Easy iPad Apps for Everyone: Shadow Puppet

I think effective technology integration comes down to two things:

• using technology frequently 
• planning ahead

That's why I'm taking some time this summer to really get to know some great apps that I plan on using in the classroom this year.  

If you are like me and only have a few iPads available to you on a daily basis, you need apps that meet certain qualifications.

NUMBER 1: It absolutely has to be easy to use. I want my students to be able to figure things out quickly, get started right away, and use it often.

NUMBER 2: It has to produce a product within a reasonable amount of time.

NUMBER 3: It has to allow groups to easily work on one project together. 

Previously, I shared an app with you called Adobe Voice that allows students to quickly create a video with background music, images, and voice over to tell a story, share about themselves, or create a class book. Very cool.

Today, let's take a look at Shadow Puppet.

Shadow Puppet is similar to Adobe Voice in the product it creates, but the platform and look of the final products are a bit different.

The two biggest differences I found are:

• Shadow Puppet is one recording for all slides, unlike Adobe Voice where you can record per slide. This makes it a bit more difficult for group projects and group recordings.
• Pictures on Shadow Puppet fill up the whole screen instead of fitting into a themed background on Adobe Voice. I like that feature because it keeps the focus on the image.

Another small differences is that Shadow Puppet is part of SeeSaw Learning Inc. If you are already using or plan to use SeeSaw in your classroom, they work together seamlessly and makes it easy to share student work within your classroom community and with parents.

For classroom teachers, I recommend downloading the EDU version. There is a regular version as well that allows for in-app purchases, however the edu version free includes features specific for classroom use.

Once the app is downloaded, it is easy to get started. Just click "create new" and you are ready to rock and roll. It's very user-friendly and easy to use. Simply select the images you want in your slideshow, add your extras to each slide, record your voice-over and you've got a movie.

Why do I love Shadow Puppet?

• The bank of images readily available to include in your movie is unbelievable! You have direct access to online images from the Library of Congress, Met Musuem of Art, and NASA. You can also search Flickr, Wikipedia, maps, and your camera roll for images.
• The app automatically adds photo credits to the end of the slideshow reinforcing the importance of digital citizenship and copyright.
• You can add music. There are 8 prerecorded background songs to choose from or you can pull from your iTunes library on the device.
• It's simple to change the style, size, and location of text on each slide.
• There is a variety of transitions for slide text.
• When recording, you can use a magic wand to draw on your slide. Each drawing image fades, allowing the user to highlight important aspects of the image for just a moment.
• You can share your product easily by directly uploading it to SeeSaw, emailing it, or even uploading to Instagram! There are tons of ways to share your video once it has been created. You can even embed it on a webpage (see below).

Image from Shadow Puppet Blog: Puppet Feed

Shadow Puppet is VERY educator friendly. There are 30 different student project ideas right there in the app.  Plus, you can check out Shadow Puppet on Twitter.  They have some great real-world teacher examples of Shadow Puppet in action. The ideas are endless! Here are just a few...

Student Project Ideas:

• Biography Project - Read a biography or participate in a research project on a famous person. Celebrate and present their life and accomplishments through a slideshow. 
• Phases of the Moon - Have students search the NASA archives for examples of the moon phases, label them, and put them in order.  

Shadow Puppet Project Ideas I Loved:

• Guess Who? - Interview a classmate and create a video of a few of their favorite things. Have the class who is being described in the video.
• Art Portfolio - Create a slideshow of examples from all the art projects during the year. This could be a single student's artwork, or it could be a collaborative project by the whole class. 
• Digital Story Telling - Take a picture of a favorite book, then voice-over a summary using other images to support the story from the beginning, middle, and end. 
• If I Were President - Share 4-5 things you would do if you were president.  Great activity during an election year.
• Read Aloud - Practice reading aloud from a book by taking a picture of each page and recording your voice as you read aloud.
• Math Scavenger Hunt - Take pictures of real-world fractions (for example) around the school, then use the drawing tool to show your fractions in the pictures.

The list goes on and on. There really are so many wonderful ideas it can be a bit overwhelming. I think the good news is that this app can easily be integrated into whatever you are working on in the classroom. 

I plan on using Shadow Puppet during the first week of school for the GUESS WHO?? activity. Students will work in groups to interview a group member and create a "Guess Who?" movie for the class.

Here is a quick example I did to give my students the general idea.

Don't you think this will be fun?  It will be a great way to incorporate community building and learning how to use Shadow Puppet at the beginning of the year. Two birds...one stone.

I'm still working out the details on how to make this work, management wise with 24 children, 48 little hands, and 4 ipads. But, I figure - if there's a will, there's a way. I've got a few more weeks to work out all the details.

If a strike of genius hits, I will surely fill you in. And if you have any words of wisdom and have made this work in your room, please share. Ideas welcome.

*******

Have you used Shadow Puppet in your classroom?  

Have you found the app to be successful with your students?

What projects have you loved that you can't wait to do again?

I'd love to hear how you incorporate this app into your daily classroom routine. I invite you to share your thoughts, comments, and questions below.

This summer has been a great time for me to build my technology repertoire: Adobe Voice, Thinglink, and Shadow Puppet have all proven to be excellent resources for my classroom.

My goal is to start my year off with 4 solid  iPad apps that I can really use. I don't need 50.  I need a few really good apps that my students and myself can become proficient and successful with on a more regular basis.  I hope you'll follow my journey.

Stay tuned for two more installments of iPad Apps for EASY Integration of Technology in Elementary Classrooms that everyone can use!

Easy iPad Apps for Everyone: Adobe Voice

Technology integration is a funny thing. It sounds so simple and yet it's not. I used to think you could just toss a little somethin' somethin' for the teacher to do into a lesson and that would cover it.  Technology component in lesson...check. But, what about my students? How often are they using technology in meaningful ways? How often is technology being used to enhance their learning and ramp up engagement?

It is important to ask yourself, who is using the technology in your classroom?  Teacher or students? I'll be the first to admit, that in my classroom it was mostly the teacher. Why?  It was just easier. I cringe to admit it, but it's true. I am a tech savvy gal and I love the idea of integrating tech, but when it came down to it I just didn't feel like I had the time or the resources to do it well.

Using technology in the classroom can be challenging, especially in a classroom with minimal access. I'm lucky. I have 4 iPads in my classroom for teacher and student use. However, with 24 students that can still turn into a technology nightmare. So, I had to stop and think.

Question:

How do I get my students using technology in an effective and purposeful way more frequently, even if I only have four iPads and access to a computer lab once a week? 

 

Answer: 

I need apps that are easy for students to use and easy to integrate into my classroom on a regular basis across content areas.

I found a few possible answers that I will share through a series of posts over the summer. If you are like me, looking for easier ways to get technology into your classroom, I hope you'll join me on this journey. I know that together we can brainstorm even MORE ways to integrate these apps into our daily classroom routines and get the technology in the hands of students.

Today, let's take a look at Adobe Voice.

When you go to download the app, it is called Adobe Spark Video. It requires an Adobe log-in which is easy to create online or through your app. Since I teach elementary, I won't have my students create their own accounts. I will just have them use the classroom account.

After opening the app, it is super easy to get started. Just click the red plus sign at the bottom and follow the prompts. The app is very intuitive and after playing around for just a few minutes, you and your students will be off creating story slide show. :)

Below is a great video explaining how to get started and how to use the app.

So, why did I love, love, love this app?

• Its so easy to use. There are enough options to make it "cool" without being overwhelming. 
• You can add voice-over, background music, themed backgrounds, pictures, & text.
• Students can include images from the iPad, Dropbox, or search for Creative Commons-licensed photos within the app.
• The app automatically credits the photos and music at the end of the slideshow. 
• You can a voice-over on each slide and edit each slide individually. That means kids don't have to start from the beginning to fix one little voice-over mistake. :)
• You can create a voice-over on each slide, so different kids can voice different slides making it great for group projects. Everyone can be involved.
• You can easily share the final product by adding it to Dropbox, posting to Padlet, or uploading it to Seesaw.

Student Project Ideas:

• Personal Narrative Writing - Use the "Tell What Happened"  structure to get kids storytelling. The structure has 7 slides that walk students through their own story including: what happened, how it ended, and final thoughts. Students can add icons, pictures, or personal illustrations to each slide to help them tell their story.
• Creative Writing - Use "A Hero's Journey" structure to encourage creative writing. This structure reinforces the idea of plot and climax. It would be a great option for retelling a story and summarizing fiction.
• Class Books - Do a shared reading of a class book. Books on homophones, idioms, or poetry would be a great place to start.
• Book Recommendations - Students could snap a quick picture of a favorite book and talk for 10-12 seconds about why they enjoyed the book.
• Class Rules - This would be a great group project for the beginning of the year. Students could share the classroom rules and why they are important. 
• Show What You Know Presentation- Individuals or groups of students could do any type of show what you know activity: types of reading genres, animals adaptations, proper nouns, etc.
• Tips for Next Year - This would be a great end of the year activity. Students could share tips on how to be successful in your class.

Adobe Voice is also a fun teacher tool and a great way to introduce new concepts or assignments.

Here is an example of a quick video I made to introduce a fall descriptive writing assignment. It's still a work in progress, but I wanted to provide you with an example of the possibilities.  The cool thing about Adobe Voice is that you can constantly revise your story, so I can easily go back to add or delete photos or rerecord slides as needed.

Have you used Adobe Voice with your students? What have you found to be successful projects in your classroom?

Are you like me?  A beginner just starting to imagine the possibilities.  Do you think Adobe Voice would be a feasible app to incorporate into your classroom? I invite you to share your thoughts, comments, and questions below.

I'm excited to give Adobe Voice a whirl. I think the ability to easily create group and classroom projects with this app will make it easier to integrate into my daily classroom life.

Have you heard of Snapguide?

Have you heard of Snapguide?  It may just be my new favorite app! And the best part is... it's FREE!

It's like Pinterest, BUT...instead of looking at the picture and thinking "how the heck did they do that?"- it is a step by step picture/video guide of how to.  You can peruse the guides on your phone, tablet, or computer.  And it is super easy to set up an account and get started.

My school is a bit behind. We just got iPads for the classroom during the last month of school.  I'm now proud to report that I have 3 iPads for students use in my room. Before the school year ended, I wanted to play around with some of the apps I downloaded and get my feet wet.  Snapguide was one of the first ones I tried and I loved it!!

My class was studying life cycles, specifically we were reviewing the butterfly lifecycle.  By 4th grade this is a one day review because they already know it so well. (Thank goodness!!) I went to my Pinterest science board for inspiration and found this adorable pin from the wonderful Mrs. Lemons of Step into 2nd Grade. Thanks Amy!

It was the perfect project to reinforce the butterfly life cycle, review vocabulary, and try out Snapguide. 


I used Amy's model to create my own one sunny afternoon.  After I completed each step, I quickly snapped a picture with my iPad and then created my first ever Snapguide. Check it out below...

Check out How to Make a Model of a Butterfly Life Cycle by Amanda K on Snapguide.

Here are some examples from my class.

 

 

Snapguide was simple and very user friendly.  Just select a picture to add to your guide, then add a caption. Keeping building and adding to your guide until you are done.

I will warn you that it does not save projects as you go.  You need to complete the whole thing in one sitting and publish or your work will be lost.  

I'm constantly amazed at all the great apps out there for free, but this is one of my favorites.  It's like Pinterest and YouTube all rolled into one.  I love it!  Check out Snapguide.com to view other guides. It's a very cool app/website and I can't wait to use it more in my classroom.

So far, I have already used it to provide my class with visual and written directions for a project.  I'm also thinking this would be a great way for students to publish any How-To piece they write.  What other ideas do you have?  How would you use this app in your classroom?

Happy guide surfing!!

Best Free App to Boost Your Productivity

Hi everyone! I'm Corrina from Mrs. Allen's 5th Grade Files, and I'm thrilled to be Amanda's guest today. Last year I discovered this fantastic resource, and I'm so excited to have an opportunity to share it with you!

I'm sure many of you sometimes have the same trouble  I do - you're trying to accomplish something (at school or at home) and you're finding it extremely difficult to stay focused and actually finish what you're working on!  Perhaps one of these scenarios sounds familiar.......

• You have a giant stack of essays to grade during your planning period but you can hear every word of the lesson your colleague is teaching next door.
• You're at home trying to finish up lessons plans but your darling family is raising a ruckus.
• You are on the computer attempting to compose a terrific blog post but are constantly stopping to check your e-mail, text a friend, glance at the tv, look for something to eat - anything BUT what you really want to get done.
• It's one o'clock in the morning and you desperately need to get to sleep but in the words of my favorite cartoon pig, Olivia, "tomorrow is chasing today through my head.."

Every single one of those situations happens to me on a regular basis, but I finally found a way to give my focus, productivity (and even sleep) a boost: a Free App called Relax Melodies - available on iPhone, iPad, or Android.

Simply download it for free, put on your headphones, and create your own custom mix from 44 different sounds. (Each has it's own volume control, too!)  There are soothing Nature Sounds (Birds, Ocean Waves, Frogs, Night, etc....),  beautiful Musical Sounds (Flute, Medieval, Zen, Wind Chimes, etc....), tons of Weather Sounds (Thunder, Winds, Storm, Icy Snow, Rainstorm, etc...), and a myriad of Ambient Sounds (Whitenoise, Grandfather Clock, Cat Purring, Vacuum, Monk Chanting, etc....).

 (My personal favorite is Night, Rainstorm, Zen...with a touch of Thunder.)

Then select one of the Binaural Beats settings. If you need to improve your attention, pick "Concentration". If you want to fall asleep, then select the "Relaxation" mode. According to the App developers, binaural beats are produced using a beating tone between ears. (That's why you need the headphones.)

I'll be completely honest and tell you that I was really skeptical at first. (It just sounded a little too much like New Age crystals.) But I gave it a try - and even if I credit the placebo effect - it really did work for me!  (As I am typing this, my husband and our two little girls are stomping around upstairs playing a rowdy game of Dinosaur vs. Princesses.  Is it distracting me?  Not a bit.)

You could also use the Relax Melodies App to create some calming background sounds in your classroom while students are working. Or...if you're one of the lucky schools that has iPads available, you could have students give it a try when they need to calm down or block out the sounds around them in order to stay on task.

If you do try it, I'd love to hear how it worked for you.  And thanks again to Amanda for letting me share this resource with you today!







Corrina Allen lives in Central New York with her husband and their two young daughters. She taught 6^th grade in a middle school for seven years and is excited to be taking on 5^th grade this year. She is the creator of the blog, Mrs. Allen's 5th Grade Files, where she shares teaching strategies, free resources, and reflections on her classroom experiences.