Zaption- Teaching with Streamed Video Just Got Way Easier!

Good morning fellow teachers!!

     Have you checked out Zaption yet?? I saw someone post about it on Twitter and have been SO excited to integrate it into my classroom activities.

Zaption allows you to embed commentary, pictures, and short quizzes into videos streamed from different sites online: YouTube, Vimeo, PBS, and more! As a teacher, you set up an account and once you've decided which video to use (you can search on the site), create what Zaption calls a "tour" of that video.

Here's how it works:

1. Create an account on Zaption.com
2. Pick a theme- Instrument Families of the Orchestra
3. Click "New Tour" and find a video, click Add This Video to Tour
   
4. Add features to your video (the green markers show where you have added something in): 
   
5. Here are your choices, from left to right below: Add Text (next to the video as it plays), Image (next to the video as it plays), Open Response question, Multiple Choice Question, Check Boxes Question. You get more choices if you upgrade to Pro, but there's really no need.
   
6. Add features in where they are appropriate to add information, check for understanding, etc. They will either pop up next to the video (text or image) or stop the video (questions).
   
   
   

Now, how and when do you use this in your classroom? Well, so far I have used it as a center to either introduce a concept or as a group assessment. I have also used it as a whole group activity up on the SmartBoard- which is a great way to introduce the app at first.

Students can access the tour if they have the app on their iPads without having to create an account. If the app is opened, there are small words underneath where it asks you to log in that say "View tour without logging in." You will need a code for the students to type in. Once you have created and published your tour, click "Share." 

Where you see the first link above, type in the letters and numbers AFTER the backslash. This is the code students will use to access your Zaption Video.

The great thing about Zaption is that it allows you to flip the classroom- great for homework or just a short center. You can even use more than one video in a tour!

Please let me know if this was a helpful post to you and if you have any success using Zaption in your own classroom!

Have a great week!

~Ms. Patrician