Communicating with your class through Video Messaging.

Faculty wishing to get a brief video communication out to a class quickly do have a number of options, including the Canvas Studio, Panopto, the Virtual Meeting Room ('Collaborate'), and VoiceThread. 

CANVAS STUDIO:

1. Access the 'Studio' workspace from your Canvas Dashboard.
2. Use the 'Record' function to record a new video through your webcam.
3. Alternatively, use the 'Add' function to post a video you have previously recorded outside of Canvas studio.
4. Share your completed recording via the media recording control provided in the Annoucement's editor: Canvas-Announcement-Media-Load.PNG

CANVAS ANNOUNCEMENT:

1. Begin an Announcement in Canvas.
2. Use the media recording function built into the Announcement editor (Canvas-Announcement-Media-Create.PNG) to either: 
   1. record a new video via your webcam, or 
   2. post a video file you have previously created outside of Canvas.

PANOPTO:

1. Shoot your video with your favorite Smartphone, camcorder, or webcam.  Any relatively new camera is likely to take video of quality good enough for the web.  
2. Access your Panopto folder via https://jefferson.hosted.panopto.com and navigate to your class folder in Panopto.  
3. Use the 'Create' command menu at the top of your course folder in Panopto to 'Upload media', namely, your video file. 
   1. See illustration of this menu here: Panopto-create-media_v01.PNG
4. Once the uploaded video processes you'll receive an email notification holding links to your new Panopto recording. Play your video via one or more of the links provided.  
5. Pick the link that gives the best results and distribute it via your coursesite's 'Annoucements' function.  
   1. If working in Blackboard: Mark the 'send a copy of this announcement' box as you compose your Announcement so that when you click 'Submit' the announcement holding your link will also be simultaneously emailed to all enrolled students.

VIRTUAL MEETING ROOM ['Collaborate']:

1. Visit your coursesite and enter 'Blackboard Collaborate' [Canvas] or the  'Virtual Meeting Room' [Blackboard].  You won't need any participant in the meeting (except yourself).
2. Join the default 'Course Room' (or create a unique Session if you prefer). See an illustration of the 'Join' command here: CourseRoom-join.PNG
   1. If the Course Room is locked, use the command menu to unlock the room. See illustration of this menu here: CourseRoom-unlock.PNG
3.  Once in the meeting room, activate the audio (microphone) and video functions of the room.  See illustration of these controls here: CourseRoom-media-recording-tools.PNG
4. Once your microphone and video camera are working, start Recording from the meeting room's control panel (the panel is usually located at far left of your screen, collapsed until you open it).  See illustration of the open panel here: CoureRoomControlPanel.PNG
   1. Once recording begins you should see a confirmation displayed such as 'session is being recorded'.
5. After recording your message to your students, use the control panel to stop recording.
   1. Once you have stopped the recording you should see a confirmation message displayed.
6. Exit/close the virtual meeting room.  See the 'Leave Session' command illustrated here: CourseRoom-LeaveSession.PNG
7. Your recording will usually be processed in a few minutes, but may take up to an hour to process.
8. Having allowed for the recording to process, return to the 'Virtual Meeting Room' in your Blackboard Course Site.
9. Do NOT enter a meeting room.  Instead, use the control panel available on the Collaborate Ultra homepage to look for available recordings.  See illustration of the open panel here: CourseUltra-RecordingPanel.PNG
10. Use options provided with your recorded session to copy and send to your class a link to the recording via course Announcement, e-mail, or both. See illustration of recorded session entry and various control options here: CourseUltra-RecordingLINK.PNG

VOICE THREAD:

1. Locate the 'voicethread' application in your Canvas or Blackboard course site.  
2. Launch the VoiceThread application and follow prompts until you arrive at the VoiceThread Setup screen: See illustration of the setup screen here: VT-setup-screen.PNG
3. Open the 'Home' page and click 'Create'.
4. Drop a pre-existing video file on 'Add Media' or click 'Add Media'.  See illustration of the add media interface here: VT-add-media.PNG
   1. To create a new video recording, select 'Webcam Video' after having clicked 'Add Media'.  See illustration of this menu here: VT-setup-media-creation.PNG
      1. Follow the prompts to start, stop, and upload your video recording to with VoiceThread.
         1. Finally, click 'Save' to save your recording in your VoiceThread collection--provide a title and other descriptive information and set playback options (these options allow you to set comment methods, too).
   2. If, instead, you simply drop a pre-recorded video file onto Add Media:
      1. Allow your video file to upload and process in VoiceThread.
      2. When prompted, provide a title and other descriptive information and set playback options (these options allow you to set comment methods, too).
5. Locate your new recording's 'Share' controls and use the control to select the groups/courses that will have access to your recording.
6. Locate the 'Get a link' control for your recording and copy it.
7. Send your class the link to the recording via course Annoucement, e-mail, or both.  
   1. Note that a class you have given Share permissions to will be able to find the recording via the VoiceThread app as well.  They don't have to have the link.