Tutorial on how to create a virtual green screen project

I created this tutorial using SnapGuide:
http://snapguide.com/guides/create-a-virtual-green-screen-project

Show what they Know

In iCafe this week we talked about using iPads to allow students to demonstrate their understanding. Two great quotes come to mind when thinking about this topic "You don't really understand something unless you can explain it to your Grandmother." Albert Einstein and "If students are sharing their work with the world, they want it to be good. If they are just sharing it with [the teacher], they want it to be good enough." Rushton Hurley

Letting students create on an iPad is such a simple and effective way of finding out what they know and understand after a unit of work. Just some ways to do this are having students:

Create games using TinyTap, Keynote, Stick Around
Make digital stories using BookCreator, Keynote, Animoto, Haiku Deck, LittleStoryMaker, SonicPics
Create screen casting lessons using Educreations, Explain Everything, ShowMe
Make movies using just the video camera, iMovie, greenscreen, virtual greenscreen
Create tutorials using iMovie, SnapGuide

Other apps that can be used to show understanding include a Tellagami, PicCollage, PhotoCard, StopMotion, Skitch.

It doesn't always need to be the teacher deciding what students should create to display their understanding. Leave it up to them to decide and then share their creation with the world through blogs, websites, YouTube, in app sharing etc.

Follow by Email

For those wondering how to follow by email I have attached a photo of where to find the button.

Using Book Creator to Demonstrate Learning

iPads are excellent devices for students to demonstrate their learning on. There are so many 'power' apps that you, or students, can choose from to use in this way. To demonstrate what they know about a topic students could create a movie, a presentation, a poster, a book, a comic strip, a game and more. If you are unsure of students' abilities you might like to tell them which app you want them to use and work your way through a collection. The idea is to get yo a point where you can ask students to 'show you what they have learned' using the iPads.

One way that works for so many concepts and so many learning areas is having students create a riddle book. The link below is to a very simple book I created about planets of our solar system. The great thing about such a resource is that others students can use it to test their knowledge.

Our Solar System

Digital Storytelling

One digital storytelling tool that I don't think I have talked about enough is Animoto. It is an online and mobile video creation service that makes it easy and fun for students to create and share amazing videos using their own images, words and music. You can sign up and create dynamic presentations for free or there are a couple of paid options with more options. As always, I use the free version.

After choosing a theme (this will determine the look and feel of the video), simply upload images and to the video editor. Next, you personalise your movie with text and music— Once you’re satisfied with the layout, click the produce button to be amazed.

Animoto can be integrated across the curriculum so it is the perfect digital storytelling tool for the classroom. For example, biographies, field trips, book report projects, movie trailers and more can all be created quickly and easily. A great feature is the ability to sign up for a teacher account and add up to 50 students. This way you get Plus for free for 6 months and the ability to save the finished product to the camera roll. Or you can just share the link on your class blog.

What a great way to inspire creativity in your students by giving them the opportunity to showcase their knowledge in a fun, innovative and educational way!

I created a quick video to give you an idea. This one is very basic and took my 2 minutes to create.

Digital Creations by KPS Students

Kim's Random Thought for the Day

There is no question that, in education, there is huge emphasis on stardardised testing and data collection. If the only reason you are using the iPad in your classroom is to improve test scores not only are you not using the iPad to its full potential but you are probably not going to see a huge improvement. We all know you cannot find out everything you need to know about students through 'tests'. We also know that the best way for a student to fully understand a concept is to teach someone else. If you are already a great maths teacher, using the iPad so students can practise the skills is not really going to help them, or you. Using the iPad for a student to demonstrate their thinking or create resources to teach others will allow for learning and assessment at the same time. Improving the, in part, surface learning that is needed to complete a written test is not using the iPad for its potential. You only have to glance at the Australian Curriculum to see the broad and deep knowledge embedded into the learning areas, general capabilities and cross curricular priorities. This is where the potential of the iPad comes into its own.

Virtual Green Screen

Some of us have been having a great time with green screens at KPS recently, using the app Green Screen by Do Ink. We purchased a kingsize green sheet and hung it on a wall. Students had a fantastic time using the green screen to add an authentic background to their research project presentations. They were able to transport themselves anywhere they wanted to add effects to their presentation. While it took me a few attempts to work out the app, the students, as usual, amazed me with their skills.

What is really exciting is the discovery we made today. It was actually another teacher at the school, Krystal, who thought of it first. She asked if she typed text on a green background could she then use the app to put a video behind the writing. After some discussion we decided there was no reason why it wouldn't work and, if it did, it would open up so many possibilities.

We went home and Krystal tried the text option and I was keen to see if the same concept would work in PuppetPals. I'm pleased to say both ideas worked. We both used Keynote to create our 'virtual green screen' on because, by inserting a shape on the page and turning it green, we could then turn the page into an image with a simple screenshot.

There are so many possibilities. I'm excited!

The Power of Using Book Creator with EALD Learners

Book Creator in an amazing app that has very few limitations when you start getting creative and thinking outside the box.

Here are just a few ideas of ways Book Creator can support you to support EALD learners in your classroom. These ideas can also be used for lower ability students.

Create ‘talking’ books in Book Creator that EALD students could use to reinforce learning while other students are working on more difficult tasks. Include word, picture and audio where possible. These books can be sent to iBooks so that they are safe from accidental editing. Some ideas for the types of books that might be helpful are:

Books that focus on classroom vocabulary-

Books with photos of other students – showing class seating plan.

Books that reinforce maths concepts with pictures of manipulatives, money, clocks etc.

Books that focus on the text types you are exploring in your classroom.

Alphabet books as you teach letters and sounds – these could be added to each time you cover a sound with this student.

If you want the book to be more interactive you can start to add some questions and answers with interactive links so that students receive immediate feedback.

You can have the student read the book in Book Creator and create matching activities where students need to match words to pictures.

When students are ready to begin ‘creating’ for themselves they could draw pictures to display their understanding, they could illustrate sentences in a book you have already created, they could type the text to match a photo with a spoken sentence. They could record themselves reading a sentence that has been written on each page. They could create an entire book working alone or with another student.

There are so many other ways Book Creator can be used with EALD learners - hopefully these few will start you off.