Torsh Adds Bluetooth-Compatible Version to Video Observation Platform
Torsh,
a company that provides a video-based
platform for teacher professional development, is improving its basic
video
capture tool by launching a Bluetooth-compatible version of its T
Uploader iOS
and Android apps.
The Torsh
Talent platform lets users upload
instruction-related video, taken via mobile app, for viewing and
provides space
for reflection, discussion and feedback. The idea is that teachers will
upload
video they have shot of their own classroom performance and then
collaborate
with their coaches based on the material to get feedback.
One of
the challenges to using the platform to provide feedback is the fact
that most
mobile devices are not designed for recording audio in large
classrooms. As a
result, the audio quality of the video is sometimes lacking.
"We have
heard our customers and they've told us that recording high-quality
videos is
important to them," said Torsh CEO Courtney Williams. "Many of them
believe it
is as important to hear the interaction between teacher and student as
it is to
see the interaction, perhaps even more so."
That's
why the enhanced app now available will still allow educators to
capture video
of classroom instruction using their phones or tablets, then
automatically sync
those videos with the audio captured from an external Bluetooth
microphone. Torsh
will supply teachers with a list of recommended Bluetooth microphones
they can
purchase from Amazon or other outlets and use them in conjunction with
the
video they shoot using their mobile devices and the apps.
"The new
Bluetooth feature will allow us to reduce our capital outlay on
hardware
purchases while still allowing our teachers to record high-quality
video and
audio," said Laura Garza, principal of Blanton Elementary School in
Dallas, one
of the 1,600-plus schools using the Torsh Talent platform.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.