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Tech Tools for Interactive Remote Teaching Webinar
VidReader is a digital tool that generates English transcripts for YouTube videos using the captions already available in the video. By entering the URL for a YouTube video, anyone can use Vidreader to create interactive transcripts for a plethora of videos. By clicking on individual sentences or segments of the transcript, users can go straight to the part of the video they need. Instructors can search the transcript for topics that are relevant to a course or lesson and students can search it for specific content they need to learn more about.
VidReader is a very basic web application that is meant to provide interactive, searchable transcriptions of YouTube videos. While the application makes these transcriptions relatively easy to create, there is virtually no way to search for videos on the website, no privacy policy, and the tool’s performance is variable and reliant on the captions already available in the YouTube video. Additionally, while it requires users to log in, it is unclear what benefits are provided besides notifying users when their videos are done being transcribed. Therefore, this tool should be utilized with caution and supplemented by other tools (such as YouTube’s caption-creation and editing capabilities) to make up for its deficits.
Learning Activities
Learning Activities
English/Language Arts
English/Language Arts
Caption Correction: In order to practice their grammar, spelling, and sentence structure skills, students can edit the transcripts generated by VidReader. More specifically, students can aim to create transcripts that are as accurate as possible with proper punctuation and capitalization.
Poetry in Writing: Students can choose YouTube videos of poetry or spoken word to run through VidReader. They can analyze the transcript and video together to build their understanding of how to write for these genres.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Listening In: Students learning English as a second language can use English-language videos and run them through VidReader to create transcripts. Then, by listening carefully to the video and reading the transcript that VidReader generated, they can practice their English reading, writing, and listening skills simultaneously. Students can also select words in the interactive transcript to listen to in the video to improve their pronunciation of the words in English.
Video Editing/Production
Video Editing/Production
Next-level Videos: Students learning how to edit and produce videos can upload their completed videos to YouTube and then use YouTube’s caption-editing software to ensure accuracy (including timing). Then, they can upload them to VidReader and (after editing the transcript for accuracy) can copy the link to the interactive transcript to include in the detail section of their YouTube video. This activity challenges students to make their video content multimodal and to gain comfort with the interface of YouTube’s and VidReader’s caption editing.
Other
Other
Scavenger Hunt: In order to gain some familiarity with how VidReader’s interactive transcripts work, students can be tasked to find specific pieces of information within videos that they need to (or which already have been) run through VidReader. For an additional challenge, students can be told to describe the visual of the video when certain words are being spoken.
How to Use VidReader
How to Use VidReader
Go to the YouTube video that you want the transcription of and copy the URL.
Go to vidreader.com.
Paste the URL into the text box under “YouTube Video Link.”
Click “Read it!”
The site will then transcribe your video which usually takes about 10 minutes.
Review the generated transcription. Check for any significant errors and correct them.
Once edited for accuracy, copy the VidReader link provided under the video on the left side.
Note: It is very difficult to find these interactive transcriptions later, so it is essential to copy the link provided.
You may also download the transcript if you would like to provide a static, non-interactive version to students.
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