EDUC520 Multimedia Project

This is a video I made using a Web 2.0 tool called Ustream. Ustream.tv is a free tool you can use to make videos. It's fairly easy to use. After you register, you click on the "Broadcast" button and then the "Record" button. As you record, atimer in the top left corner keeps track of how long your video is. When you feel you're finished, click on the "Stop Recording" button. You can preview your video before you post it. This was great for me because my first recording hadno sound. Videos don't make much sense if there is no sound. =) Anyway, if you are feeling your video is the way you want it, you hit the "Stop Broadcast" button, and you are all done. Any video you create is automatically posted. You can always delete the video, add text to describe the video, or change privacy setting later if you want. I had a bit of trouble finding the correct buttons, but once I got used to the layout, it was an easy site to maneuver.

Ustream would be a great tool to add to any classroom. There are so many things teachers can do with this technology. One example would be teaching lesson even if the teacher, or even a student is absent. The video is online so students could watch it from home, classroom, or even public library. The video I made is an example of this situation. Another use for Ustream would be learning across city or state lines. Even across oceans! Classroom teachers or students could teach lessons, give speeches, or even do interviews of peers or co-workers so others could view the information. This would be the ultimate collaboration effort. Amazing to think of the things our students could learn from the countless efforts of millions of educators and peers. Last, I feel making videos on Ustream would add excitement for learning and an element of newness and intrigue that hasn't always been available through the use of Web 2.0 tools. I realize our technology is constantly advancing and shifting, but the rewards are truly worth the time it takes to learn how to use these tools.