Hi, I attached a quick tutorial video on how to turn on your FaceTime camera and capture yourself and record the screen at the same time.
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—Instructions
1. Open QuickTime
2. Here Click on FILE | NEW MOVIE RECORDING
3. Now the FaceTime camera is activated and you can resize this window and put it off to the side or in the corner. With the selfie camera on and resized just leave the window open and don’t hit record. The trick here is to not actually make a movie recording you are simply using this to turn the camera on. With the camera on and placed correctly, click on QUICKTIME again and this time choose NEW SCREEN RECORDING.
This screen recording will now capture both the screen including the windows with the camera activated.
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Again the easiest way to get these videos to students, is to upload to youtube and then simply change the privacy settings to UNLISTED
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/157177?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
Now share the link in Google Classroom or via email and you are all set.
Aloha
James
Hi, here is another good way to record your lesson material, presentation, etc using the Google Chrome Extension called SCREEN RECORDER
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screen-recorder/hniebljpgcogalllopnjokppmgbhaden
Here is how to install and get it going.
1. Open Google Chrome on your laptop.
2. Click on this link or copy this URL to Google Chrome https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screen-recorder/hniebljpgcogalllopnjokppmgbhaden
3. Click on ADD TO CHROME (right side of page)
4. Click on EXTENSIONS and PIN the new Extension so it is easier to USE.
In the top right hand corner click on the puzzle piece and look for
5. Now you can create a screen capture when you click this button in Google Chrome
6. A nice menu pops up when you click on the icon and walks you through the process.
You can capture using your video camera or the screen, and you can click on microphone to record your voice as well.
7. If you share your screen it will ask you for some permissions click on ALLOW. Choose Your entire screen and click START recording.
8. You are now recording even though it may not seem like it. When you are finished recording your lesson material just click on STOP RECORDING
With the recording stopped you can now Choose SAVE
With it saved you will see the file quickly download, I like to hit the down arrow and choose SHOW IN FINDER
This will open your Download folder and show you the file. Here I click on the file that ends in .webm and click on it to rename it something.
9. Okay with that you are all done. You may be asking yourself what is a webm file? This is a video file that works great on chromebooks in the google chrome web browser and android smart phones. Unlike .mov or mp4 webm is a video format that Google has really backed and is open source and royalty free.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebM
You can directly upload your finished webm to https://youtube.com, https://drive.google.com or directly to google classroom https://classroom.google.com.
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FAQ
What is the fastest way to share a webm screencast with my students? Upload your screencast.webm file to https://youtube.com and set the privacy of the video to “unlisted” Share the URL of the video with your students. This is the least amount steps and since it is uploaded to youtube the link will play on any device.
Can I just use QuickTime screen recording like in your previous email? Yes, absolutely. This is just an alternative method using Google Chrome and a web extension.
What are the downsides of using webm? Apple iPhone and iPad’s do not natively support webm files and this is a bit annoying. You can still view webm on iOS iPhone and iPads however you will need to first install the VLC app first. VLC for IOS (Free) https://apps.apple.com/us/app/vlc-for-mobile/id650377962. If you are using google chromebooks, laptops, or anything with the full Google Chrome Browser webm should work great. Also again if you upload this file to youtube EVERY device will be able to play it via the youtube link.
Can I convert the webm format to mp4 that works well for both Google Chrome and iOS Apple Devices? Yes you can use the app called Handbrake which is installed on your laptops. Here is how.
Step 1: In Handbrake select your WEBM saved video file. (Click OPEN SOURCE if box is not already open)
Step 2: .Pick PRESET and CHOSE FAST 720P
Step 3: At the bottom see where the file will be saved, in my case DESKTOP.
Step 4: Click START
Apple Laptops have a built in screen recording function that is pretty useful. The screen recorded videos can be saved to your computer, uploaded to google drive, uploaded to your own website or uploaded to youtube.
Here is how:
1. Launch the Program Quicktime
This program is included with all Apple computers and you can find it by using the search function in the top right.
2. Okay with Quicktime Player Running … At the top of the screen click FILE and choose NEW SCREEN RECORDING
In the box that pops up click the little Down icon next to the Record button to make sure Internal Microphone is selected. (your computer will remember this choice from now on).
Note: if you are a new teacher with a new laptop running MacOS Catalina this screen will look a bit different. Click on Options… choose Built in Microphone
3. Now click the record button and you are recording your screen and recording your audio. You can open a web browser, go over a power point or google slide presentation, or review a word document. Really anything open on your computer will be recorded with you narrating. When you are done click the STOP button (located bottom of screen or way up on the top right hand corner of screen)
4. When you are done you will see a file on your desktop called Screen Recording. The movie will also be open on your screen and you can hit the PLAY button to watch.
One nice touch is to click on EDIT | then choose TRIM to clean up the video.
This allows you to drag the beginning and ending points of the movie to erase any awkward parts of trying to get your presentation loaded, or pulling the correct screen up to record. Notice I move the sliders a bit on the beginning and the ending to cut off a few seconds. (This step is OPTIONAL)
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Okay so you have a nice recorded video. Now what?
Here I recommend exporting the file and then uploading the exported file to Google Drive /Classroom to share with your students.
Heres How.
Click on FILE | EXPORT AS | 720p
I like to save the movie right on my desktop but you can choose any location really.
With the finished exported video file you can upload this directly to Google Drive and Share with Students. You can also upload this file to youtube and share the link with students this way.
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FAQ
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*When I am finished with my video can I just click SHARE | and choose youtube? Yes you can. I don’t recommend this typically since uploading from home can take a very long time. If you export to your Desktop you can see your finished file and do not have to worry about whether it is still uplaoding. You can also wait until you are at school and use our very fast upload connection to send the finished file to youtube, google drive, your website, etc.*Why does my video take so long to upload from home? Home internet connections typically have poor upload speed. They prioritize download speed (IE Watching Hulu, Netflix, reading headlines, watching TikToks, etc) but not upload speed. Our schools upload speed is close to 1000mbps which is incredible fast. (Mediacom upload is typically 2-5 mbps, Phone Company DSL .5-1.5 mbps, Geneseo CUSD 228 1000mpbs).
*Can I use a google chrome extension to record my screen instead of using Quicktime? Yes in fact I will be sending out instructions for an alternative screen capture method using a google chrome extension (free) and using handbrake (free) to convert/compress. (https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/screen-recorder/hniebljpgcogalllopnjokppmgbhaden?hl=en)
*Can I use quicktime to record a movie of myself with the camera? Yes, instead of clicking File | new screen recording …. choose File Movie Recording
*What about ScreenCastify? ScreenCastify works well but unfortunately costs money. Since the functionality is already included with staff computers (and other free plugins) at this point not sure purchasing a commercial plugin makes sense.
*These files can get big especially in HD anyway I can shrink them? Yes you can use a program called Handbrake to drastically reduce the size of video files. I will send out a new email with some basics on how to “shrink” video files with handbrake. The advantage here is the smaller the video file = the faster it loads for students.
I have had a Roomba now for a number of years 5+. It has done an awesome job over the years and has been used heavily in this time. The other day I noticed it was getting stuck on low lying rugs which it used to traverse and clean easily.
Flipping my Roomba upside down I noticed that powered wheels in the back were almost completely bare. Taking a look on Amazon.com I noticed that replacing wheel kits run almost 70-90$ and these are for used parts (Amazon-Wheel-Roomba-Wheel-Kit). This is not good since both of the electrical motors on my unit work just fine. The problem is just no more tread on the tires.
My kids frequently get these fund raiser / awareness silicon bracelets and one of these caught my eye since it looked almost like a perfect fit. I decided to take apart the Roomba and using rubber cement glue this style of bracelets as new tires. Surprisingly they fit like a glove and my machine is back in action.
Lots of cleaning …. especially with a long haired cat as a resident.
Our district website https://geneseoschools.org is pretty photo heavy which I think gives it a nice touch. It shows students engaged in learning, in sports, in activities and around the community. With the ever increasing resolution and quality of images sizing has become a bit of an issue when posting to the web.
This is not a new problem, people like webpages to load quickly and saving an image or rendering it for web readiness is not new. However automating this process has not been done which leads to unnecessary slow downs and unnecessary extra work.
Enter a quick plug for https://wordpress.org/plugins/wp-smushit/ Smush it.
This is the type of WordPress plugin I like, simple and to the point. Any picture that is uploaded is automatically optimized for the web. The results are noticeable, immediate and configuration is minimal. This plugin has worked so well that I have just started including it on all wordpress based installs and sites I work with. 5/5
Bravo
A couple years ago Apple released a new version of iTunes 12.7 that removed the ability to backup your iOS apps. So when you plug in your iPad mini or iPad Air and it backs up it now would skip apps only backup pictures, settings, messages, etc. (https://www.macobserver.com/news/product-news/itunes-12-7/)
This move is a major shift taking away user control and putting it in the hands of developers and Apple. Lets take a look at the iOS app Chicktionary. Chicktionary is a fun game that is still popular in education and younger grades like Kindergarten and first grade. The iOS app version at one time cost 2.99$ and worked great on iOS devices. Unfortunately Chicktionary’s app has since been pulled from the app store and since you can no longer download it…. the app has essentially become abandonware (although still available for android).
So if you backup your old device and go to restore it on another device you will find that this app simply dissapears. Not because it no longer works but because it is no longer listed on the App Store. The backup simply does not include the app but instead just a placeholder letting the system know it should try and download a new copy. But since its not on the store and no updated version exists it just vanishes.
Another scenario lets say you have a great app you downloaded/purchased and it does just what you like. However later the developer adds an updated version that sells subscription services to enhance your experience. Now when you go to restore your device Apple will force you to download the updated unwanted version of the app that now tries to sell you a subscription.
In a nutshell the end user (you)has less control of the device you have purchased. IT people and those managing iPads also have less control over the devices. Apple is (perhaps has) moving to a model where essentially all applications are a service. An app can decide to remove a “feature” in a update and eventually you will be forced to get this new version one way or another. Apps will try to up-sell you on features and add ons making some “updated” versions less functional than previous ones.
Why this matters, especially in the Education space. Apple makes great hardware that lasts a long time. This is great and one reason schools have purchased Apple products for years. The original iPad mini still is going strong in many schools around the nation. The problem is not with the hardware but instead with Apple’s approach to ownership and software. How to we keep a backup copy of apps that work great on iOS 9 on older devices like an iPad mini. The answer cannot be… ohhh sorry its unavailable now you should consider updating to a newer iPad. Well I guess this can be the answer and it is Apple’s answer …. however it brings into question how much value iPads bring to the education space. Less value than in the past where iMacs from 2010-2012 are still running the latest software and updates 6-8 years later.
Even the quote “enterprise” tools have been weakened an no longer backup apps. Apple Configurator does not backup any apps but instead is really more useful at letting you know which apps have now been pulled from the store.
To be honest I think it really just exposes what Apple’s focus is on. Apple’s focus is squarely on the consumer space. With hardware sales showing signs of flat lining apple will likely transition to expand its service model. Education is not a profitable space here… and I think they are not really committed to regaining lost market share here in the form of competing against Google and their Chromebook model. Instead I think they will double down on the home consumer market and work to heavily control the app experience and even move to encourage the more profitably click-bait app model of subscription to “add features” etc.
Good bye Chicktionary. Goodbye to backing up applications. Goodbye to managing your own device. The new ipad has a great price at 279$, has a great build quality and works well… but with weak configuration tools, focus on third party management software, and little control over software installed on the machine may not be the right device for the classroom.
If you are looking to use Sysprep.exe to generalize and move a windows installation from one machine to another you may run into a problem with a machine that has been upgraded in the past. You can actually get around this hurdle by just deleting a couple registry keys and running a single command.
***Error message you get running Sysprep on a machine that was Upgraded.
To Fix:
Remove this KEY from the Registry:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Upgrade
Set this REG_DWORD from the Registry:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Setup\Status\SysprepStatus\CleanupState
—Set this Value to 7 (will likely be 2)
Run this command as Administrator:
Open the Command Prompt as Administrator and then run.
slmgr /dli
Thats it now when you run Sysprep.exe you will see the normal menu without any errors 🙂
This year I am finishing replacing all teacher workstations at the High School with MacBook Airs.   With Apple considerably raising prices and competitors offering solid machines it took sometime to settle on this for a replacement option.   Here are the models that were looked at and how I scored them as a viable replacement options.  Staff members were using MacBook Pro 2010-2012 Education Models.
Disclaimer:  My reviews are based on this school districts environment and user base.   For example legacy USB ports are still needed as are VGA connectors to Projectors etc.  Many end users in other environments or at home I am sure are likely looking for all USB-C and next-gen ports,  however my mini reviews are based on a more realistic fit for what offers the best value to the education and work environment how it currently exists and it will most likely exist over the next 3 years.
MacBook Pro 13 inch (Latest Model)
Price 1299$
Storage 256 SSD
Processor: i5
RAM 8 gb
OS: MacOS Sierra 10.12.4
Thoughts:  Solid Machine.  Priced too high.  USB C ports are nice but with the amount of equipment in schools today needed USB 3.0 ports as well.  If you add in the price of dongles this machine gets closer to 1400$ per teacher which is way too high.  (VGA to USB C adapter,  USB-C to USB 3.0/2.0 Adapter = both 100$)
Overall score 7 out of 10.  Again price major factor here drop 300$ per unit and this would be 9 out of 10.
Price: 1199$
Storage: 256 SSD
Processor: i5
RAM: 8gb
OS: ubuntu or Windows 10
Thoughts:  I am Linux guy at heart and if the price was right I would honestly consider trying to move people to Linux.  However at 1299$ price is still a bit steep and Microsoft Office & significant software availability issues makes this untenable for Linux model(developer edition) .   Dell is interested in lowering prices to get into education but as a school district that has run MacOS for over 15 years a switch to Windows 10 has to be factored in terms of overall costs.  Training, support, malware protecti0n, group policy changes, adds to the cost of this machine.
Overall score 7 out of 10.  Changing OS from Mac back to Windows is doable but would need an agressive price point to make this happen, something around 899$ or less.
Microsoft Surface (latest model)
Price: 1229$
Storage: 256 SSD
Processor: i5
RAM: 8gb
OS: Windows 10 Pro/Education
Thoughts:  I had high hopes that Microsoft would make some aggressive moves to get Surface back into schools.  Machine is solidly built, runs quick, has a great screen, pulls off touch screen and traditional computing better then any other device.  Price is the big killer here,  this device needs to be priced under 1000$ to be competitive and to warrant an full OS change in our district.
Overall score 8 out of 10.  Probably best device Microsoft has ever made.  Runs well and is quite versatile.  To move people back into Windows need to price a bit more aggressively for education.
HP Spectre
Price: 1150$
Storage: 256 SSD
Processor: i7
RAM: 8gb
OS: Windows 10 Pro/Education
Thoughts:¬† This machine surprised me the most.¬† You get a lot of bang with your dollar here and cannot say much of anything negative.¬† This is probably the best laptop I have ever seen from HP.¬† The only downside is they don’t have a i5 reduced price model at the 999$-1050$.
Overall Score: 9 out of 10.  This machine is shown and often descreibed  as a copy/clone of the MacBook Air but even if that is the case they have done a great job.  Priced just a bit too high.
MacBook Air (latest model)
Price: 999-1050$
Storage: 256SSD
Processor: i5
RAM: 8GB
OS: MacOS Sierra 10.12.14
Thoughts:  Okay so this is the machine that really created the ultra book market and did so for a reason.  There is nothing I can say bad about this machine except perhaps its screen resolution is dated compared to other computers.  However at a price point of just over 1000$ machine has it all.  I would venture to say that Apple will likely kill off this model because to be honest it probably hurts sales on their new lineup of MacBook and MacBook Pros.
Overall Score: 9 out of 10.  The only thing keeping this machine from a perfect 10 is not retinal level display.  Battery life excellent, durable, fast, proven design.
Surface Book
Price: 999$
Storage: 128 SSD
Processor: i5
RAM: 4GB
OS: Windows S / Windows 10 Pro
Thoughts:  Okay so this was a late challenger and really missed the deadline to be a true competitor. However I am adding to my list since it was considered but due to dissapointing specs and price point quickly dismissed.  Machine is solid/built well has a great screen but at the 999$ price point that is about all it has going for it.  128 SSD is too small for a machine at this price point as is only 4 GB of RAM.  These specs look more like 2012-2013 prices and not sure what Microsoft is thinking here.  Windows S looks to be a late coming clone of ChromeOS and does not seem to fit this price point.  However it can be configured for Windows 10 Pro and this would be the config used for teacher machines.  Microsoft will need to regroup and work on marketting here of this could be another RT.
Winner MacBook Air.  Although HP Spectre is a great machine with great specs and decent price point, it still was more expensive then the Air and runs Windows 10.  Since our staff/admin/teachers have used Mac for years there is a cost associated with switching platforms.  Had the Spectre been around 950$ this would have warranted a change.  The MacBook Air has a fast SSD, is extremly durable, has a proven engineered design and at a price point of just over 1000$ it is still the best value offered by Apple.
Note: The iPad Pro was considered and quickly dismissed.¬† Although a great device it is still limited in functionality and cannot replace a full laptop.¬† I say this as a owner of an iPad pro and iPhone 7… locked garden and restrictive iOS is just not ready to fully replace a teacher/admin workstation.
This year District 228 has upgraded some core network infrastructure to utilize its fiber WAN connection now running at 1000mbps up/down.  This is a significant step forward in network bandwidth and really allows our district fleet of over 1100 Chromebooks, 500 iPads, and 300 Laptops/Desktops  to make full use of cloud based / internet based resources.
To make full use of 1000+ mbps speeds some network pieces needed to be upgraded. Our old network Firewall was a cisco ASDM 5520 which maxes out at 450mbp.  This device has been replaced with the Cisco ASDM 5545X which is capable of handling 2000mpbs up and down.
Part of this upgrade involved moving reconfiguring the device for the newer ASA software 9.2.2.  Upgrading from 7.x ASA software requires quite a few configuration changes however I found a cool tool that handles most of it for you https://fwm.cisco.com/auth.do.
This tool successfully converted my 8.2 ASA configuration to the newer format 9.2.2 almost perfectly.  I only had to make two minor changes and clear our a couple redundant lines.
To fully utilize 1000mbps speeds I changed our content filter to a new machine with upgraded specs.  We use the Untangle software running on a Dell PowerEdge R730 Server.  I have been happy with Untangle as a content filter along with providing a few additional security functions.  Our new Dell PowerEdge R730 has 64 Gigs of RAM and runs a Intel based SSD RAID 10 array which passes traffic with all modules loaded above 2000mbps.
With Wireless 802.11AC provided district wide and all device allowed access policy District 228 handles over 2500-3200 internet connected devices during a normal school day.
As of 8:20 AM today we have 2,685 internet devices currently active on our network.
I ran across a strange issue that took entirely way too long to figure out.  I was doing a routine IT support visit when I noticed one buildings locations had less then optimal speeds.   The download speeds were hovering around 12-40 mbps when typically our connection runs a strong 190-350 mbps (depending on wifi or wired).  At first I thought was perhaps just a temporary issue with congestion but after checking throughout the day I found that no it was isolated to one building (Unit Office) and only affecting traffic here.
For good measure I updated the Firmware on our wireless controller and even updated the switches iOS since it had not been done in some time.
I have two switches in this location one a Catalyst 2560G and a Catalyst 3560.¬†¬† Looking thought the switches configuration I could not find anything that stood out.¬† No loopbacks…no faulty nics on the client side.¬†¬† Upon closer inspection (show interface command) I found that the tengigabitethernet0/2 interface was showing CRC errors and dribble conditions detected.¬†¬†¬† Here after comparing configurations checking for auto negiotiation issues I could not find anything wrong.¬†¬† After clearing the counters and bringing the port down and back up CRC errors continued.
A long story short after reading and re-reading cisco documentation on everything from packet flooding, ARP timeout mismatches, QOS settings, etc I stumbled across the answer from a Cisco guy posting on a forum.  It simply said in his experience CRC errors almost always indicate a bad cable or sometimes a bad SFP or similar module.
The Cable was bad.¬†¬†¬† That’s it.
Yes Inside the fiber panel the SC Fiber patch cable had been bent inside the cabinet in a such a way that the cable made a hard 90 degree bend.  Simply replacing this cable and everything went immediately back to normal.  After clearing the counters on the switch after 60 minutes 0 CRC errors were detected.    The lesson for me is before looking and spending hours reading complex networking topology issues probably is a lot smarter to start simple, check cables and SFP modules.
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