Slides + Quicktime = Learning Video

I LOVE Google Slides! Slides are versatile and so much more than a presentation tool. Using Google Slides along with Quicktime to screen record can make a nice little learning video.

One way that I like to do this is to start with a new Google Slides presentation or use an existing one.  I try to think about the steps I would take to show a skill or concept during a face to face lesson and then I use each page of the slides presentation to show a small part at a time. 

I use the “animate” feature in Slides to make visuals or text appear slowly onto the page so I can try to explain an idea in a coherent and sequential way.

When the slides and animations are in order and they make sense, I go through them in “presentation mode “and I practice doing a voice-over through each page of the slide as if I am recording. After a few short run-throughs and a couple of adjustments with the Slides, then I add Quicktime. 

Quicktime is a tool that is used to record audio and video. I use it on my Macbook to Screen Record while I speak. Quicktime allows me to record my voice and my computer screen simultaneously. When I am ready to screen record, I put my Slides in presentation mode, select to record the entire screen and I teach the skill or concept through the visuals and text on the slide along with my voice. This little combination then produces a learning video that I can use to teach a concept through a flipped environment, blended learning or for virtual or distance learning.

I have included two resources to help you get started. There is a video that I made to introduce perimeter with my 3rd graders so you have an example of the final product. Also included is the Slides Presentation that I voiced over to create the video. The Slides include the animations so you can see how I ordered them to produce the sequence of visual and text. Feel free to make a copy and try it out on your own. 

Lesson Video Link  & Slides used for Video. 

The video can be shared out to your students in a variety of ways. The video can be easily uploaded into Youtube and shared out. I have given kiddos access to them in the classroom as an in-class flipped environment with QR Codes or direct links. I have shared the videos with kiddos in an LMS like Blackboard 9 or a workflow app like Showbie or Google Classroom. 

Things to keep in mind as you begin. 

1. Start small. Use the skills you have and build up little by little.

2. Be okay with making some mistakes along the way. It took me many tries to put it all together. 

3. It doesn’t have to be perfect! It’s ok if you stumbled over a word or two in the voice over. It’s ok if you don’t edit out the “dead” time when you start the video. 

4. If you are trying a first video during the virtual learning with the pandemic, kiddos love hearing our voices. Remembering this helped me to let of go of the perfectionistic tendencies when sharing out content online. The sound of our voices with the inflection, tone, and intonation can bring understanding to a topic and a sense of comfort at the same time.