947 - Global: Visual Translation, Captions for Learning & Engagement!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 19, 2016
#947 - Global: Visual Translation, Captions for Learning & Engagement! 
www.masie.com - Twitter: @emasie - The MASIE Center - 57,255 Readers  

Global Learning: Visual Translate, Caption & Engagement!

I am sending today’s TRENDS from Venice as part of a 2 week trip to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, and now Italy. Here are some perspectives about working, learning, and collaborating on a global basis. As our organizations and colleagues are working across the globe, we need to innovate our approaches. A few examples and studies: 

- Visual Translation on Your Phone!  I have been using the Camera/Visual Translation capacity in the Google Translate App. I can point my phone at words in Italian and my phone will do an Augmented Reality /Translation into English. It is different and exciting to have that form of real time translation.    

 

I pointed it at a projected PowerPoint and could read most of the text in English. And, it works in a wide range of languages that are expanding. I have used German, Spanish, and Italian and was impressed with the real-time effect. http://tinyurl.com/cameratranslate
 
- Captions for Learning:  Learners who are learning in a second language can often find amazing benefit in the optional use of Captions in learning content - from documents to video. In addition, learners that have a learning disability, which may be as many as 15% of the workforce, may also benefit from Captions. Here is a recent research paper from Oregon State University on learning captioning.  Check it out at: http://tinyurl.com/learningcaptions

- Global Learning Engagement: Working as a learning professional on a global basis requires balancing your own teaching style with the cultural norms of a country that you are visiting (in person or virtually). While I was delivering my keynote speech on Learning Changes in Saudi Arabia for SABIC, I wanted to engage the 150 executives in a discussion about their favorite teachers. I asked them to stand up in the briefing auditorium and engage in a dialogue about their most memorable teacher as they grew up. The room came alive - sharing their own stories about storytelling and teaching. Don’t be afraid to ask global colleagues to engage! Here is a picture from that meeting:

Learning Innovations LAB Added in February:  We have filled our Learning Innovations LAB in January. So, we are adding a new session that I will lead from Feb 1-3 in Saratoga Springs, NY. It is a very high energy, hands-on exploration of new and emerging learning innovations, technology, and methodologies. Space is limited and online registration is open at: http://www.masie.com

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2017
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: @emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB -  Feb 1-3, 2017 Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2017- October 22 to 25- Orlando, Florida.
Details and Online Registration: http://www.masie.com

946 - Lights, Cameras, and Microphones for Video Effectiveness!

Learning TRENDS by Elliott Masie - December 5, 2016
#946 -  Lights, Cameras, and Microphones for Video Effectiveness!
57,248 Readers - www.masie.com - Twitter: @emasie - The MASIE Center 

Special:  Lights, Camera and Microphones for Video Effectiveness!

As more of our communication, collaboration and content is done via video, often from webcams in our offices, we have to think about our lighting, sound, and lens to give the viewer the best experience.  Yet, many people’s video image has poor lighting, camera focus, and even sound capture.  Here are some of the tools and approaches that we use at the MASIE Learning LAB to enhance our video quality, right from our offices: 

- Small Lights Right On Your Desktop!  The lighting in your office may be great for reading, but your face often appears poorly illuminated in the camera.  So, we have added Video Lighting to desktops and screens.   First, let me show you a cute set of lights that sit on either side of your desktop monitor.  They are from Videssence: 

 

- Studio Lights in Your Office! My office has a large screen, so I have added Studio type lights to add larger illumination for Skype, Content Interviews and Webinars.  I turn them on and often look 10 pounds lighter and 10 years younger :)  Here are Studio Lights offered:  

 

- Microphones Matter: Your webcam microphone is often a small mic, buried in the computer or laptop case, with low agility for capturing the richness of your voice.  So, I found a cute looking and very effective microphone for less than $100 called the Widget C.  Again, less than $100 and posted here:

- Cameras Are Critical: Don’t go cheap on the camera.  We have spent as much as $950 for a very high quality, zoomable, responsive USB enabled camera with remotes.  The camera must have the ability to be white balanced and capture content for high and low definition qualities.  I use the AVer v520 USB Camera:

 

- Lights, Camera, Microphone, and Action: There are a wide range of lights, microphones, and cameras that can be leveraged for higher quality video from your desktop or office.  Try It —- It Makes a Difference for Your Learners!

Yours in Learning,

Elliott Masie
Host, Learning 2017
Email: emasie@masie.com
Twitter: @emasie

MASIE Center Seminars, Events and Services:
- Learning Innovations LAB - Jan 18-20 & Feb 1-3, 2017 Saratoga Springs, NY.
- Membership in The Learning CONSORTIUM.
- Learning 2017: October 22 to 25 - Orlando, Florida.
Details and Online Registration: http://www.masie.com