Having fun creating @PixiClip to introduce a few projects to the kids this week at #VanMeter :) http://t.co/T5nU7K7vkI
— Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller) January 6, 2014
Pixiclip is an online canvas that lets you communicate using a webcam or a mic. Just click record and you're ready to go. Pixiclip is your message in motion!
When you first access the page you will see a working menu on the left and What is Pixiclip?, Create a Pixiclip, Login or Sign up across the top of the page. You can sign up by entering in a user name or by using either your Facebook or Twitter account. I typed in a username and clicked GO. (You can use Pixiclip without signing up.)
You are then asked to fill in your email address and a password. Upon completion and by selecting Save, this window disappears leaving you with the blank board for using PixiClip. The menu on the left allows the user multiple options.
By clicking on each one your mouse can act as a pencil or marker, type in text, move elements on the board, erase and undo. The color which appears when using these tools can change with the six choices. If you want to add video or audio, simply click on those icons. Images can be uploaded from your computer or dragged and dropped into the box.
A grade 2/3/4 teacher at Admiral Seymour Elementary, an inner city school, in Vancouver, British Columbia and blogger at There's A Book For That, Carrie Gelson has been asking members of our PLN to blog about books they must read in 2014. I thought using PixiClip might be a good way to generate my list. I could combine vocal commentary with text and book jackets.
One of the first things I learned is that multiple images can be uploaded. You can scroll through them by clicking on the arrow on the right-hand side. I decided to only upload seven images at a time, although about ten can be viewed along the bottom without scrolling. Even though you can resize images, only a certain amount can be placed on the visible board. When you select an image it can also be deleted by clicking on the trash can icon.
It seems that images cannot be placed on the board unless you are recording audio or video. If you pause your recording they can't be moved or resized. You have three minutes to create a board before you are asked to save it.
In the prompt box you can title your PixiClip, add a short optional description, select pointer options (always show cursor, show cursor while doodling, never show cursor), determine a privacy setting (public, private, hidden, password protected) and preview it. When you choose to share your PixiClip it can be done so on Facebook, Twitter, via email with a URL link or embedded using HTML code. The embedded PixiClips play as soon as the page where they are is opened. I decided to only embed one of them.
Here are my PixiClips as a participant in the #MustReadin2014 challenge.
(I apologize in advance for my overuse of certain words. I did the one take rule for all of these. Plus I've already thought of some other books. Sigh.)
As far as ease of use, navigating around the site and creating a PixiClip, this site is wonderfully simple. This online service/application, from I have been able to read, is very new. It looks like it is still in beta.
One change which would be helpful is to be able to edit PixiClips once they have been completed. Currently, as far as I can tell, you need to restart on the board to make certain changes (except for using erase and undo) or delete the entire PixiClip. By using an email address to sign up, users would need to be 13 years old or have parental permission to register.
I enjoyed using PixiClip. I think it has great potential for use in our classrooms. Richard Byrne at Free Technology for Teachers also has a post about it here.
Such fun Margie! I read The Search for Wondla to my children We couldn't read it very quickly because we pored over the illustrations so carefully! I also want to read Better Nate than Ever! I always hear Colby Sharp shouting about how wonderful these titles are by Federle! And hurray for The Runaway King - enjoy. I can't wait until I can read The Shadow Throne to my children! We are huge fans. Added some titles to my TBR after watching these!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the illustrations in The Search for Wondla. Tony does a remarkable job. I love how he gives us previews on Twitter. And I agree about the Federle titles! His tweets are loaded with humor. I'm waiting to read The Runaway King until I have The Shadow Throne in my hands. It's too hard to wait for the next book. :) Thanks for stopping by and watching the PixiClips.
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