The Edublogger

Our last post showed how to upload videos directly into your blog plus linked to tutorials on creating your own videos.

I love teaching people how to create digital stories and videos because it’s a skill that most learners, regardless of age, enjoy learning, experimenting with and are more likely to spend time perfecting their skills in their own time. Great way of engaging even the most reluctant educator to use technology.

However there are so many videos available online, on so many different topics, that it’s sometimes more effective to use ‘others videos’ than create your own video.

Locating Videos Online

I find the fastest way to locate videos is to search video sharing sites. These are my favourite sites:

1. Google Video

When you search Google Video it searches videos that people have added using Google’s services (YouTube, Google Video) as well as videos from other third-party video sites (e.g. Blip TV, Yahoo Video, Expo Television).

2. YouTube

YouTube searches only videos uploaded to their site. The same search term may give different results for Google Video and YouTube, even though Google owns YouTube. This is why I often search both Google Video and YouTube (check out results for aquaculture - Google Video compared to YouTube).

3. VideoJug

This video site has lots of great “how to do” videos with written transcript of the videos. Here are examples of their video tutorials on using ipods, podcasting and itunes. Only downside of this site is you definitely don’t want to send your students to the site to check out the videos. You may be better downloading videos from this site and showing from your computer.

Embedding Videos

1. Locate video you want to embed from Google Video or YouTube
2. Copy the URL of the video
3. On your blog dashboard, go to Write > Post
4. Click on Embed Media Links button
5. Paste the URL of the video into the dialogue box that opens. Click OK.
6. Make sure you tell your readers that you have embedded a video below as many feed readers such as Google Reader may remove the video).

I’ve added the Jurrasic fart video below using this method (apparently it’s funny).

Customizing YouTube Videos

The related video links at the end of YouTube Videos is an issue for educators who don’t want their students to checking out the other videos. YouTube now allows you to customise your player which means you can choose not to show the related videos.

1. Locate video you want to embed from YouTube
2. Click on customize
3. Change to Don’t include related videos
4. Copy the Embed code
   
5. On your blog dashboard, go to Write > Post
6. Write the contents of your post i.e. add all text and images plus your tags and categories. Make sure you tell your readers that you have embedded a video below as many feed readers such as Google Reader may remove the video).
7. Just before you are ready to publish your post click on the Code Tab.
8. Paste the embed code of the video from YouTube in the desired location then immediately press Publish.

At the moment embedding objects into posts are a bit touchy (when you embed a YouTube video like this you are embedding an object). If you press Save and Continue Editing or go back into the post after it has been published it generally will break the code and you will need to re-paste the code back into your post.

I’ve embedded Evolution of Dance below to show you what a customise YouTube Video Player looks like. It’s also funny and I thought we could all do with education on the evolution of dance.

Final Thought

What is your favourite video sharing web sites? How do you use video with your learners?

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