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The technology required for online video supervision is not as complex as you might think. If you already have a personal computer (desktop or laptop - Windows, MAC, or Linux), there are only a few additional things you will need.
Software: ($0)
Skype
Download Skype: It is a free dowloadable software that uses VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol, also known sometimes as telephony) - and enables the use and transmission of voice and video using the internet. Skype allows a person to use their computer to call people on their computer or on a traditional "landline". If you use Skype to call someone else using Skype, there is no cost involved. They provide the software and service for free. If you use Skype to call a landline, a rate-per-minute is charged (and is still less than any other long-distance carrier). We will use the "Skype-to-Skype" (free) service for supervision.
Skype can be dowloaded here.
Hardware:
Webcamera (or "Webcam"):
If you use a Mac (or a newer PC laptop), then you probably already have a webcam and microphone built-in. You won't need to purchase any additional hardware; you have everything you need once you obtain the free Skype software.
If you don't have the built-in hardware.....Webcameras can be purchased in most stores that sell electronic equipment, and can range in price. Some have microphones built-in, some don't. To illustrate the ready access to the hardware and prices, here are some links to some well-known stores that carry webcams:
Wal-Mart
Target
Best Buy
Microphone:
Some webcams have mics built-in, some don't. If yours doesn't, you'll need to purchase a separate microphone to transmit the audio portion. Some people prefer headset combinations (headphones and microphone combined - like a traditional telephone), others prefer a separate microphone. Either way works fine, it is merely up to your personal preference. If you use a separate microphone, you'll need to make sure that you set it up a bit away from your computer's speakers, or else you'll experience "feedback". Again, here are some links to common retailers:
Wal-Mart
Target
Best-Buy
Digital Voice Recorder:
In order for me to review your counseling work, you will need to be able to record selected sessions in a digital format. There are many pieces of equipment that can accomplish this task.
1. Devices specifically called digital voice recorders are sold in office supply stores and electronics stores all over. These devices can be pretty pricy ($30 and up), but they can be easy to use since they look very much like the older audiocassette versions. If you go this route, just be sure that the recorder you purchase can connect to your computer in order to transmit your recordings. The lesser-expensive versions of these devices do NOT do this.
2. In my opinion, the better solution is to find an mp3 player that has a digital voice recorder built-in (iPods historically have NOT had this feature, but most others do). The less-expensive versions of these devices are usually between $15 and $40, but aren't as inherently easy to record as the ones above. The benefit is that you can use these devices as an mp3 player AND a voice recorder - and they are already set up to easily transmit files between your player and your computer. The recording quality is equal to the diigital voice recorders above, in my opinion. In going this route, once our work is completed, you don't have a piece of equipment that you may never use again.
3. Use your microphone (see above) connected to your computer, and record directly to your computer. For this, you may need some additional software. I use Audacity quite a bit, and it works well with this task. It is free downloadable software.
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