Blabber TutorialSegment of Web Unit “3 Days in Paris”

Mme ShymchykFrench TeacherMcGuffey School DistrictRoom 211

Created May 2010

Overview

You will be creating a “Blabber” as a component of your 3 Days in Paris

Unit.

This tutorial will be available on Edline and on the Class Wiki for your accessibility from home.

You will learn how to do the following with this project:

Sign up and login to the blabber website;

Create a moving “mouth” on a still picture;

Add your own voice as audio to the picture;

Embed your “Blabber” as a “Widget” on our wiki.

Overview (continued)

Overview (continued)

What is a “Blabber?” A Blabber is a talking

picture, allowing you to animate a mouth on the picture and to add your voice to it as well. It is an excellent interactive Web 2.0 Tool for students.

Click on the llama to be linked to the website for a demonstration (www.blabberize.com).

What are the Requirements for the Project? Create a Blabber with a minimum duration of 30 seconds. The Blabber must be a picture of a person (past or present)

associated with one of your 12 places to visit in Paris. Include the following information in the audio:

Name of person Landmark association At least 3 facts about the person’s life Their contribution to French history

Examples of famous figures:• Claude Monet (Musée d’Orsay)• Victor Hugo (Notre Dame)• Emile Zola (Panthéon)• Napoléon (Les Invalides; L’Arc de Triomphe)

Project Requirements

Getting Ready

Before you create your “Blabber” you will need to: Select a famous person

associated with one of your Parisian landmarks;

Research his or her life and their significance in French history;

Find a picture of your person on the Internet (you can try Google Images) and save the image as a .jpeg on your jump drive;

Create a script for your Blabber so that the audio is fluid and word hiccup-free (no “Um,” “Like” or “Ya Know?”).

Getting Ready (continued)

Hello. My name is Marie Antoinette. I was born on November 2, 1755, and I died nine months after my husband by the blade of the dreaded Guillotine during the French Revolution on October 16, 1793, two weeks before my 38th birthday. I lost my head at La Place de la Révolution, which is now marked by an obelisk at the famous Place de la Concorde in Paris.

I was married to King Louis XVI of France, and even though I was from Austria, I became Queen of France through my marriage. I was truly a child-bride and became Queen at the tender age of 14. Can you imagine???

I had 4 children with my husband - 2 boys and 2 girls. Their names were Marie Thérèse Charlotte, Louis Joseph Xavier François, Louis Charles and Sophie Hélène Béatrix.

I was not very well-liked by the people of France. First of all, they didn’t like that I was Austrian. Discrimination has been around for a long time! Secondly, they believed that I had negative political influence on my husband during a period of economic difficulty in France. I was accused of being extravagant - spending lots of money while my people were starving. But let me just say that I was misquoted with the whole “Let Them Eat Cake” ordeal! What I really said was, “Let Them Eat Bread,” and the type of bread I was referring to was brioche, a sweet bread made in France. Sweet bread and cake are two totally different things! Bread is inexpensive and cake is extravagant.

During the trial leading to my execution, I was accused of treason, of sending French treasury money back to Austria, of hosting crazy parties and for sexually abusing my son, among other things! There were always rumors being spread about me. I wish people could have seen my good qualities. I was a devoted Mom and I did give a great deal to the poor.

I hope you have fun making your own Blabber about a famous person associated with France! Bon courage!

Sample Script for Marie Antoinette

Getting Ready (continued)

Let’s Blabberize!

Step 1: Go to www.blabberize.com. You will see the llama again. Scroll down to [ login/signup ].

Step 2: Complete the Sign Up! Screen first. Username can be your first initial and last name. Use a valid e-mail address or your KeyPals

address. Your password must be longer than 4 characters. Click “Sign up.”

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 3: Once you click “Sign

Up” you will receive a message that says you are all signed up.

Now complete the Login information only.

Click “Login.” Click “no” to a pop-

up asking if you want Internet Explorer to remember the password.

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 4: If this is

your first Blabber, you will have no items stored here yet.

Click “Make.”

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 5: Click

“Browse.”

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 6: Click “Computer.” Click “Look in” and go to

your jump drive. Click on the “View”

menu and select “Large icons” if you have a lot of pictures.

Select your picture. Click “Open.”

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 7: Click on the

pink circles one at a time and drag them into place to crop your picture.

Click the blue arrow at the bottom-right of your picture to proceed to the next step.

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 8: Drag the hazy red circle over the mouth of your picture. Drag the green and blue dots into position to open the

mouth. The large green dot at the bottom of the mouth represents the degree to which your mouth will drop open.

Click the blue arrow at the bottom right of your picture to proceed to the next step.

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 9: Next your picture will appear with a prompt for sound

(picture on the left). Click the pink microphone icon. It is recommended to use a headset for clarity of voice and

elimination of background noise.

Step 10: When this

step is loading, you will receive a prompt to allow access to your microphone.

Click “Allow.”

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 11: Have the hard copy of your

script handy. Click the red button to start

recording (the button will look like it has been pushed in).

Read your script into your microphone.

Click the red button again to stop recording.

Click the arrow to proceed.

Step 12: Click “OK.”

Let’s Blabberize! (continued)

Step 13: If you are

happy with your project, click “Save.”

It is at this point only that you can edit (change mouth, change audio, add another picture). When finished, proceed to this screen again and click “Save.”

Editing Your Project

Step 14: Give your Blabber a

Title and Description.

Add a few tags (the website won’t let you continue unless you do). These tags allow your blabber to be found and viewed by others.

No need to click “Private” or “Mature” since your Blabber is rated “G.”

Click “Save.”

Saving Your Project

Saving Your Project (continued)

Saving Your Project (continued)

Sharing Your Project

Step 1: Go to www.blabberize.com

again and click on “My Stuff.”

Click on the Blabber you just created.

Click on the share button (it will turn brown).

Step 2: You can copy and paste this link into an e-mail in order for

your friends to see your Blabber (Ctrl + C, then Ctrl + V). We are going to also save your Blabber on the Class Wiki. Highlight the code in the blue box (it will turn white as you

scroll down – capture every character!). Once highlighted, hit Ctrl + C

Sharing Your Project (continued)

Step 3: Now open a new

tab in Internet Explorer.

Type the address for the class wiki in your browser (http:www.youpimcg.wikispaces.com).

You will see our classroom.

Now click on “French 3” Blabbers.

Sharing Your Project (continued)

Sharing Your Project (continued)

Step 4: Click on the “EDIT” tab. You will see an “Editor” toolbar pop

up and the red background will become washed-out. Click on “Widget”

Step 5: Click on

“Other.”

Sharing Your Project (continued)

Sharing Your Project (continued)

Step 6: Place your cursor in

the white box.

Now hit Ctrl + V. Then click “Save.”

Sharing Your Project (continued)

Step 7: You will be

brought to this top screen. Your Widget has been added to the page.

Click “Save.”

You might receive an edit confirmation. Type the words you see and click “Confirm.”

Sharing Your Project (continued)

This is how your Blabber will appear in the Wiki. Félicitations!

Blabber Sample (Click on Cartoon)