How to Incorporate Flip Video Camera in Your Chinese Teaching
Target Students:
1) Twenty (19 female, 1 male) 30+ years old mature, enthusiastic, current/future Chinese language teachers who have varied degree of computer skills, knowledge and concepts. All students are familiar with WORD, PowerPoint and EXCEL applications. 2) All students are from either mainland China or Taiwan. All students are capable of handling light weight equipment; all students are fluent in English; all students are cooperative in following verbal and written instructions. 3) All students have used digital cameras/video camcorders and Windows Movie Maker before.
Objectives:
• Learn the basics of how to use the Flip Video camera
• Create a video!
What is a FLIP camera?
FLIP cameras are small handheld video cameras that can record up to 30, 60, or 120 minutes of video depending on the model.
The FLIP camera connects to the computer with a USB plug that “flips” out from the side of the camera. The FLIP camera’s functions are very basic, but the ease of use will make the user forget that it lacks some of the special features regular camcorders have.
Why use FLIP cameras?
FLIP cameras are so easy and quick to operate! Instructions on how to use the cameras may take 2-3 minutes to explain and it only takes students 1 minute to figure it out! Pulling the files off of the camera is easy: plug it in and use the embedded FlipShare software to transfer the videos. (The program creates a folder in the students’ doc folders for them!) Within minutes, the user can convert the .avi files produced by the FLIP camera into a file type that can be uploaded to the user’s my.ccsd.net site or blog.
A. Getting started: The Basics
1. Turning on:
The user will find an On/off button on the right hand side of the camera. Pull the on-off button down and the camera will turn on.
2.
Recording:
On the display, the camera will tell the user that it is ready to shoot and how many minutes of filming are left on the camera. To begin shooting, the user has to hit the red button in the middle of the control pad and the user will hear a beep. As the user films, the zooming in and zooming out can be controlled with the plus (+) and minus (-) symbols on the control pad.
When the user is done with shooting, he/she needs to hit the same red button.
Press the red button to start and press the red button again to stop.
Press the plus (+) symbol to zoom in and press the minus (-) symbol button to zoom out.
3. Watching the recording:
To watch the video, the user has to hit the play button on the left hand side on the control pad.
Press the Play button to watch and press the same Play button again to stop.
Press the right and left arrow buttons to browse through the previously recorded videos.
4. Deleting a recording:
Press the delete/trash can icon button to delete a recording and press it again to complete the deletion.
5. Plugging into a computer:
Pull down the release slide, the USB connection arm will swing out and the camera is now ready to plug into the computer to download the files.
B. Connecting to the Computer:
Once the user finishes shooting the videos, he/she is ready to download the videos in the computer. Pull the on/off button down to turn on the camera, pull down the USB release button and plug the USB arm into computer’s USB port. The user will hear a beep from the FLIP camera and a beep from the computer.
The first time the user plugs the Flip camera into the computer, the embedded FlipShare software will be installed in the computer. Once the installation is done, a navigation screen will show up on the computer screen, and the video clip that is just downloaded and the video clips that were downloaded previously in the computer will show up on the navigation window. There are two options now: 1) Play the video clip by clicking the play button in the thumbnail view. 2) Save the file to the computer.
1. Playing the video
By clicking the play button, the video will start playing. The user can also view the video in full screen mode by clicking the Play Full Screen button on the navigation window. A shortcut pop-up window will show up on the window. Click OK to view the video in full screen mode. Press the Esc key on the computer keyboard to exit full screen mode and back to navigation window.
2. Saving the video
If the user would like to save the selected video clip to the computer, click “Save to Computer” to save the file. A pop-up window will show up to ask the user whether he/she wants to remove the file from the camcorder once the saving process is completed. Click Yes or No button depending on the user’s preference. The computer will then go on to save the file. During the saving process, on the lower left corner of the navigation window, the screen will display the message of saving file to the computer. Once the task is completed, the screen will show when the file is saved to the computer.
Where are the transferred videos stored on the computer? There is a specific folder, FlipShare Data, created under My Video folder. First, minimize the navigation window, click My Computer icon on the computer screen, click My Document folder, click My Video folder, click FlipShare Data folder and then click the Videos folder icon. All the videos icons will be displayed on the computer screen. The video that is just downloaded will be on the bottom and the last of the list. By double clicking the video, Windows Media Player will open up and play the video for the user.
C. Create a FLIP movie:
The FlipShare software will allow you to do basic editing. The user clicks on the video clip in the navigation window that he/she wants to use for his/her movie. The frame/border of the selected video clip will be highlighted. Then user moves down to the Create section in the lower right corner of the navigation window and clicks on the Movie icon.
Move the mouse cursor inside the Title frame, click on the text there and delete it, and replace with the desired text. Repeat the same procedure for the first credit frame and type in the text that the user wants to give the credit to and the second credit frame to the FLIP corporation for making such a great video camera. At this point, the user can preview the video by clicking on the play button. If the user is happy with the video, he/she can click on the Next button to advance to the music part of the movie.
The user can decide 1) not to have any music, 2) to have Flip video music, or 3) to have MP3 music. If the user chooses to have the Flip video music, the menu under it becomes active and the user can choose from a drop down menu. After the choice of having or not having music, the user needs to decide how the music plays: softer or louder than the sound of the video, or just plays the music the way it is. After this decision is made, hit the Next button to advance to the next screen.
Another screen shows up. Here the user needs to enter the title of the movie file and the folder where the movie file is saved to: either the default folder (the Videos folder under FlipShare Data folder, under My Video folder, and under My Document folder), or other preferred folder. Then the user clicks on the Create Movie button to activate the process. During the process, on the lower left corner of the navigation window, the progress mark will begin to move from the left end to the right end. A message will be displayed on the lower left corner of the navigation window to notify the user that the movie is being created. Once the progress mark reaches the right end, software will notify the user that a movie has been created.
D. Watching the movie:
On the left hand side of the navigation window, there is a SHORTCUTS menu. Click on the Movie link right next to the icon, all the movies that have been made so far will appear on the screen. Click on any video clip and the movie will play. If the user clicks on Play Full Screen button, a pop up window will appear to ask whether the user wants to use the shortcut.
E. What can a Chinese teacher do to incorporate a Flip video camera in his/her teaching?
Topic discussion questions:
1. Have you and your students used a video camera in your Chinese teaching and their Chinese presentation? If yes, what have you done with it? In what context?
2. What are some challenges and concerns that you have encountered while you and your students use a video camera in teaching and working on a project?
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using a video camera in your Chinese teaching? Please share your experiences.
Other helpful notes:
1. When doing a group project, keep no more than a 5 to 1 ratio of students to FLIP cameras. Students can use the cameras in rotation in the class.
2. The Flip HELP is very good and useful.
3. All cameras should be numbered and assign students a number of the camera they use. If a camera is damaged, the teacher will know which student(s) had it.
4. For maximum of available recording time, make sure all videos are uploaded and deleted by the end of each period and prior to returning the video cameras to the media center.
5. http://www.onfizz.org/demo/ is a good website to see videos uploaded by teachers all over the world.
6. What are some computer access options?
If the teacher has a laptop cart checked out, the students can upload and edit their videos on the spot.
If the teacher only has one or two extra computers in the classroom room, the students may need to log into their accounts, upload their videos, delete videos from the camera, and pass it on to the next group/student. The teacher will need to get a cart or reserve a computer lab so the students can convert or edit their videos.
If the teacher only has a teacher computer, the teacher will need to upload the videos to an album/folder with the student’s name or have the student do it with teacher’s supervision. The teacher will need to move the video folders into the students’ document folders and get a cart or reserve a lab so the students can convert or edit their videos.
Conclusion:
< to be completed when online discussion session is over >
Reference:
1. Forty-Three Interesting Ways to use your Pocket Video Camera in the Classroom
2. Teaching ‘n Technology: Flip Video Cameras in the Classroom
3. Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement with a Flip Camera
4. Pre-K Pages: All Things PreSchool
Credit:
Mr. Joe Butler, media specialist, Central School in Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District.
