Mysimpleshow Video Maker

I/S Digital Literacies: Mysimpleshow

Description

Mysimpleshow is a web-based application that allows user to make high quality animated videos from written text. It is a freemium product, with users able to create and host videos for now charge. Plans that additional features, download ability and commercial rights to produced videos are available for purchase. An educational version is offered for free to people connected with an educational institution. It allows up to 50 students to collaboratively work on videos with custom uploaded images.

The website offers templates for several types of videos. Some examples include describing a historic event, appealing for donations and pros vs. cons discussion. Once selected a template divides the video into sections. The Letter template divides into salutation, greetings and signature. Text can be inserted into each section and the template provides a couple of examples of type of information is meant to be inserted in each box. To create a video the application provides images for key words and phrases. These images can be modified by the user before finalizing the video. A link to an example video is on the left.

Figure: Surveillance Smackdown 2.0

Clicking on the image will open a video created with mysimpleshow in a new window.

Mysimpleshow (n.d.) [website] retrieved from https://videos.mysimpleshow.com/I3zlcbkLj0

Examples and Rationale

We used this application in class to generate an animated video discussing the pros and cons of information surveillance. It was an easy process and created a high-quality video product. As a teacher this would be an interesting tech tool to allow students to creatively present information. The templates and examples provide effective scaffolding for how to use the software. There is a fair amount of customization available with the free version which would allow students to creatively express both their personalities and opinions.

It seems especially useful for learners who would otherwise struggle to present. This might be students with anxiety, an inability or unwillingness to talk or ELL learners. It is recommended that ELL students be afforded differential accommodation when assessing learning. One suggestion is to allow visual representations when presenting concepts (Ontario Ministry of Education p. 50). Student or teacher presentations done with mysimpleshow can combine speech, visual images and subtitles making it easier for accommodated learners to understand important concepts and improve language skills. As evaluated by the SAMR model mysimpleshow is a modification level technology (Puentedura, 2013). The text to speech functionallity and creation of high quality video presentation is a significant resigned to how presentations are typically performed.

References

Ontario Ministry of Education (2008). Supporting English Language Learners: A practical Guide for Ontario Educators Grades 1 to 8. Toronto, On. Queens Printer for Ontario. retrieved from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/esleldprograms/guide.pdf