Have your computer read to YOU

 

In an earlier post I described how you can talk to the computer for speech to text in MS Word and Google docs, but you can also have the computer read your text to you (text to speech).

Why would you want to do this?  

There are many possible uses for this, but one use for college students is to have your computer read a paper you are writing to you. It can be beneficial to hear your paper to get another perspective on how it will sound to the reader. It can also be helpful if you are stuck, to listen to the paper and see what should come next; or to hear if the points you are making are in the best possible order; or if you have edits you want to make, etc.

To have MS Word read your document:

Open the document.

Go to the Review menu and select Read Aloud.

You will get play controls. Click the play button to hear your paper!

How can Read Aloud help you?

Voice Typing in Google Docs and MS 365

 

Have you ever wished you could just talk and get your brainstorm-y ideas down on paper? 

You can...with voice typing!

Voice Typing in Google Docs

Watch the video below to see how easy it is to use voice typing in Google Docs!

NOTE: This now works in all browsers, in addition to Chrome.

Voice typing in Word (Microsoft 365 only)

Word has two options for converting audio to text: Dictate and Transcribe

Dictate

This is the "classic" voice to text.  

From the home menu in Word, click Dictate.

You will see a microphone waiting for you to record.  Start talking and you will see your words appear on the page.  Click the microphone icon to toggle between recording and pausing.

One tip: you will want to say the punctuation you want included.  

Once you are done recording, you can edit the text as you would with any document.

Transcribe

There are two ways to use transcribe: (1) you can record an audio file with one or more people in Word and transcribe that file or have a link to the audio file pasted into the document. (2) What I think is more common, you can upload an audio file and get a transcript. Here is how that works:

From the home menu in Word, find the Dictate/Voice block, click the down pointing arrow, and select Transcribe.

A transcribe sidebar opens. Select your language if it is not US English. You can Start Recording or Upload Audio.  We are going to Upload Audio.

Navigate to your audio file and open it. Word gives you a message that it is transcribing. 

When it it ready, it will display the transcription in the sidebar. You can use this as a reference when you are typing, or add some/all of the transcription to the document.

How can you, (or others) use voice typing to improve your learning and productivity?

Customizing your browser--Bookmarks

You spend a lot of time in your browser; why not customize it to be as useful as possible!

There are two basic ways to customize your browser: bookmarks and extensions. In this blog post we will look at bookmarks.

Bookmarks are shortcuts to websites that are located on your browser for one-click access to the website.

To create a bookmark in Chrome:

1.  Open the webpage you want to bookmark.

2.  Click on the 3 vertical dots on the far right of your browser (this is your Customize and Control Chrome menu)

3.  Click on the Bookmarks and Lists option. Select Bookmark this tab.

4.  Click Edit to change the name of the bookmark (it is often useful to shorten it so you can fit more bookmarks on your bookmark bar) or click Done to accept the current name.

5. Your bookmark will appear on your bookmark bar.  If you want to reorder your bookmarks on the bookmark bar, click and drag the bookmark you would like to move.

6.  If you want to reorder your bookmarks and you have more bookmarks than display on your bookmark bar, go to the Customize and Control menu (the three dot menu), select Bookmarks and Lists, and select Bookmark Manager. This gives you a list of all of your bookmarks.  Click and drag to order the bookmarks.

7.  To edit your bookmarks: 

• right-click on the bookmark on the bookmark bar and select Edit.
  
  
• if you want to edit a bookmark that is not displayed on the bookmark bar, you can go to the Customize and Control menu (the three dot menu), select bookmark, and then select Bookmark Manager and right click on the bookmark you want to edit.

8.  Now anytime you want to go to a bookmarked website, you can just click on the bookmark!

9. For more information, check out the Create, find, & edit bookmarks in Chrome help page.

To create a bookmark in Firefox:

1.  Open the webpage you want to bookmark.

2.  Click on the star to bookmark the webpage.

     Customize the name of the bookmark. Select where you want the bookmark to appear:

• bookmark toolbar (like the above example)
• bookmark menu 
• other bookmarks (available under the bookmark menu icon, and the bookmark sidebar

    Click Done.

4. To view your bookmarks:

• If you saved your bookmark to the toolbar, you will see it near the top of your browser window.
  
  If you saved your bookmark to the toolbar and it is NOT showing on the toolbar: click on the hamburger menu on the left of the browser bar (the three horizontal lines), select Bookmarks, and select Show bookmarks toolbar. You will only have to do this once!

• To see the other bookmarks, click on the hamburger menu on the left of the browser bar (the three horizontal lines), select Bookmarks, and select Other Bookmarks.
  

5.  To edit a bookmark, right click on it, select Edit Bookmark, make your changes and save it.

6.  Now anytime you want to go to a bookmarked website, you can just click on the bookmark!

7.  For more information, check out the Firefox Bookmarks in Firefox support page.

AI Prompting Resources

There are many models you can use to structure your AI prompting to provide enough information to get you as close as possible to the answer you are looking for from an AI chatbot including Task-Role-Audience-Approach-Tone/Style (Educraft video),  Request-Reference-Format-Framing, Task-Act as if-Output-Audience, Specific-Context-Iterate, Task-Instructions-Context-Parameters-Input, and more! (just search for it!)

But you do not need to go it alone.  There are many prompting resources available for you:

A prompt library is a list of prompts you can use "as is" or use as inspiration and customize.
For example, 

• AI for Education has many great teaching and AI resources for K-12 teachers (and some use for non-k-12 teacher) including a Prompt Library for Educators with  dozens of prompts in the areas of assessment, communication, lesson planning, and more.
  
  
• This blog post from Control Alt Achieve includes several prompt libraries for educators.
  
  
• AI Prompt Library for Educators includes assessments, lesson plans, slide outlines, rubrics, and more (AIPromptLibrary.org)
  
  
• Prompt library for Training & Development (AI Innovation Lounge)
  
  
• 25+ Best ChatGPT Prompts for Instructional Designers (thinkific.com)
  
  
• A few Prompts for Leadership (Content at Scale. There are many categories of prompts in addition to leadership in the left side menu.)
  
  
• 100 ChatGPT Prompts for Leaders (tasko.ai)

A Few More Prompts for Fun!

• AI Prompts for Career Development (Griffith University) 
  
  
• 20+ ChatGPT Prompts To Discover Your Leadership Style in 2024 (Forbes)
  
  
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts to Change Your State of Mind (and Get More Done) (Forbes)

(Forbes has a lot of prompt articles)

You can also prompt your Chatbot to create (or improve) your prompts!

Example 1: Creating prompts

I want you to become my Prompt Creator. Your goal is to help me craft the best possible prompt for my needs. The prompt will be used by you, [name of chatbot such as ChatGPT]. You will follow the following process: 1. Your first response will be to ask me what the prompt should be about. I will provide my answer, but we will need to improve it through continual iterations by going through the next steps. 2. Based on my input, you will generate 3 sections a) Revised prompt where you provide your rewritten prompt. It should be clear, concise, and easily understood by you, b) Suggestions where you provide suggestions on what details to include in the prompt to improve it, and c) Questions where you ask any relevant questions pertaining to what additional information is needed from me to improve the prompt. 3. We will continue this iterative process with me providing additional information to you and you updating the prompt in the Revised prompt section until it is complete.

Example 2 (from @evolving.ai): Rewriting prompts

You are Prompt Professional, the most advanced [name of chatbot such as ChatGPT] prompt writer in the world. I will provide you a prompt. Today, your job is to rewrite the prompt again in 10 different and creative ways. Now ask me what prompt to rewrite.

Example 3: Teaching support

I am a trainer who needs to teach [content] in [business/setting]. My students are [describe students]. The level of this training should be [beginner, advanced, suitable for new leaders, etc.] The training will be [duration] and be [face to face, online, self-paced, etc.]. Possible challenges of teaching these students are [challenge 1] [challenge 2]. I enjoy teaching because [reason 1] [reason 2]. Generate 20 ChatGPT use cases that could help me enhance my effectiveness as a trainer and improve my student's engagement and learning.

Alternative for red text above:

Generate 10 objectives for this training with two activity ideas for each objective.

Substitute whatever instructions will be useful for you in place of the red text.

Have fun creating and editing prompts!

(All images created with Microsoft CoPilot.)

Technology Tools from our blogs this semester (so far!)

 

We have made a lot of wonderful blog posts in this class (so far!) including:

• blog posts related to your PLN and profession. 
• blog posts on ideas related to technology and learning. 
• blog posts that are an introduction to technology tools (free and commercial). 
• blog posts about tips to use some technology tools in ways you might not have previously known!

If you have only read the blogs of your group members you may have missed some of these posts, so here are some of our class blog posts introducing (free) technology tools and tips.

Take a look and see which of these tools and tips you can use!

Learning-Related Tools

Genially (Andrea)

Cerego (Vaughn)

Pressbooks (Myia) 

Kahoot (Kaden) 

Image Creation

Powerpoint: shape, icon, 3D model (Kashia)

Canva (Andrea)

Pixelcut: AI image editor (Tony) 

Snip & Sketch, GIMP (Tony) 

Other Cool Tools

Screencastify (Estee)

 

Word Clouds!

Word Clouds allow you use words and create a visual display. Words used more often are displayed larger in a word cloud and words used less often are displayed smaller in a word cloud. Word clouds can be used to display your own list of words, or to display the information you gather from other sources such as through a survey or other types of comments.

There are many websites to help you create word clouds. Some word cloud websites require you to install free plug-ins (like java, silverlight). Once you find a word cloud generator, they generally work the same: type or upload your text or word list, and generate your word cloud. You can regenerate your word cloud until you find one you like, and can often change the color, font, shape and more for your word cloud. Once you have your word cloud you can sometimes save or download it, but you can always capture it with a screen capture tool such as the Microsoft Snipping Tool (windows_key+shift+S)

Here are a few free word cloud generators for you to try out! (just ignore any options to put your word cloud on merchandise or sign up for a paid subscription.)

WordItOut.com Click the green "create your own" button to get started. 
WordClouds.com  I like this one because it lets you pick a shape to force your word cloud into such as a heart, arrow, checkmark, lightning bolt, etc.
WordArt.com also gives you a lot of control over the shape of your word cloud (it is "art" not a cloud!)
Jason Davis' word cloud generator
WordSift.org uses a list of words or you can paste in text and it will take the common words from text, an article, or a speech and creates a word cloud.

And you can search to find even more word cloud generators!

How might you be able to use word clouds?

This might be my new favorite QR code creator!

One of the challenges with many of the free QR Code generators that I wrote about previously, is that they have restricted the free QR code features to only linking to websites. I recently came across the free QR Code generator, Me-QR that generates a QR code and lets you link to many types of media with the free version.

Once you get to the Me-QR website, you will need to sign up for a free account.  After that, it's just three simple steps to generate your QR Code.

Step 1: Select what your QR Code will link to

You can link your QR Code to a website, but you can also link to all of the following (and more):

I particularly like being able to link to a PDF document (an article, work document, or PDF of a PowerPoint presentation, etc.) and to link to text or an image with contact information, etc.

Step 2: Select your content and create your QR Code

Add the link or upload the content from your computer and click: Customize & Download QR.

Step 3: Customize and download your QR Code

Your QR Code is generated and you have the option to customize the look of your QR Code with frames based on pre-made templates, themes, holidays, and events. Once you have a design and color customization that you like, you can download your QR Code and use it in documents, slide decks, presentations, posters, and more!

What are some ways you can integrate QR codes linking to all these options into your profession?

QR codes as art

I recently came across the idea of "QR Codes as Art." The idea is to use AI to integrate the QR Code into an artistic background rather than the typical plain pixelated background. There are several websites where you can do this through a paid subscription (Gooey.ai, QR Difussion,  Quick QR Art--free but with a watermark, ). Here are two QR Codes as Art websites that are free or that have a robust free trial.

Openart.ai Artistic AI QR Code Generator

Although not free, the Artistic AI QR Code Generator from Openart.ai gives you 50 credits to work with when you sign up for a (limited) free account. (Openart.ai does more than QR Code generation, and my credits have not gone down yet for making QR codes.)

To make your QR Code:

1. Add the link for your QR Code.

2. You can either select an artistic style from the list or type in a prompt for an AI generated image.

3. Click Create to generate two QR Code options.

Here is a QR Code I created using the "illustration" artistic style.

Here is a QR Code I created with the prompt: Two business people in an office at a conference table.

Huggingspace-Projects QR Code AI Art Generator

Huggingspace-Projects QR Code AI Art Generator has a less polished interface, but it is free and requires no login. The webpage has many settings you can tweak, but you basically need two steps to make your QR Code.

To make your QR Code:

1. Add the link for your QR Code.

2. Add your prompt, skip everything else on the screen (unless you want to do some exploring), and click Run to generate your QR code.  Once you have a QR code you like, you can download or screen capture it.

I had a great time playing with this QR Code generator.  I found that it did not do as well with photo-realistic people, and that I did not always get everything included in the QR Code that was in my prompts, but it may also be that I need to improve my prompting! I really like how some of the QR Codes are more integrated into images rather than just laying on top of or behind the images. Here are some of my QR Codes with their prompts:

I borrowed the prompt below from the QR Difussion webpage and it made it clear that my prompting for these AI Art QR Codes can use some improvement. As with all AI, the output is only as good as the prompt!

Clean wooden table, wooden serving platter, selection of tropical and berry fruits, strawberries, mangoes, blueberries, mango, bananas, to the side depict freshly made smoothie with fancy straw, everything in the most realistic shapes and details, highest resolution and quality, RAW photo, composition with a tropical paradise setting in the background, background ocean, sensation of taste, detailed and ultra-realistic

 

In what ways might you use QR Codes that use QR Codes as Art?

Pack your information into a QR code!

What is a QR Code?

QR code stands for Quick Response code.  QR codes can contain a variety of information from text, to video, to documents, and scanning the QR code unlocks the information for you and captures it on your phone.  QR codes make the real world clickable!

Here is a brief explanation of QR Codes by Common Craft.

QR Code Readers

In order to unlock the information in a QR code, you need a QR reader.  There are many QR reader apps available for mobile devices.  You can check the web and the app store for your mobile device for recommendations. I have been using the QR Reader for iPhone app for years. There may be newer and better apps available, but QR Reader seems to do what I need to do, so I am still using it. 

QR Code Generators

QR generators let you create your own QR codes. QR Code generators are available on the web on your computer and as mobile apps.  I tend to generate my QR codes on the computer because I am often using them in handouts or presentations that I am creating on the computer. Unfortunately many of the QR generators that were previously free, now require a paid subscription.  Here are three generators that offer slightly different features that are still free.

• QR Code Generator is a simple QR Code generator that lets you include text, URL, structured contact information or send a SMS/text.

• QR Code Monkey lets you change the color of your QR code and add an image to the middle of the QR code.  For example, this QR code takes you to the Leadership Book Club podcast website.

• Visualead allows you to combine your QR code with an image. Although geared for organizational marketing, the free version lets you create 3 QR codes per month.

How can you use QR codes?

There are hundreds of ways to use QR codes.  One of my favorite uses of QR codes is with my PowerPoint slides when I give a presentation. On the last slide of the presentation, I will include a QR code with my contact information and a QR code with an electronic copy of the presentation. It saves me emailing my contact information and the presentation to dozens of people after I get home!

QR codes can also be used to support learning and the QR codes can be added to print media like posters, books, and handouts, and can be cut out and attached to "real life" objects. One of my favorite examples of QR codes in education is the Periodic Table of Videos created by Brady Haran (Periodic Videos). Each element on the periodic chart has been replaced with a QR code that leads to a video on the element!

Here are a few other ideas:

• Use QR codes for the answers in study materials.  It is like having the answers in the back of the book, but makes it easier for students to try the problems before they look at the answers.
• With a display of student projects or products, post QR codes on each exhibit with the link to a video of the creator explaining their work.  
• At the end of a chapter or document have a QR code with the link to the next document.
• Supplement handouts with QR codes to videos demonstrating the concept in the handout.
• Create a scavenger hunt for new students or employees to become familiar with their new work environment/campus and to team build with other new students/employees. Student/employees can scan a QR code that sends a text to the instructor so she knows each step they have accomplished in the scavenger hunt.
• Use a QR code on a poster to link to a document with more information (such as a program for a concert, a biography for a speaker, etc.)
• Use QR codes on an organizational chart with pictures or biographies of each person.

Here are resources with even more ideas on how to integrate QR codes into the classroom.  Although these examples are primarily from K-12 education, there are ideas, and inspiration, for those of us who teach post-secondary and in a corporate setting.

50 QR Code Resources for the Classroom (ZDNET)
QR Codes in the Classroom -- ideas are at the bottom of the page (Kathy Schrock)

8 Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom (Northern Illinois University)

What are some ways you can integrate QR codes into your profession?

3 Tools for animated explanations (and an email newsletter)

 

As you know, I am a big fan of Richard Byrne's Practical Ed Tech website and blog where he shares technology tools that can be used for teaching.  Although he focuses on K-12, I often find useful tools that I can use when working with adults. His website is part of my PLN and in my Feedly!

(He also has a "Practical Ed Tech Tip of the Week" email newsletter that you can subscribe to and receive in your email weekly that highlights some of the tools from his blog posts. )

He had a recent post on Three Tools for Animating Explanations which includes an introduction and tutorials on:

https://brush.ninja/

How to sketch and animate in PowerPoint from the folks at Common Craft.

https://www.wickeditor.com/

 

I encourage you to check out his post on these Three Tools fo Animating Explanations and see how you might create and use animated explainer videos!

A few YouTube tools

YouTube is an amazing resource of videos that we can incorporate in our own PLN and as we develop others.  Here are some tools to make using YouTube even better! 

• Creating a "cued up" YouTube video link - through YouTube
  If you want to start showing a video at a particular time in the video, you can use YouTube to modify the URL for the video so it starts where you want it to start.  Let's say you were watching the YouTube video of the Ze Frank web playroom TED talk and wanted to share it, but wanted to start at a particular spot in the video project which begins 14 minutes and 22 seconds into the video.  Do the following:

          1. Click on the Share icon to show the URL.

          2. Click the checkbox and add the start time in minutes and seconds.

              Now when you share the URL, it will start at 14 minutes, 22 seconds.

              (I encourage you to take a look at this entire TED Talk. And oldie--2010!--but a goodie.)

• Displaying a YouTube video without distractions

   Let's say you want to show a video in class or in a training session or in a meeting.  The problem with going to the YouTube website is the random videos in the sidebar.  Not only are they distracting, but since you have no control over what is presented in the sidebar, they may be completely inappropriate for your setting!  There are several easy ways to show the video without the sidebars on the screen:

• Show the video full screen. This is a less than perfect options because you will spend some time on the YouTube screen before you make it full screen.

• Embed the video in a Powerpoint presentation.  The video will show "in" your Powerpoint without the sidebar videos or comments from the YouTube page.

• What if you are not using Powerpoint?  
• You can use Watchkin.com. Watchkin is a website that allows you to paste your YouTube URL into the blank Watchkin webpage (except for the Watchkin branding) so you can watch on a distraction-free webpage. You can also fullscreen the video from the Watchkin page.
  
  
• You can also use the DF Tube (Distraction Free for YouTube) extension for Chrome or Firefox.
  
  
• If you find a YouTube video you want to use for development and it has ads during the video, a good tip is to add a "dash" to the YouTube link so your link appears as
  yout-ube.com/etc.etc. It will allow you to watch the video without externally added ad interruptions (this does not work if the "ad reads" are read by the host as part of the video).  

Other Resources

• 20 of the Best Resources for Teaching with YouTube (TeachThought) Some of these are for younger kids, but others may be useful for you. 
• 
  
• Besides YouTube and some of the alternative video sites (and another post on YouTube alternatives), you may want to consider videos from some of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that are available free through MITx, Stanford, Harvard, Udacity -- Class Central brings info on classes, logistical details and schedules from all these sources onto one website.)

Adding a video to YouTube (and "trimming" it)

There are many ways to create a video including using video from your phone; creating a screen recording with ScreenPal; creating a recording of a conversation, a screen share, or a powerpoint presentation in Zoom; and recording a presentation directly from PowerPoint and saving it as an MP4 video. 

(Here is a more in-depth video on all of the video recording options in PowerPoint, including how to create a screen recording from within PowerPoint that is "editable" and then easily include it in your PowerPoint slide.)  

But the question is: 

Once I have a video...what do I do with it?

Uploading a video to YouTube

Obviously, you can include your video in your Blogger blog. But often, you will want to upload it to YouTube.  Everyone who has a Gmail account automatically has YouTube storage space. Your ISU email is a Gmail account, which means your ISU email has YouTube storage associated with it! Here is a brief video on uploading a video to YouTube.

Once your video is uploaded to YouTube you can copy and share the link just like you would with any YouTube video!

Trimming your YouTube video

When you record your video, there is often some "extra" video at the beginning of the video between when you start recording and when you actually start your presentation. There is also typically a bit of "extra" video that gets captured at the end of the video as you finish up, turn off the recorder, etc.  It is not critical to remove the "extra" bits, but it makes your video look cleaner and more professional.  Here is a video that explains how to trim your video once it is uploaded to YouTube.

Have fun as you use YouTube with your videos!

Recording and narrating your computer screen (aka "screencasting")

Have you ever wanted to make a demonstration of an online task or presentation? One free--and easy-- way to do it is to use Screenpal!

Take a look at this video on how to use Screenpal (12:36)

Once you have recorded your video, you might want to add it to your Blogger blog (1:28)

Or maybe you want to add your video to YouTube for folks to access (I'll make another post on how to do this).

In case you are not at your computer with the downloaded Screenpal, or if you have a computer where you can not download software, you can also launch Screenpal from the web (0:25m)

You can learn more about Screenpal recorder and editor by going to the Screenpal resources page. And, of course, you can search the internet for instructions and videos created by others.

Give Screenpal a try and include your video in a blog post!

How might you use screen recordings to help others learn?