manny
I have provided the links below to my elevator pitch and venture pitch for a proposed display recording app. I have a few things to tweak but hope you enjoy it….. Elevator Pitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mqvr7BLGSjI Venture Pitch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMSNz9c5YzE Looking forward to feedback, Manny
Continue reading Display Recording App Posted in: Venture Forum Here is a screenshot of the Avatar that I created. He is a cool, buff, tall, gentlemen who boasts unlimited amounts of swag. In a sense, he is everything I am not :(. The role playing feature of this kind of software is definitely engaging and I can see where the name “second life” came […]
Continue reading Manny’s Avatar Posted in: Week 12:
I like your description of your avatar. Very funny! I think this type of environment can be almost too engaging for some. My husband has a friend who has no “real” life because he spends every waking minute that he is not working, playing WarCraft.
Hi Jen,
I thought you might be interested in this, as there are some distinctions between Word of WarCraft and SL.
Warcraft belongs to what is called:
MMORPG—Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game
“In an MMORPG the player assume a role and identity not typically related to his or her real world self and attempts to earn points to move to a higher level within the game.”
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
Second Life is best described as a:
Metaverse, which “now come to represent the idea of an online 3D world inhabited by avatars controlled by their real-life counterparts.”
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
As the website describes, there are similarities, but also differences.
“A metaverse is similar to an MMORPG but with some big differences. First, in a metaverse, players are not playing a defined role such as a hunter or mage, they are playing a character they have created.
Second, the metaverse typically does not have specific goals or objectives created by the metaverse itself. Players can create their own goals or objectives but they are not an inherent part of the world.
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
There is more useful information on that website. They also highlight that may major companies conduct their training in SL.
A metaverse environment can be used for training purposes. As mentioned in the opening of this article IBM and Cisco have both established classroom spaces within a metaverse for training purposes. It is also possible to create create other learning environments in which people can interact to learn about items in 3D. One can imagine providing instruction on how to repair a laptop through a virtual tour of the laptop within the metaverse.
http://msitsecondlife.wikispaces.com/Understanding+Online+Worlds
You may like reading about MMOLE-Massively Multi-learner Online Learning Environments (as they are much more tailored to specific learning and likely present less risk and distractions of the full metaverse of SL).
Let me know what you think. Rest assured there are differences between SL and World of Warcraft. I too know of people who are addicted to this, but they have different incentives than SL entirely.
Hi Manny,
Great avatar. As I mentioned to someone else, Dr. Sherry Turkle writes extensively how we can use avatars to act out versions of ourselves that we do not in our real life. She speaks from a psychological perspective and mentions that this can also be a very useful therapeutic method for certain people. I’m not suggesting that in any case with you, but just saying that it is quite normal to create an avatar that is very different from our ‘real’ self. Thanks for your thoughtful message along with your avatar pic.
Hi All, I have compiled the Poll results from our inter-activities section of our project home page. There were 16 respondents for each question and we would like to thank you for your participation. 1) How would you rate your knowledge of AR before this presentation? a) Expert – 0% b) Good – 6.3% c) […]
Continue reading Augmented Reality Poll Results Posted in: Week 07: I thought I would share this app that I have used in the past to develop a visual and media arts course. I was lucky enough earlier this year to attend a workshop on iTunesU at the appple campus in richmond, B.C. I have since been experimenting with its inner workings and find it to be […]
Continue reading iTunesU Posted in: Week 05:
Hi Manny,
This is great, thanks for sharing. I was just on the itunesu website, is this only accessible through an ipad?
Catherine
Hi Catherine – you can also access it through the iTunes store on your computer via iTunes software if you have it installed.
Hi Catherine,
Unfortunately, the actual course can only be viewed via an ipad, ipod, or iphone. The course manager that allows you to set things up is online and can be completed on any desktop. The lack of cross platform applications that Apple has integrated into their products is definitely a downside. I am starting to wonder how much time and energy I want to expend on this as not every student has a mobile device.
Very cool! Thank you for sharing this.
William (Bill) Hamilton is the president and CEO of TechSmith ventures. Upon first glance, this name probably does not ring a bell but his staff is responsible for producing video capturing software apps such as Screenchomp for the iPad. This App has received rave reviews amongst the learning technologies community and allows students to […]
Continue reading Introducing William Hamilton…….. Posted in: Week 04: Entrepreneur Bootcamp
Hi,
You were right! I did not recognize the name at first, but I have used some of the products that he has helped develop! This was particularly interesting for me to read because I find it very interesting the long path that he has taken since 1987. In my lifetime, I look back and think about all of the advances in technology and can only imagine what he has seen, experienced, and learned from.
Jhodi
What an interesting app. I agree that this will be a great tool for education. I am sure that this will help students and teachers create some great learning materials.
Ken
In her article titled “Learning Technology Trends in 2012,” Connie Malamed shares her insightful predictions on trends to watch out for in 2012. The full list is available by clicking on the link provided above. For the purpose of this discussion, I will focus on the idea of backchannels and flipped learning. Backchannel […]
Continue reading Learning Coach: 2012 Top Trends Posted in: Week 02: The Edtech Marketplace
Hi Manny:
I like your approach to focus on two technologies. I work in a post secondary and have seen both of these used.
The Back channel was in a demonstration situation in one of our new “technology rooms”. I signed up for the session last May not knowing what is was and I was going light that day so I did not have any personnel technology with me. Needless to say I was not an active participant, just an observer. They did tie in participants from other parts of the institute so it went beyond the classroom. I certainly found it hard to keep up and focus as there was so much going on: the facilitator speaking, their presentation on one set of screens, the twitter back channel on other screens and the F-2-F back channel at each table. In the end, I can’t remember what the topic was, only the apparent confusion of everything going on at once. All I could think of was the student who did not have the technology/twitter account and any special needs students that find it hard to focus, it would have blown their circuits. So this technology/method is in its infancy and participants/facilitators need some training, guidelines and best practices are needed to direct it so it is actually useful and not some neat thing to play with.
Flipped learning is a great method that is being used and is possible through courses developed for blended learning. It also provides a way for instructors to get away from the traditional lecture style classroom format to a style that is more engaging and interactive project and group work. In post secondary we are finding it is many students who oppose this style as it means they need to actually do something in the classroom rather than come for a lecture. For the most part we have been able to check the students helicopter parents at the hanger before entering the school.
Doug.
I agree. The idea of flipped learning is making significant leeway within educational settings. With the shift to project/inquiry based learning, educators are opting to front-load the material/content online via tutorials/videos and having students engage in work in the classroom. I have tried this myself on a few occassions, and allowed me to focus on those who need the extra help while allowing those who feel comfortable move on.
S
I have heard about flipped learning from a few teachers at another school in my district. One of the courses was Math 12 and the other Biology 12. They taught in this style last year, but I don’t know if they are continuing to try it or how beneficial it was in their classes. A few of us in my department were thinking of trying it for the Space Unit in Gr. 9 Science. We have the students do a large space project, so we thought this would be a good idea to try.
Hi Lisa,
It definitely exciting to try something new with a class and more importantly learn from it. Have you had the opportunity to talk to the grade 12 math and biology instructors to see if the experience was fruitful. I would be interested to know how it went and what were some things that needed to be improved in order to make it more productive.
Suhayl
Hi Suhayl,
I sent them an email a couple of weeks ago, but with the start up of school, they were probably too busy to answer. If I hear anything back, I will report back on what I found out.
Lisa
I’d be interested in hearing how a flipped classroom experiment goes. Reading about it, I can see how it makes a lot of sense. The problem I saw with it is that students tend to be lazy, and the ‘homework’ of watching a lecture the day of, might be ignored by a lot of students. It requires a lot of trust of the kids to do those things. Also, lots of times in lectures and presentations, questions arise as you go, and there are cool tangents that you can take as the teacher to facilitate discussion and more questioning and clarifying. I think there would have to be some sort of question period at the beginning of the next day – perhaps that could be a homework check, to improve the accountability of the class.
I have experimented with the Idea of the flipped classroom. I think it is important to enforce the watching of videos like you would a homework check. If students start to look at it as a ‘serious’ assignment not just fun, they tend to gain good insight. In my classroom, I usually get them to write 1 thing they found interesting about the video and 1 thing they found confusing. You can use polling software and reference the video the next day in class while clearing up any misunderstandings.
This flipped technique can be effective. However, I still have found the most effective way is to use the videos in class, pause and explain or clarify as the video is playing. This isn’t traditional, but it is not a flipped classroom either. It allows students to take a resource home (Khan academy, TED Ed) that we have discussed and work on their homework with assistance.
Hello and greetings from Surrey, B.C. This is now my 6th MET course and it feels great to be past the half way point. I currently teach at an alternate secondary school in the Surrey school district with ‘at risk’ youth who range from 15 -19 years of age. I have been teaching here for […]
Continue reading Hello and greetings from Surrey, B.C. Posted in: Week 01: Introductions
Welcome Manny,
Congrats at being past the half-way point. A class set of iPads, that will be interesting. For some reason in our district the head IT guy really does not like Apple products and it is a fight to get any approved. I do have 6 Macs in my classroom but that is rare. My wife is an OT in the elementary schools and there are times when she will encourage the use of iPads and other devices to improve accessibility to learning. Have a great term.
Ken
Hi Ken,
Macs definitely posit their own set of challenges as they are not friendly when it comes to cross platform applications. I was always more of a PC guy myself but our district seems to be taking the Mac direction right now. I guess it’s all personal preference at the end of the day. iPads are of course new and exciting but also have their limitations. I wish you the best of luck this term and look forward to working with you.
Manny
Hi Manny, I work over at CLC I believe you work at one of the other learning centers in Surrey?
Hi Colin,
I’m over at the GLC. It’s nice to have someone who shares similar experiences in the same course. Look forward to working with you and I’m sure our paths will cross soon.
Manny
Hi Manny —
Fantastic and exciting opportunity for you to deploy iPads into the classroom. You’ll have to keep me posted on the progress. While I am an Apple guy in my respects, I have found the limitations within the lab (with regards to some of the applications) to be quite frustrating. I’ve used one (personal) in my classroom for a few years, but this year I will have an extra to give to the students as well. What apps have you loaded onto the ipad or how do you plan to use them?
Cheers,
— Jonathan
I would agree with you John in that it can become quite frustrating. This biggest problem I face is that it is a personal mobile device and the problem occurs when you try to share it between students in different classes. Furthermore, it is so difficult to find effective educational apps. I would be more than happy to share my list of apps that have worked for me thus far, just send me your email addy and I will compile a list.
Manny
Frustrations — I can probably add to it –>
keeping the students on task with the iPad when there is so much to do. They are so comfortable with the platform that they know how to head out to the main screen, play with Photo Booth, and amuse their friends. At the same time is this because the task isn’t interesting enough? I’ll be excited to see what the new iOS feature will be, to allow us to control the experience some more (shudder, sounds so Apple).
Email.. thanks for sending the list along: jtang@sd38.bc.ca
Hi Manny,
Nice to meet another Surrey teacher! I look forward to working with you.
Bryan
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Lisa Nevoral 1:21 am on November 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hey Manny,
Your elevator and venture pitch state that “this video is private”. Just thought I’d let you know.
Lisa
manny 11:25 am on November 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Thanks Lisa,
I will change the settings right away.
Doug Connery 10:46 pm on November 26, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny:
Great project, you have identified a gap in the market based on the costing structure alone. This type of venture is not in my interest area, however if it was then I would look closer at it.
Good luck.
Doug.
Colin 10:20 pm on November 27, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny, good job on the presentation and I do agree that the price they are presently charging is too high to be considered by an educational institution. Especially if they have to spend this for every single Ipad that they have. I also agree that the number of downloads would go up as a result of making it free. However, I don’t know if the app would make enough money by just using advertising as this often doesn’t produce much money. I have ran some websites based on advertising revenue but the statistic is one click for 0.09 for every 100 people. I am not familiar with the app advertising market but I don’t think it is that much better. Also you are faced with the problem of making your app annoying to people by placing large ads everywhere or reduce your revenue by only having smaller ads. The idea of a lite and deluxe version is more of a possibility with advertising on the lite version and limited features. I like the idea of the app but I don’t see it as a money maker. In addition I just went on Google and 33% of developers use the advertising model and their average revenue is $1498.00. You would really have to look at selling many different kinds of apps to create a good monthly return.
http://www.fiercedeveloper.com/story/vision-mobile-average-mobile-app-revenue-under-4k/2012-06-25
Cheers, Colin
manny 1:45 pm on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Colin,
I clearly need to conduct more research within the revenue capabilities of in app advertising. Ultimately, simple supply/demand economics would indicate that revenues are directly proportional to the popularity of an app. If I was to make this app a paid app, the pricing would be tricky to determine because if its too high, then no one will purchase it. Thanks for your feedback, it opened my eyes to both revenue options.
teacherben 7:11 pm on November 28, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny. I enjoyed watching both videos. I applaud you for being ambitious and using the green screen. You showcased your technical skills. The CEO comes off as likeable which should not be underestimated. If you are a fun and friendly guy, put yourself front and center. If I have to work with you and trust you with my money, it’s easier if I can get along with you.
I am always cautious of products that target the education industry but rely on advertising to generate revenue. Many educators are uncomfortable with this and I think in general, would prefer paying for a useful app to ensure that students are not exposed to advertising in the classroom.
While I think it’s important to let people know upfront about the competition, you may have gone over the top a bit. The elevator pitch dedicates almost a third of it’s one minute to discussing the competition. You could have used some of that time to give us a little more. Also, in your venture pitch, you point out that Apple missed an opportunity to include this useful feature into iOS 6. This is dangerous ground for you to tread. For example, with the release of iOS 6, Apple introduced emoticons into the system. Then, they booted all the 3rd party emoticon apps out of the app store. If Apple chooses to include this feature in their next update, they could do the same to you.
You did a lot of useful research about the app markets in general and I enjoyed watching that and learned quite a bit about app development. But I think you needed to be a bit more focused on your specific product, what will differentiate it, the market need, the target user etc…
So, while I would agree that this is a good idea and that there is good reason to consider taking it further, I don’t think I would invest in this venture at the present time.
Incidentally, if you do believe in this idea and want to get it off the ground, you could get it done for you fairly cheaply by checking on odesk and contracting out the job. There are lots of great programmers in less affluent parts of the world that will do your programming for you for under 5 bucks an hour. I bet you could get this to market for a few hundred bucks. Hire one person to do the programming and hire someone else to do the artwork and you are good to go. Apple provides a lot of resources to get your app into the app store and make it very easy to enable in-app advertisements.
Good luck!
manny 1:39 pm on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Ben,
Thank you for the recommendations that you have made, it is difficult to argue against them. The hardest part of this assignment was the elevator pitch and I was worried that I may have spent too much time on competitors. Your comments have validated that and in retrospect, I should have focused more specifically on my product. The 1 minute limit made this part of the assignment very difficult to portray the main ideas clearly and concisely.
Manny
jameschen 3:58 pm on November 29, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny,
I enjoyed watching your elevator pitch. Your explanation of the differences between paid and ad-based apps is very informative. I had not realized that Jing was not available on the iPad, so there is definitely a need for free screen capturing apps on the iPad. Then I wondered how advertisements would pan out when the images/videos are captured. Would there be ads on the captured images/videos? As an investor, I would be interested to find out more about the product through your venture pitch if there was a product that has already been built (fictional or not), because from an investor’s perspective to invest in something that is still in the development stage is risky since the market has not yet been tested.
Thanks for a good presentation.
James
cunnian 12:08 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Hi Manny,
Good job on the elevator pitch. Much of your time was spent explaining how your product is different from others. I think that this was time well spent as it is critical to the success of this pitch. The venture pitch itself elaborated on these differences and nicely informed potential investors of how the different revenue streams work in the app world.
While you’ve made a convincing argument about how in-app advertising would provide revenue, as an investor I am wondering where this advertising would be found. If you are doing screen capturing, clearly the ads will not be on the screen while you are recording. Being that users will be spending most of their time in the app recording, they won’t see the ads.
You speak very confidently and you’ve done your homework on how to make your money, but I think that there’s still work to be done on the product itself.
Thanks for the great pitches!
manny 5:51 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
I was thinking that the ads would be in the actual app when you open it. The way display recording works is that it doesn’t record the actual app but rather what you do on your display. Therefore there would be no ads in your final recording, they would only be seen in the background when editing the video. Now that I think about it, advertising is perhaps a bad way to go about this when pitching to investors because it really depends on the popularity of the app. It is a big risk to take but also can yield big rewards.
melissaayers 1:36 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
You really aimed these pitches at EVAs great work Manny.
Great idea and identification of a market opportunity. You identified the pain point (price) and gave detailed coverage of other apps currently on the market. You clearly describe how you are going to provide a product that has a value proposition (free vs 9.95) and how you are going to achieve this. Definitely an example elevator pitch which made me continue to your venture pitch to learn more.
However, after the research I did for my own venture pitch I discovered how hard it is to market an app in the current online marketplaces. How difficultl it is to get an app featured and the generally huge cost in marketing required to get apps in the top listed. For this reason I probably would not invest in your venture despite your excellent pitches sorry (neither would I invest in my own for similar reasons in the end I think).
Thanks
Melissa
manny 7:04 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Considering my projects/papers thus far in the MET program, this venture assignment was the most challenging and yet fun activity I have completed. Upon reflecting on both my elevator and pitch proposals, it was evident that they contained many strengths and weaknesses. Upon completing the two pitches, I did have a few reservations in mind; these were then validated through the feedback that was provided by my peers.
Elevator Pitch
The elevator pitch production by far was the most difficult section of this assignment. The one-minute time limit became the enemy and really made me think about what it is that I want to convey. Given the circumstances, one needs to sift out specific details and get to the point in a clear and concise manner. I think a strength within my pitch is that I identified a void within the current marketplace. Unfortunately, I may have spent too much of the allocated time discussing the competitors when I should have regained the focus back to the product. I also had lighting issues when using the green screen function that took up valuable time and numerous takes. Overall, I am happy with the content of my elevator pitch as I felt that I left it all out there and in this scenario, it is the most important thing you can do.
Venture Pitch
This production also required critical thinking in how to best tell a story about your product that makes sense and would convince an investor to part with their money. I think the visuals that I provided throughout the pitch helped in keeping the potential investors engaged with the idea. I tried to come off as confident as possible as I really do believe that such a product could really take off. Upon submission, I was a little skeptical of whether I had explained the revenue structure thoroughly enough. My main focus was on introducing an ad-supported app that would raise revenue through advertising versus one-time user pay apps. I think I should have done more research in this area and presented actual figures rather than trends.
In conclusion, if I were to go back and do it again, I would tweak the weaknesses mentioned above. What I have realized is that regardless of the pitch that is proposed, one will always have regrets. There really is no such thing as the perfect pitch and it is a phenomenon that is dynamic and can easily change with the audience. It was exciting to step into a venture capitalists shoes and this assignment allowed me to gain an appreciation of a world I am not too familiar with.
adi 10:41 pm on November 30, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Sorry for the late post. I have had sleepless nights completing other assignments. I do apologize and mean no disrespect.
I am going to base my feedback on what we saw in week 3 regarding the content of a venture pitch(Perfecting Your Pitch).
1. Pain Point: the market gap or problem the venture is addressing
– There is a market and not many options out there.
2. Solution: the new product or service that resolves the pain
– Offers a free APP and 2 versions (light or Pro), depending on whether the buyer wants advertising or not.
3. Differentiation: the reason someone will buy or use this new product or service, versus the alternatives
– Yes, a difference in price and what the APP can do.
3. Marketing: where and how buyers/users will be reached
– Has very good knowledge of both the Android and IPad market, and how it is changing.
4. Championship: the competency of the venture’s leaders and advisors
Does not mention them, but he comes across as knowing his market and product well
5. Competition: an overview of competitors and partners
– Good overview
6. The Ask: how much money, etc, is required to take the next step
Yes, it’s clear; through advertising
7. The Return: how much and how soon will an investor be recompensed
– Not in detail
8. The Message
– Well presented, with confidence and showing thorough knowledge of the market and product.
This was a very well researched and presented venture that I would invest in. My only worry is the fact that the next generation of phones will no doubt soon offer this as a feature. However, you appear to be ahead of the market, so should that happen, I am sure you will find a new App to offer. Well done Manny! Great work!
rebeccaharrison 6:02 pm on December 1, 2012 Permalink | Log in to Reply
Manny,
I apologize for the late post as well.
I agree that this is an awesome idea, and I am very interested in it, but was on the fence about whether or not I would invest. I appreciate that you clearly laid out your position in the elevator pitch, and were explicitly gearing your information towards investors. I decided against investing, purely based on the fact that it seems difficult to create the revenue. I believe that the app would be widely used, however, I’m not sure that there would be much return. Great work on both videos!