Reviews for Knowmia
Usage: I would use it for group project instruction, flipped classroom instruction, and reinforcement and supplment lessons
Strengths: I'm impressed at the video editor and how easy it is to implement. It's a no frills, user-friendly system that has amazing potential for really interactive custom videos. On the walkthrough, we saw how easy it is to embed images, plug in recorded video, sketching on particular slides, etc. I can imagine, as a student, that it would be so much more powerful and meaningful to see a custom built video from your teacher, rather than a stock one off of youtube or vimeo. I like how you can track assignments on their dashboard; the data is user-friendly, and you can easily see where students are in terms of how they understand the video content. One last thing that is really great is their understanding of video tags; when you search for other videos, not only do you search that particular content, but related content that's linked to the tags.
Suggestions for Improvement: A huge drawback is that you can only create videos with an iPad. They said they were working on creating the editor with other devices, but as of right now that's a big problem. I suppose our school could purchase an iPad and share it across the staff to people who want to create lessons, but that kind of spontaneous creativity isn't quite there without full device integration.
Verdict: I would recommend this program to someone who uses a lot of video in their classroom. In particular, I'm going to recommend this to our teachers who use a lab rotation style of blended learning in our school system. While students are with the teacher learning a particular lesson and others are working as individuals on their edtech programs, another group of students can be watching the video instruction and afterward be prompted for exercises or a project-based assignment. The teacher could also use the video to explain further a concept in his or her small group of students.
Usage: I'd be very interested in embedding the videos in iBooks.
Strengths: Seems like a very easy but feature rich way to create videos. Really nice integration with drop box and other cloud storage. Really nice that you can create the videos on an iPad, many teachers have them but don't have an easy way to create content with them.
Suggestions for Improvement: It might be nice to store the videos locally, if I had a lot of students trying to watch the videos in class local bandwidth could be a big issue. maybe a local cache that I could pre-load for that days lessons?
Verdict: I think there are a lot of teachers that find it very intimidating to try and create their own videos/content. This seems like a product that they could jump right into.
Usage: I would use this to teach lessons
Strengths: This product is interactive and easy to use. It's FREE which is always a plus. I love that teacher or students can create lessons and they can be easily turned into video. Love the interactive part!
Suggestions for Improvement: I haven't used it yet, just watched the demo so I'm not sure what needs to be improved. I teach kindergarten and there is not too much for early elementary but since it's crowdsourced that's not the company's fault.
Verdict: My first impression of this product is WOW! I can easily use this for myself and it seems intuitive for others to learn. I think students can also use this product to teach and reteach content they are learning.
Usage: to create video lessons
Strengths: i think it would make the lesson very interactive. students could be assigned video homework- an idea i've not explored before as an english teacher. the best part about it is i would be able to see which students reviewed the video and which students didn't. i could see creating a video teaching my freshman how to compose a strong thesis statement for example and then in class, they could actually write it and i could give them individualized feedback.
Suggestions for Improvement: not sure yet since I haven't experimented with it
Verdict: i think this is a great tool for teachers who flip their classrooms.
Usage: Classroom and at Home Instruction
Strengths: This tool allows teachers to create and share lessons on the web. It also gives students access to online lessons and assignments. You can use resources created by other teachers as well as those you create yourself. It also allows you to control the lesson from your ipad
Suggestions for Improvement: I would like to be able to have it more setup to create lessons as I go, during teaching. I can imagine setting up all the features and slide I will need, and then writing ans speaking as I am actually instructing my students.
Verdict: It seems like a great way to share resources.
Usage: I would use this for teacher collboration and team teaching as well as giving students a deeper understanding of a concept.
Strengths: With large class sizes, it would allow a teacher to differentiate instruction and spend time with small groups while simultaneously giving a student an opportunity to review a lesson.
Suggestions for Improvement: I'm not sure.
Verdict: Of course! I can not wait to share with teachers at my school.
This is a wonderful way to collaborate and share lesson, as well as allow students time to review a lesson or concept.
Usage: I can use this to upload my video lessons. For my digital media arts class.
Strengths: This product offers a free way to create content and share it online. I currently use snag it and find this to be a great alternative to assessing student knowledge with the question are portion but also to create easily editable content videos.
Suggestions for Improvement: I would like to be able to create content on my computer as opposed to using the app.
Verdict: This is a great app for teachers who are considering using blended learning int he classroom.
Usage: Don't use it now - could for my flipped classroom
Strengths: If you are doing a flipped classroom and want to be able to share material with students at home, this is an easy way to make videos for your students, even if you aren't too tech savvy. The dashboard and commands are intuitive, and the explanations if you need them are clear and short.
Suggestions for Improvement: Nothing comes to mind!
Verdict: Easy to use and still powerful enough to make good videos.
Usage: Don't use it now - could for my flipped classroom
Strengths: If you are doing a flipped classroom and want to be able to share material with students at home, this is an easy way to make videos for your students, even if you aren't too tech savvy. The dashboard and commands are intuitive, and the explanations if you need them are clear and short.
Suggestions for Improvement: Nothing comes to mind!
Verdict: Easy to use and still powerful enough to make good videos.
Usage: creating videos
Strengths: can create new instructional videos for my students and also create quizzes that go along with the video. Keeps track of student progress as they complete their quizzes.
Suggestions for Improvement: I would expand its capabilities so you could create videos on an iphone
Verdict: I would recommend it for any teacher that either needs premade videos for their units or would like to make their own videos to enrich what they already have.
Usage: Weekly
Strengths: Knowmia provides thousands video or other lesson resources. These would help me to prepare lessons with ease. I am a Science Teacher who has multiple classes. I think the lessons with videos will help my students.
Suggestions for Improvement: The improvement I would like is having the lessons I create would be private. So, I would like Knowmia provides options to teachers whether to make their lessons public or not.
Verdict: N/A
Usage: Classroom Instruction
Strengths: This product lets teachers have the ability to create interactive and engaging lessons ahead of time and then share them with their students in class or at home.
Suggestions for Improvement: I would like to see this more involved with elementary classrooms. It seems to be geared towards middle or high school teachers with the available lessons.
Verdict: Yes, if they get more elementary lessons available.
Usage: I would use this to create lesson plans for a middle school curriculum that I am developing.
Strengths: Easy way to mix video, images and annotate and voiceover.
FREE!
Combine videos with question, quizzes
Suggestions for Improvement: Adding interactivity directly embedded in the video would be great.
Verdict: I am definitely going to recommend this tool to teachers in my graduate program.
Usage: I could use this to create videos for my class.
Strengths: It looked user friendly and easy to engage images.
Suggestions for Improvement: I'm just not sure what differentiates this from other sites that do the same job.
Verdict: I've been happy with educreations and didn't see much of a distinction