How To: Screencast

Hello. Today we'll be learning about how to screencast. A screencast is simply a digital video capture of your computer screen. We've already seen one example of a very effective screencast this semester: Michael Wesch's The Machine Is Us/ing Us. Now it's your turn to create a screencast version for us of your revised second web writing assignment.

There are many different versions of screencast software available, many of them free, like Jing, with versions for both PC and Mac. There are also web based versions, like ScreenToaster. I will be using QuickTime Player for this demo. It's free and available on every Mac on campus. To use Quicktime to record a screencast, just choose "new screen recording" from under the file menu.

Be creative in thinking about how to use and present selections from your writing in your screencast. Remember, you can use pictures and videos as well as a variety of ways to type, paste, and include words.

After you have your video recorded, you may find it helpful to use a video editor, like iMovie, to edit your screencast and add a soundtrack. If you need help, the Digital Media Studio in Belk Library 355 can help you. They have software, equipment, and a staff to help answer your questions about digital video production.

When your screencast is finished, upload your video to YouTube. You should be able to use your Google account to log in. Then be sure to embed your YouTube video in your blog along with the complete version of your revised essay.

Bookstore

"The University Bookstore is beginning to return unsold textbooks to the publishers that were ordered for Fall 2010 semester. Please announce to your students that if they still need to purchase a textbook for your Fall 2010 semester class, they should do so as soon as possible."

That means be sure to buy the Lessig book if you haven't already.

Second Web Writing Assignment

I've posted your second web writing assignment on our online syllabus now. Read it over, and we'll talk about it in class on Thursday.

Media Convergence Again

Henry Jenkins in Second Life

Here's another recent example of media convergence to consider:





Makes the charts.



And of course these all get posted to youtube and then to this blog and we watch them in a class on internet studies.

And here is Antoine Dodson's web site.

Blog Homework & Syllabus Update

My apologies for missing our class on Thursday. I've updated our online syllabus. Here are the reading assignments for this coming week:

	T 10/5	Henry Jenkins, "Convergence Culture," pp. 1-24.
	TH 10/7	Jean Burgess and Joshua Green, "YouTube's Cultural Politics."

I've cut the Zittrain reading, so there won't be any other changes in the class schedule.

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Below is a blog homework assignment. Post to your class blog on any one of the following by midnight Wednesday, 10/6.

1. If you've seen either Social Network or Catfish, write a brief post for us about your thoughts on either of these films.

2. Write and post about an original example of "media convergence." That is, think creatively about various news, current events, pop culture, and internet memes that might provide another example for us of Jenkins' concept of media convergence.

3. Post a link for us to a recent news story dealing with the Internet. Include a brief quote and/or explanation for us.

4. Find the "Stats" tab on your Blogger account for your class blog, and look at the traffic overview for your blog. Write about and post to your blog one or two interesting factoids you learn about the traffic to your blog, such as: visitors from distant places, unusual searches leading to your blog, numbers of views, etc.

5. Write and post about one of your classmate's blog posts. Be sure your post includes a link to their blog post and shares some of your own thoughts and ideas on the content of their post.

6. Add a "Recent Comments" gadget to your blog.