose of this app.  The fact that you can’t use it without an Adobe ID is a bit of a drag for K12 (esp. K8) students.  Not everyone wants their students to get these types of accounts. There may be a workaround for this but I didn’t investigate it further.  The think that bothered me the most was the lack of ability to make basic changes to the project such as placement and font.  I know for many this could be seen as a positive because it makes it easier to use and a bit more universal but if you are pretty tech savvy and like to control a lot of items in a project this isn’t the app for you.  You can’t control the placement of the image or text boxes nor can you control font or alignment within the boxes.  Again, not a deal breaker, just something to be aware of.

All in all I think this is a great, FREE, app to use as both a student or a teacher.  Unfortunately, at this time it is only for iOS devices and I’m not sure if there is an Android version on the horizon.

Price:  Free
Platform:  iOS only

App Location:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-voice-show-your-story/id852555131?mt=8

ashley brown kayaking
Assessment, Checkout Equipment, Innovative Instruction, iPad, Pedagogy, Tech Happens! Un-Grant, TLT, Video

Guest Post: Using Video In-Class Assessment Under Water!

Mendi Benigni

Our guest blogger is Ashley Brown from Health and Human Performance.  In January Ashley was awarded an Ungrant for an iPod touch.  Her goal was to film her kayaking students while they learn to paddle to help critique their performance and allow them to improve.  Not only is this an interesting experiment into real-time assessment but also into exploring the waterproofing options for tablets and phones.  There are many departments, such as the sciences and education, that can benefit from her trials with using the waterproof cases in the field.  

I won an iPod Touch from the Ungrant through TLT!!

The Goal

My main objective is to video students paddling during their Coastal Kayaking class and give them feedback on their strokes and maneuvers using the Coach my Video app. 

The Challenge

My first challenge was the hardware.  The iPod does not like to work when it is wet.  I have it in a waterproof case and a life jacket to keep it floating, but when I swiped my wet hands over the wet surface the machine just ignored me.  Believe it or not I took it out two times before it occurred to me that the machine doesn’t work when wet, it won’t work when the waterproof case is wet, it won’t work when my hands are wet…so I’m still trying to figure out how to stay dry when I’m wet.   I haven’t tried filming under water, but plan to when it warms up – by then I hope to have solved the ‘dry when wet’ problem

Then, after washing my face one might, I had a revelation; if a towel could dry my face…although I still haven’t figured out how to keep the towel dry.

The iPod is still not a big fan of wet hands, and it is hard to get them completely dry.

The Outcome

I had luck videoing the students and using the Coach my Video app to show them their work. However, I didn’t want to waste class time discussing each video individually, and still haven’t found an easily accessible way to project the video for the whole class to watch.  So my next challenge is to send them their own assessed video. 

I’m enjoying the new technology, and the challenge of using it in an environment where one of the first things I say to students  is, “Lock your electronics in your car if you don’t want to lose them or ruin them!” is ongoing…maybe a really big ziplock bag…I mean really big.

Side note from TLT

We’ll keep following Ashley’s progress as she works through some of these issues.  Check back to see the resolutions and more on student outcomes!  TLT has longterm iPad minis and two waterproof cases available in our Checkout Equipment if you are interested in trying something like this in your classes.