Monday, 21 April 2014

Inserting a Picasa Web Slideshow into a blog post

Here are instructions on how to insert a Picasa Web album into a blog post.

Go to Picasa Web
Click on the 'My Photos' tab









Choose the desired album, making sure that permissions are public.
You can change this where it says 'edit'.

Next click on 'Link to this album'

Next click on 'Embed Slideshow'


A pop up window will open.  On this window you choose the size of slideshow you want.  'Large' is easier to see and fits nicely in most blog templates.  Once you've chosen your settings you click on the box with the code in it.  Copy this code.












Then go back to your blog post.  Click on the 'HTML' button.  This will take you into the coding section - don't fear, it's not that scary in there - :D
Simply paste the code that you just copied right in this section.  Make sure it's after whatever you may have been typing in your blog.  After you've pasted it, click back on the 'Compose' button.

Save / preview / publish your post and you should see your slideshow.

Good luck and have fun trying something new!

Here is my sample slideshow.



Saturday, 12 April 2014

Green Screen - Mellini Pillay



 This Friday morning Techie Breakie PD was presented and prepared by Mellini Pillay.  Thanks Mellini!

To use the green-screen effect:
  1. Record video in front of an evenly lit, solid bright green or blue backdrop. Download onto iphoto and then import it into iMovie. To use photos drag onto your desktop and then drag into imovie .
When you record, do the following for best results:
    • Make sure the subject of the video isn’t wearing anything green and don’t include anything green in the shot other than the backdrop. If possible, use multiple lighting sources to eliminate shadows on the subject being recorded.
    • Record a moment at the end with the subject out of the frame. This indicates to iMovie what should be cut out when the video is superimposed.
  1. Make sure Advanced Tools are turned on. (Open iMovie, open Preferences and select Show Advanced Tools)
  2. Open the project you want to add the green-screen effect to or start a new project.
  3. Add an image (downloaded from the internet or iphoto, etc) to the project.
  4. In the Event browser, select video (a frame range or an entire clip) that you recorded in front of the green backdrop or a photo taken in front of the green screen.
  5. Drag the selection directly over the image—and release the mouse button when you see a green Add (+) symbol.
  1. In the contextual menu that appears, choose Green Screen or Blue Screen.
The green-screen or blue-screen clip appears above the video clip in your project, as shown below.

You can drag it to a different spot within the clip, or to a different clip, to reposition it. You can also drag the ends to lengthen or shorten it. To drag an end, move the pointer over it until the pointer changes to a resize pointer, and then drag.
  1. To more effectively mask areas of the green-screen clip, click to select the clip in your project (so that its border turns yellow). In the viewer click Cropped, and then drag the handles at the top or bottom of the viewer to more tightly enclose the subject of the video.
Anything outside the highlighted area in the green-screen clip is removed from the picture. Be sure not to crop out areas that the subject moves into at any point during the green-screen or blue-screen clip.
  1. To produce a better-quality effect, double-click the green-screen or blue-screen clip in the Project browser to open the inspector, and then select “Subtract last frame.”
This action works only if you’ve included a moment at the end of the green-screen or blue-screen footage with the subject completely out of the frame.
  1. Play back the effect by placing the playhead (the red vertical line) anywhere before the blue- or green-screen clip in the Project browser and then pressing the Space bar.
Press the Space bar again to stop playback.
To delete a green-screen clip:
Click to select the green-screen or blue-screen clip in the Project browser (so that its border turns yellow), and then press Delete.
Sound from the original clip and the sound from the green-screen or blue-screen clip play simultaneously. You can reduce the volume of either clip so that sound from the other clip stands out.
You can edit green-screen the same way you edit standard clips in your projects. For example, you can trim them using the Clip Trimmer, adjust their audio and video, crop them, and add video effects to them. You can also reposition or trim them using the Precision Editor.


Kidpix drawings can be used to create movies with the Green Screen option.

  • Kidpix pictures can be exported into imovies by
  • 1.In Kid Pix, choose Export to iMovie from the File menu.
  • 2.The Kid Pix: Export to iMovie dialog appears.
  • 3.Type a name for the frame and select the location you want to export the frame to.
  • 4.Choose Movies option then export.
  • 5.Open imovie. Choose import from the File menu.
  • 6.Choose Movies and then find your file and import.


·      Drop one picture over the other and choose the green screen option. Remember that both pictures need to have a blue or green background for the green screen option to work.

Tuesday, 8 April 2014

Blogging with Year Six Students

Getting the students ready for blogging while we are on our visit to Mitcham School in Melbourne.  

Blogging with Year Ones

GAFE

Observing a Google Apps for Education lesson at St Pius X with Joy Paton. 

Saturday, 5 April 2014

Cannon EOS 1100D

Our school has a new digital SLR and so I figured I better learn how to use it.   Today I went with Julie to a photography day at her church.  The leader was very resourceful and helped me figure some things out with our new camera so I don't feel like the digital SLR newbie that I am.

The first thing he told us was to turn off the auto white balance (AWB) and to manage that setting of our photos ourselves.  The second thing he told me was to turn off my auto and use the manual setting. Through experimenting with the different features I learnt a few new tricks.

Here are a few of my learnings:
By staying in one place for awhile you observe the lighting change as clouds and sun, shadows and light move.



Using a tripod allows you to step back and see your picture differently.  It also helps with getting a beautiful clear shot.



Turn off the auto features and take control of the camera.  I love how this photo looks completely different depending on which adjustments I made.




Still so much to learn, but at least it's a fun learning journey!

Making iMovies on an iPad

Rebekah led our Techie Breakie on how to make iMovies on an iPad.  Thanks Rebekah.  Here are her great notes!  Make sure to give it a go.  It's far easier than you'd ever think!

Here is a link to the latest iMovie I made with my class.  Click HERE.  I recorded their comments using my iPad and took the photos using my iPad.  Then I went into the app and clicked on each video clip and photo that were now in my iPad's photo gallery.  I added music from the preloaded selection, and presto!  a movie was made!  On the home screen for iMovie, at the bottom are buttons to upload your movie to a place of your choosing.  I put them on Youtube and they are viewable to the people who I share the link with.




Google Calendar

Here is a link to a great post about using Google Calendar.  Thanks Mark for sharing it!  I'll post it here so I know where it is for future reference.

Google Calendar Link