Discover the power of your Smartphone Camera!

Here are some simple concepts to keep in mind when taking pictures with the camera on your smartphone:


• Take pictures in a well lit area. Use light to your advantage- best if coming from behind the photographer, with light beaming on subject. In absence of light, consider artificial lighting solutions.
• Read the manual. Know your device 
• Adjust camera resolution and display setting. What may not look good on the phone may look drastically different on the computer screen.
• Try different angles to capture your subject best. Start at eye level, but change elevation and angle- take many shots and delete the duds after the fact.
• Use a plain background to your advantage. 
• Get a better shot if you move physically closer, versus Zooming in. 
2 feet from your subject is a good minimum distance. 
• “Selfie Sticks” can be used for more than self portraits. Use them to steady shots or get hard to reach perspectives. 
• Consider purchasing a tripod, backdrops, and lighting
• Stay still; keep your hand still a second or two after shooting, since the digital shot is still processing.
• Crop, Don't Zoom. 
• Upload photos to a cloud, download them to your computer using a cable, or email them to yourself to get them off of your phone


Skills to Practice: 
• Hold Phone Sideways
• Double tap to focus
• Use Top buttons to take picture when available
• Use the Timer for shots
• Turning Flash on/off

Terminology
• Zoom
• Brightness/Contrast
• Focus

Audio and Video 3d Printing Primer Part 3

Here is part 3 of a  Podcast/Video I created for a 3D Fundamentals course..

Audio and Video 3d Printing Primer Part 2

Here is part 2 of a  Podcast/Video I created for a 3D Fundamentals course..

Audio and Video 3d Printing Primer Part 1

Here is part 1 of a  Podcast/Video I created for a 3D Fundamentals course. 

Legal and Ethical Concerns Regarding Video Recording Class Sessions

In the Level 2 Module, I explored the idea to offer library computer class content online instead of only in the traditional setting, and consider a future with a more "flipped" approach. 

One idea I have is to record a typical class session with real students, and turn that into a video lesson online. I feel that authentic questions asked and the real classroom dynamic would really have more impact for students learning specific topics.

If I were to implement this idea in my current County Library situation, I would need to get permission slips signed by my students to use their likeness, even if it was the back of their heads or even just their voices. 

Or, alternatively, I would only focus the camera on me, edit out all audio of students questions, but be sure to reiterate the questions, and perhaps use text overly in the video to highlight the question. I already do this normally in class as a teaching mechanic so it should not be very difficult to keep my flow. 

In the interests of accessibility for a wide audience, I would implement closed captioning and text based summary in the details of the video, and I would monitor any words or phrases that could trigger negative responses in my audiences. Potentially, I would disable commenting on the video directly, but encourage students to interact with me or each other in a less public online venue. 

The Right Place for an Educational Podcast

In a recent class post, I mentioned how I would use Soundcloud to post Podcasts as a part of media to consume in an online training situation. After some feedback from my instructor, I have looked into this further.

Soundcloud has its positives. On a limited level it is free, and offers a platform for use comments on a timeline and download options. On the back end, you can the see the point when students tended to stop listening, and from what region they hail.

For more a realistic amount of upload time it does cost a fee. This fee does not offer too much beyond that. And the platform is not necessarily associated with education. These are detractors.

After some searching, I discovered that Libysn.com is the better option. Yes, it does cost a fee, but the options provided are much more valuable and more slanted towards education. It is available on more  Operating Systems and devices, and has options for plug ins to improve the experience- and can easily link to youtube to reach a larger audience. In addition, the associated media is more complimentary to an educational focus.

Looking at negatives, it would be difficult to reach some audiences who have hearing issues. So, this may not be the online training resource in every situation./


That being said, were I to create a podcast for education, this would be my domain of choice.

Moving Towards a Blended Classroom Approach

The majority of the teaching I do is in a classroom setting, with 12 computers and a fixed monthly class calendar. My audience is mainly adults who wish to improve their Office Skills and employ-ability.

About 2 years ago, I was able to consistently fill my classroom regardless of class and time. My statistics were great. However, in the past year, attendance numbers started to dwindle. I am not alone: my peers at other locations are experiencing the same trend. 

My intuition tells me this because students have less attention spans than in the past, and have come to expect their education to come to them- just like their entertainment and amazon purchases. Is this expectation unrealistic? Perhaps not. It is time to make library patron classroom education as easy to access as many other commodities we consume daily. 

I would like to integrate two technologies into the library education process and get to a more Blended approach for our technology courses; video and podcasts. 

My plan is as follows- 

Begin to video record all of my classes. Create edited video versions of the most popular Business related technology courses. Offer these on youtube or the library website for streaming. In addition, I would like to create podcast versions of the same material from the audio and offer on a resources like Soundcloud for download. 

I think this would reach an audience who wants to attend class but does not have the time or means to get in the classroom. We could improve the accessibility of the videos by providing closed captioning.

Over the years, some students have recorded my lectures in the classroom, and reported that this was an excellent resource for them as they were completing their own work at home. This planted the seed for me to consider recording my class sessions. Recently, I have started to learn how to make videos and record audio for podcasts, so this is a very interesting topic for me.