Saving Flash Files from the Web

If you have ever run across a cool flash game or file online that you thought would be nice to have in your arsenal for future use then this post is for you! The first thing you need to do is commit to using CHROME as your browser for the internet. That simply means that instead of clicking on the blue "e" icon, look for the Google Chrome icon, the blue/green/yellow/red orb. Once Chrome is open, follow these steps:
1. Click on the plus sign at the top of the page to open a new tab.
2. Under APPS, click on Web Store.
3. In the search bar that appears on the left side, type in .swf
4. There are now a variety of flash video download options and even converters for you to select from.

5. By clicking on ADD TO CHROME, you are adding this option to your Chrome browser. What this means is that anytime you see a flash file on a webpage it you can choose to download it. The first example in the list "Sothink Flash Downloader for Chrome" adds an icon to your top right toolbar area. The blue f icon works by identifying the flash on the page.

How to Use Sothink Flash Downloader for Chrome:
1. One-click the icon on toolbar. The .swf's in current page are captured and listed in the box.
2. Open-up the content by clicking on the captured swf's name and it will open it again for you to see.
3. Use "Ctrl+S" to save the item.

Other tools listed in Chrome may work differently so I encourage you to experiment with other options. Now, why do this you may ask? There are several reasons. Let's say you plan for days to work on a game or put the kiddos on the computer in the back on a review game that is flash based. For some reason your computer won't connect to the network or the internet is down. Unless you have the game downloaded, you need a new plan. Think about using the laptop cart in your classroom and the wireless drops the computers? You have taken the time to get them and you certainly want to use them and you could if you had downloaded it. Sometime when you link to sites with flash on them while you teach in a whole group setting the delay may cause you to lose the group. If you download the file to your computer you save yourself that time and risk. For people who use Interactive White Boards, flash can be inserted directly into a  notebook page and it will work right in your file without ever launching the internet. This same concept is true with video files. Instead of streaming and linking, save yourself time and just download them first. Be sure that you do follow copyright rules and don't repost any flash file that you download. If you are building an online class in Moodle or other LMS, it may be better to just link to the file in case.