From an academic point of view, I thought using Flipgrid to record videos and add their voices to them, or even analyzing and sharing about videos or lectures would be effective. Sadly, I discover this product to be more suited for explanatory presentations and introductions …
I use Flipgrid to allow students to share their work with each other. For example, my students created some artwork based on a prompt. Then, they used Flipgrid to record their work and explain their choices. I also required them to comment on each other’s work to make sure they watched the videos
Powtoon is a very capable suite of tools that help a developer create training videos that look way better than they should. I've used it to create fun, attention-getting commercials for new topics, I've used it to enhance what would otherwise be boring step-by-step tutorials, and I've used it to create all manner of "Explainer videos" for all kinds of topics - this is where it EXCELS! In my opinion, its biggest limitations are limits on imported video (max of 90 seconds), which mean that you have to do a lot of extra work to break up and import anything of substantive length. And because it presents your personal library of imported images and audio ONLY sequentially, it's VERY LIMITED in the re-usability of those assets - it's way faster to just import a new instance of an image and audio than to try to find it in your library.
Fligrid can improve using mixed tapes. I feel if it's not pointed out, teachers don't necessarily know it can be done.
When setting up the topic, some of the personalization choices are hard to find or down the page. It would be easier to choose the most used settings and making them the default - like the privacy settings.
I also believe the word Grid should be substituted with class. Teachers are always confused about what the Grid and topic are.
Comparing it to Vyond, it is more time consuming to make videos. The timeline could be easier to understand.
They recently started upcharging to use some scenes. This has made updating some of my videos challenging as the scenes that were included as part of my plan are now an upgrade to use.
They don't have a voice over option. I have actually taken some of the videos out of the platform over to Vyond to add voiceover.
Some items they have introduced, like turning a powerpoint into a video really don't work.
Flipgrid has been easy for both our students and staff to use. When there is an issue with the program, we can easily reach support, and the trouble is resolved in an extremely quick and timely manner.
Flipgrip is great for supporting educators. They provide opportunities for teachers to learn the program and become ambassadors for the program. They are also responsive to questions and concerns through many different modes. That includes online communities, email, and Facebook communities. They are eager to meet and troubleshoot with you and are also eager to meet educators at conferences and meetings.
I have never needed the support feature. As I mentioned, everything was intuitive to me however I have taught myself Adobe, Final Cut and iMovie so most of these programs became intuitive.
Flipgrid is a game changer, working in a similar fashion to these other applications, but offering much more in terms of teacher control and implementation inside the classroom. Teachers can create lesson plans that incorporate options for Flipgrid to be utilized as a formative assessment tool to better gauge student comprehension and understanding.
Powtoon has the advantage over traditional video editing software in terms of the library of characters and elements that can be easily dragged and dropped onto the canvas. Powtoon is easier to use and has a more intuitive user interface than Vyond.
This product is straightforward to implement and share across our building and district. As a large district, it was not difficult to train staff and have them feel at ease implementing the program.
We don't have to spend money on traveling to a location to do an actual live shoot.
I'm spending less time on hand animating videos.
We used these to create teaser videos for our professional development offerings. I believe because of the captivating graphics, we had a lot more people driven to our site.
