I just came across a really neat site that makes it easy to create your own customizable video sharing site in seconds (OK, so maybe I exaggerated; I should have said minutes). You can use Fliggo to build a class video blog, create a class “YouTube”-type site or just use it as a private place to share videos. There are no downloads or installations; you (or your students) can create and manage material securely within a browser. Best of all…you can also control who can join, upload, or comment.

Setting up your Fliggo site requires an easy online registration that requires an email account. During the registration process you will create a user name, password, and description for your account. You can also select a format for your site. The community option allows you to create a member-driven video site. This option would be great for classroom integration…students could upload video and would be able to comment on videos that were uploaded to the site. You can also select a Video Blog option. I could see this option as being very useful if you wanted to post instructional videos so students could review them or watch them for homework. They could also provide relevant comments about the videos you post. During the set up process you also need to select a membership option. If you choose the open option anyone can join your video site. Personally, I would choose the moderated or closed option. In the moderated mode anyone can apply to join your site, but you must approve them (this seems like a viable option for educators…students could apply for membership and you could approve them). If you select the closed membership option only people you invite can join your site (this might be a nice option for sharing family videos). Don’t be put off by all my verbiage the setup process is quick and intuitive (really!).

Once you have set up your account you (or a student) can upload a personal video or use a URL link from YouTube. I especially appreciated the YouTube option because the video once loaded on your Fliggo site does not link users back to YouTube…a great advantage if your school blocks YouTube. You can quickly and easily upload YouTube Videos from your home computer and still provide access to the videos in school through your Fliggo site. Oh…I almost forgot to mention the fact that you can also change the theme of your site and even upload a logo to make your site more colorful and personal. And, as if that was not enough….you can also select from add-ons that include an RSS-feed, featured videos, video ratings, announcements, etc.

The integration opportunities for using a Fliggo site are endless! I can see where a classroom video site like Fliggo would be very useful when students are working on video projects. I would have loved to have this type of site available when my students created videos for their webquests and I know my 4th graders who created Photo Story Biography poems would have loved uploading and responding to everyone’s videos. Get started with Fliggotoday and let us know the “Farr-Out” Fliggo strategies you have discovered and implemented in your classroom!