Zack recently posted about the Story app by Disney. I went ahead and made a video to show you how it works. I also made a separate video for those of you that would rather just see the final product so that way you can fiddle with the application yourself. I tend to be one that learns better just be trying it out myself, so I understand those of you that would just rather see the final product completely!
Here is the final product video:
New digital storytelling app from Disney!
These are the apps we’re excited to find – apps that can be used for multiple subjects and allow a student to explain their work. Story by Disney for iPhone and iPod Touch lets students insert text, photos, and 1 minute videos into a ‘story’ that can be emailed with a private link (Like an unlisted YouTube video that’s hidden from everyone on the site).
This app requires a classroom account – we will use one log in for the room and sign in each student under the same username. We will then send a form home to parents explaining that we’ve created an account for the class to use that will keep their information and content safe and secure. There will be many more explanations about Terms of Service (TOS) within apps and websites East Noble School Corp uses with students and how we…
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Easy Shot Email Cam is a really basic camera utility. The reason I like it: students can only take one picture at a time and email it all from the same application. There is not a lot to say about the actual functionality of the app; it is pretty straightforward.
How this applies to teachers you ask? Teachers (primary in particular) need an app that easily allows students to take a picture of their work and email it quickly. Students could share what they accomplished during math or word study. How easy is it to remember what every student accomplished with his/her unifix cubes during math without meeting with every single child and taking notes? It just isn’t possible. This app would allow you to receive the proof that Jimmy or Suzy were able to accomplish a few tasks when you were not able to meet with them on a one-on-one basis.
JellyCam — Stop-motion maker – Tickly Pictures.
JellyCam is an easy-to-use stop-motion video maker for PC and Mac. If you are not certain what stop-motion is, think of claymation movies like Chicken Run or Wallace and Gromit. Even better yet, how many of you remember Gumby from a long time ago? (Warning: Watching the video may make you feel old.)
Stop motion is a lot of fun. By using JellyCam, students can access their webcam or if you have a P2V camera in your classroom, it may make the process even easier since the camera is a little more versatile.
The whole point of me bringing up stop-motion videos is that students could create reenactments of stories, historical events, or make up their own play to demonstrate their knowledge of a subject.
Here is an example of how to use JellyCam.
Face on Stamp Booth and Face on Coin Booth essentially perform the same task. You can take a photo and impose it onto a coin or a stamp. Not only do you get to insert the picture, but you can also add text to replace the words that may go around a stamp or a coin.
So what is the point you ask? There are multiple avenues for integration to the classroom for these apps. Try them with characters or historical figures. Have the students create a stamp or coin for the purpose of adding it into their writing. Try it with vocabulary words and definitions. They could easily take their own pictures or find images from the internet that would match vocabulary terms. The students could then create a coin or stamp with the descriptions/definitions surrounding the image.
Not only that, but it is just a lot of fun, and I’m sure that the kids will love using it.
Let me know how it works for you. Send some examples to me. Let me know of your creative ways that you are implementing these apps.
Phonto is an application for the iPod Touch and the iPad that allows you to place text on top of a photo. I know have have blogged about a lot of applications that will perform the same task, but I the thing I like about this one is the inclusion of speech bubbles. Students can take a picture directly from the app which is always good because it keeps the rapid finger flicks of a first grader from filling up an iPod. They can then add a speech bubble or shape and place the text within it.
One drawback is that it does have advertisements. You will need to train your young students to not tap on them. You will also need to train them in case they do accidently tap on an advertisement to click on the homescreen button and go back into the application. Here is a Mr. Noble comic to help guide the discussion of advertisements.
As far as the classroom application goes, this would provide students with a quick way to share their thoughts about a book or any of the content the teacher is covering. Here are some ideas that I have:
1. Take a picture of a character and share a thought he/she might have, ask an interview question for a character, or share character traits.
2. Choose a historical person and think of a question to ask or a famous quote that they have given. Make it a part of their writing project.
3. Write a vocabulary word and have the word share synonyms or antonyms for the word.
Here is a video that briefly shows how to use Phonto. I didn’t make this one, but it does the job.
What are your ideas for an application like Phonto? Share them here!
Labelbox is an extremely easy-to-use iPod/iPad application. Students can take pictures or use pictures that you have sent to them, place labels on the image, and save it to their camera roll to either be emailed or posted on Kidblog.org This is much like many of the other applications that I have blogged about in the past that allow students to build their own creative projects. The thing is, it is just as fast for students to use an application like Labelbox than it is to give the students a worksheet. However, which one do you think the kids are going to respond to more?
So let’s brainstorm some ways that it could be used:
Here are some ideas of how it could be used. I used Labelbox to make it. 🙂
Please feel free to comment with your own ideas!
30 Hands is a very simple and easy presentation tool available on iPod and iPad. The user simply selects pictures or takes pictures directly from the application, and then records their voice over each picture. If you want students to get even more detailed, they could edit photos and annotate them with Skitch. This would allow them to essentially make their photos into presentation slides and record their voice telling about each slide.
The applications of 30 Hands is endless. Have students make their own digital story. Have them record about a learning opportunity that occurred in class. Students could take pictures of the books they are reading to tell about them or create book reviews. Basically, if you want your students to share information, this application gives them a quick and easy avenue for making that happen.
For our Kidblog users, the students can upload their 30 Hands slideshow directly to the blog. This provides a great opportunity to keep their digital work.
I also have an example that my son, who is three, created with me while we had school canceled due to snow. It was a lot of fun!
(Sorry he had a cold.)
via 30 Hands – YouTube.
Free Technology for Teachers: Soo Meta – A Nice, New Way to Create Multimedia Presentations.
Soo Meta is a cool presentation tool that allows you to pull in videos and photo content into an easy presentation format. This would be especially good if you were wanting to just use a playlist from Youtube that appears to be more of a presentation than a video player.
I attempted to make my own and was pleased with the results. However, making the project took some patience. I found it to be a little clunky and tedious. As the product continues to improve, I think that this could be a very valuable use for students using laptop devices in the classroom.
Here is the link to my own example:
http://www.soometa.com/stories/3263
via Free Technology for Teachers: Soo Meta – A Nice, New Way to Create Multimedia Presentations.
Moleskine is a free app that is actually a part of the Evernote family. If you are already an Evernote user, I would recommend trying this app out for yourself in an everyday situation. Try using it when taking notes during a meeting. Try using it to plan your writing in front of your students. Either way, I am a firm believer that if you want to see the application of technology in your classroom, you have to first be willing to be a user yourself.
Moleskine is basically a digital journal. You can have multiple notebooks with different types of paper. There are plain, lined, squares, and storyboard papers. You have pencils, paintbrushes, and pens to use, text that will fit anywhere (even on top of pictures), and you can import your own pictures.
The practical application that I see is that students can record multiple day events. Have them record a specific reading strategy. Have them import pictures of examples that they want to keep. Have them make a journal about the characters in your book. Whatever you did with a notebook, you can do here, and a little more. The added picture option makes it a tool that would give it a “one-up” on a traditional notebook.
If you try this application out for yourself, please take some time to let me know how you have found it to be useful.
Presentation Tools 