Our online platform, a staple in the professional development toolkit for coaches, mentors, and administrators, for years, has seen the bulk of its access from computers. As more of our users have incorporated phones and tablets into their observation routine, parity between the online and mobile experiences was no longer an option, but a necessity.

We’re excited to present the new and improved TORSH Talent Mobile App. Highlights of the updated app include:

Record and Photograph

Snap photos in a flash. Stay in one app to both record video and take pictures.

View & Rename Artifacts

All of our most popular features, including viewing and renaming videos, photos, and documents, are now available from any device.

Share Artifacts & Set Permissions

Share videos and files with peers, mentors, and coaches easily from your mobile device. 

Comment & Collaborate On-the-Go

Easily leave feedback on videos. Collaborate and coach at any time and from anywhere.

Check out What’s New

Visit the menu bar to see updates, adjust settings, switch systems, and reach out to support!

The team at Torsh is excited to provide users of the app with the ability to give and receive on the go feedback, stay in sync with all their devices, record and upload videos, along with other artifacts straight from their mobile device, and even share videos and files with peers, mentors, and coaches. 

Bringing desktop features to mobile devices, Torsh puts the power of professional development in the palm of each coach, administrator, and educator’s hands.

Like what you see, but not using
TORSH Talent yet?

Already a TORSH Talent User?
To view the complete how-to guide on the new & improved mobile app, visit the help center in your TORSH Talent system.

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1. Put your phone in airplane mode

Whenever you are using your phone to record a video, place your phone in airplane mode. This will disable calls on your phone and ensure that an incoming call does not cut off your recording.

2. Keep your camera stable

Make sure you are keeping your camera steady when recording. Use a tripod or stand to hold your mobile device. Do not try to hold your device with your hand. Visit our equipment page here to the see the tripod we’ve tested out and highly recommend.

3. Always film in landscape

Make sure to record video in the landscape orientation (i.e. wide-screen). Also, whenever you’re recording a video, you will want to be sure that the screen rotation lock is turned off. This will allow you to orient your device in the landscape mode and record your video successfully. Already uploaded a video recorded with the lock on, and found your video is rotated sideways? Send us an email at support@torsh.co and we can rotate it for you.

4. Use an external microphone

Mobile devices are not designed for the best possible audio recording quality.  Use an external microphone when recording video on your smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful when recording large groups or in large rooms. For more information on the benefits of using an external microphone, check out this video from PBS on capturing video of a K-12 classroom. For microphone recommendations, please see our Video Capture Equipment Recommendations resource.

5. Use external lenses to create more complete views of the classroom

External lenses, such as a wide angle lens, can allow you to capture a larger view of a room. Some lenses can expand the viewing angle up to four times. These lenses can be detached from the device, so you can remove it when it’s not in use. And they aren’t very expensive! A kit on Amazon for a wide-angle lens, a macro lens, and a fish eye lens goes for about $7. See more of our recommendations here.

6. Good lighting is important

Lighting is important to consider when filming. If the lighting is too direct or if there is not enough light, you will lose detail in the video. For a better image, avoid placing the subject in front of windows or other direct sources of light and make sure the room is well-lit.

7. Don’t use digital zoom

Digital zoom can significantly decrease the quality of the video. Instead of using digital zoom, move the device closer to what you are trying to capture.

8. Keep your videos short 

Videos should focus on one topic or concentration area. This helps your coaches and fellow educators provide constructive feedback. Try not to record the whole lesson, but to keep videos between 15-20 minutes. If you need to record the entire lesson, you can then clip smaller portions for self-reflection, coaching and feedback purposes. Wondering how to clip a video on TALENT? Watch our video tutorial here.

We hope you found our recommendations to be helpful! For more tips for implementation or help navigating the TALENT platform, you can always send us an email at support@torsh.co.

The post 8 Tips For Recording Good Quality Video appeared first on Torsh.

Many of the schools and organizations that use Torsh TALENT as a video observation platform have found that the greatest challenge to using video with educators is capturing high quality audio. Mobile devices are not designed for recording audio in large classroom settings and as a result, the audio quality is sometimes lacking. Consequently, Torsh has decided to make it easier for its clients to capture much better audio by using its updated and improved T Uploader apps to capture video in classroom settings. 

“We have heard our customers loud and clear and they’ve told us that recording high quality videos is important to them,” stated Courtney Williams, CEO of Torsh. “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. Starting today, we now provide a reliable solution to capture high quality audio which, when used with our list of recommended microphones and classroom setup, will make video capture a breeze. Our recommended bluetooth microphones are cost effective and can easily be purchased from Amazon or other outlets.”

Currently the TALENT platform is used in 1,600 plus schools across 18 states. Clients include Dallas Independent School District, KIPP DC, Uplift Education, New Teacher Center, Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care, Johns Hopkins University, NYU Steinhardt, SMU, and Stanford University. 

Laura Garza, principal of Blanton Elementary School, part of the Dallas Independent School District’s “Accelerating Campus Excellence” (ACE) program, said that, “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 using the Torsh TALENT T Uploader app.  We are looking forward to trying it and seeing how it fits our needs.” 

For more information on Torsh and Torsh TALENT, visit www.torsh.co. 

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