My Simple Show
Name of Tool | Website URL | Cost | Download or Web-based | 1 Sentence description of the tool |
mysimpleshow | Free for educational purposes | Web-based | Mysimpleshow offers users a fast paced, interactive way of presenting information to an audience. |
Description of the Tool
Mysimpleshow provides its users with the versatility of creating fast-paced interactive videos and is known to reach audiences in a direct and stimulating way. This tool can replace power point videos with a lot of wordy information, by providing a condensed illustrated storyline. It has many options for users to design, and create informational videos. This tool is free for educational purposes; however, for business use, there is a monthly subscription fee. This tool can be used, with either a facebook or google account and is easy to set up and use. The professional edge mysimpleshow offers its users is utilized by hundreds of big businesses such as the Huffington Post, McDonalds, and Volkswagen. Mysimpleshow is perfect to use when you have a lot to say, but don’t want to bog down your audience with too much written information at one time; instead, it offers illustrations and voice overs that capture an audience’s attention. It can be used in a number of different ways by teachers, trainers, and students.
How to Use This Tool
To start an account with mysimpleshow you must have a Facebook or Google account. Once you have setup, or signed into your account the next process is jumping into creating your video.
Once you have selected the option to create your video, you will be brought to another tool page with options to name the video, what language you want to use, and whether or not you want to upload your video into a PowerPoint, or write your own script. There are only two languages to choose from English and German.
PowerPoint Option: This option is neat, because it takes an already existing PowerPoint and creates a storyboard off of it.
A tip to remember when using this option is, if your PowerPoint is based mainly on pictures, mysimpleshow won’t be beneficial. The PowerPoint option is good for power points with a lot of information on them. If you have a wordy power point, the mysimpleshow is a great resource to use. The powerpoint option is also extremely easy to set up. You just upload your PowerPoint and they do the rest for you. They use key words in your presentation and pick the pictures off of those words. If you prefer a different picture, the option to do that is also available. Right after the upload process you will have the option to watch a tutorial video. They display this tutorial every time you create a video, even if it’s your tenth time using the product. There is an option to skip the video by hitting the “That’s It.” Button. There is also an option to select “Don’t Show Again” I think the tutorial is helpful. It takes you through the Draft, Write, Visualize, and Finalize stages.
Step 1 Draft: The draft process is not included in a step you will partake in with the power point category. The draft process includes the mysimpleshow software taking your slide shows and pulling relevant information from your slides onto text boxes that can then be edited in the write stage.
Step 2 Write: This is where you will edit your video. You may want to add words, takes words away, or change the wording altogether. They make this process easy and they split each slide into a text box system. It’s on these text boxes you write what you want mysimpleshow to display on your video. After the process of editing your slides, the next step is to go down to the visualize button.
Step 3 Visualize: In this stage your video will be analyzed for keywords and corresponding illustrations will be found by the software. In this stage you will see underlined blue words in the text boxes. Pay attention to these words, because they cannot be rewritten in this step.
There is a maximum of 7 illustration per screen. You can edit the images by highlighting the words and hitting the “x” or the “+” symbols. The x symbol takes that particular word out of the equation and does not display an image for that word. The + symbol adds that word to your illustration screen. There is also an option of splitting the scene up into two different scenes. Use the scissors at the bottom of the text box and drag them to where you want to split the scenes. You can also change the illustration in this stage by clicking on the illustration displayed. You can search different images or upload your own image. The ABC box is used to replace illustration with text.
There are further options to change the size and location of your illustrations in your scenes. You can test out your scene by clicking on the check mark at the top right hand corner of your scene to watch it.
Step 4 Finalize: In this step you can choose speakers and speed time for your videos. Something to note about this step, is you have to be a subscriber to have any extended voice options, other than Paul. Fore- warning, Paul has a very monotone voice. The free option does not come with subtitles or scribble color and it also does not have the option of removing the watermark. The music for the free version is pretty nice; however, paid subscribers have all the music, uploads, and record options.
The finalize step: Your video will be sent from the mysimpleshow software to you via e-mail and is then ready for you to display to your classroom or training room.
The Write My Own Script: isdifferent from the power point option in that you don’t upload a power point, but rather create your own story from scratch.
Step 1 Draft: In this section you will be able to choose between a professional, educational, and personal storyline.
For my purpose I chose education. In the educational option you will see, many categories of classroom subjects. They range from History, chemistry, to Literature.
You will need to choose the category that best fits your needs. Once you have chosen a template you will begin in the write stage.
Step 2 Write: This is where you will write your script. Writing your script is one of the most important aspects to your video. The information used in this portion is where the software generates the illustrations and the voice over for your final presentation. Note the title page has a 75 word max in its text box. The text boxes range from having 400 to 200 word maximums. The text boxes have pre-determined categories such as geology, population, government and politics, unfortunately these cannot be changed. You have to use the subject category in which they have listed on the draft stage.
Step 3 Visuals: The visual stage is the exact same as the power point process up above. Refer to step 3 in the power point visual stage for further information on this step.
Step 4 Finalize: The finalize step is also the same as the power point process. Please refer to step 4 of the power point demonstration on this process.
How Can This Tool be used by the Trainer/Teacher?
Mysimpleshow is an exciting medium that can be used to showcase a large amount of information in one quick setting. Gonzalez (2016) argues that teachers can use myslimpleshow to teach chunks of content in their classrooms, create tutorials for common classroom procedures, and create introductory videos that explain large concepts in quick, easy, and understandable ways. She says mysimpleshow is great for providing information once and then having it be re-found later for further use. Furthermore, mysimpleshow is providing flipped teaching in classrooms. IIemann (2016) writes that mysimpleshow is contributing to a better learning experience, one that is evolving away from standardized frontal teaching to a more progressive flipped classroom teaching. This style of teaching targets creativity, collaboration and self-teach concepts. It encourages group activities, hands on learning, and strengthens curiosity. Additionally this tool can also be used to support student learning.
How Can This Tool be used by the Trainer/Teacher to Support Student Learning?
In today’s world, traditional classroom methods are becoming more and more obsolete. This is because the old methods of yesterday are not reaching our students today. Mysimpleshow has many options for teachers and trainers to use for enhancing their classrooms, or training rooms. Cleary (2017) describes several ways students can use mysimpleshow:
Teachers can assign movies instead of homework. This means teachers or trainers can assign mysimpleshow videos for their students to watch that night, with the expectation of discussion, and clarification the next day. Students are more likely to go home and watch a video, than read a book, or do a writing activity.
How Can This Tool be Used by Students?
Students can create their own explainer videos. Students can use mysimpleshow to create book reports, biographies, biology analysis, or presentations.
Students can participate in team work activities. Group activities are proving to be highly successful, both at the k-12 level and for adult learners. Mysimpleshow allows children and adults to work together to create presentations and explainer videos.
Explainer videos can have positive impacts on learning. “Videos communicate messages better than strictly text does, and are much more memorable due to the cognitive association that is established while watching it” (Clearly, 2017). In the creation stage creating a video takes a strong knowledge base. The more information put into your slides the better the presentation at the end. This is great, because students will have to research and provide accurate information for their presentations. It is sometimes easy for students to create a power point and get up in front of class and deliver their message with using little effort to researching the subject matter. With mysimpleshow, that is not an option. Students must know their stuff to create a video, or the video they present will be noticeably lacking. It will encourage students to really excel on the content matter of their subjects.
Training and Other Resources
The mysimpleshow website has wonderful tutorial videos all the way through the creation process. They display the tutorial every time you log on to make a new video. Other great resources I found were tips on how to utilize the product by Emily Clearly (https://goo.gl/6x4B64). She discusses the values to using this technology in the classroom and the impact it has on students. Jennifer Gonzalez (https://goo.gl/fn8tkW) offers a great description on how to use the tool and displays images and videos for learners to use. One more really great source I found was written from Susanne Lleman (https://goo.gl/vLMA96) she discusses the effects mysimpleshow has on overall classroom environments. Mysimpleshow was fun to learn about and it has been even more exciting to use.
References
Clearly, E. (2017). Myslimpleshow makes elearning simple. eLearning Industry, Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/press-releases/mysimpleshow-makes-elearning-simple
Gonzalez, J. (2016). Create videos in minutes with mysimpleshow. Cult of Pedagogy, Retrieved from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/mysimpleshow-videos/
Lleman, S. (2018). Mysimpleshow kicks off a new era of blended learning with free ‘classroom’ solution. Cision PR Newswire, Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mysimpleshow-kicks-off-a-new-era-of-blended-learning-with-free-classroom-solution-300583348.html
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