Rollworld

rwRollWorld is an iphone / ipad app that allows you to create ‘Tiny planet’ or stereographic images from photos and videos.

2015-03-09 13.59.36When the app opens you can choose whether to use an existing photo or video from your camera roll or to take a photo.

IMG_0366

When you choose a photo it opens like this – with the sliders to the right on the default settings.

2015-03-09 14.00.17When you click on the i at the bottom of the slider menu you can see an explanation the effect that each slider has. You can also use crossed arrows to get a series of random effects – this is a good way to explore the effects the first time you use the app.

When you click on the arrow in the top right you choose an image to share or save. You can crop the image, save it to photos, email it or share it through social media.

IMG_0367

This is an outline of the basics. There is lots more that this app can do – if you have any interesting results add them to the comments below.

Explain Everything

Explain Everything

Explain Everything is an app (IOS, Android and Windows)

Cost – £2.29 in the Apple appstore.

You can read about it at this link Explain Everything

It is a very flexible presentation tool allowing you to:

  • import and insert documents, pictures and video
  • draw and annotate
  • move and animate
  • zoom and pan
  • record and play
  • export and share

There are some useful video tutorials available at the link above and some help pages within the app.

So far I have used Explain Everything in three different ways.

I have made a presentation that consists of a sequence of slides that I have added spoken commentary to. This was to introduce an assignment to students and remind them of where the supporting resources are. It was useful to be able to record the commentary with each slide and it was very easy to stop and rerecord small sections without having to record the whole thing in one go.

It can be seen here:

http://youtu.be/01rkBYdUHNQ

I have also narrated a short guide for students showing them how to get from the opening page of a NILE module to their discussion board and then how to access and use the discussion board. It was so useful to be able to click on the sequence links and show students where to click and what to expect live in the website.

It can be seen here:

Finally I have used it construct two page by page views of collaborative sketchbooks that I have been working on this year. I was able to add the sequence of photos, add annotations and export the presentation to YouTube, Dropbox, imovie and ibooks and email it to myself. I would like to have added music but couldn’t quite work out how to do this.

One of these can be seen here:

I think this app has got a huge amount of potential for use with and by students and I am looking forward to exploring it further.

Padlet

Link –  Padlet

Padlet allows you to set up a space or ‘wall’ that you and others can add text, pictures and links to immediately. You can see these pop up on the screen and you can share or download the contents of the Padlet wall.

Website – free to use

Helppadlet help

Account – set up using your email address, with Facebook or with your google account

padlet lableHow to create a wall

Click the ‘create new padlet’ label or the + on padlet instthe right hand list.

This will create your new padlet wall.

You can then give your wall a title and description using the daisy wheel symbol at the bottom of the list on the right.

When you click on this symbol you have other options too.

You can add an image and a background (wallpaper) to the wall and choose whether the layout will be free form, a stream or a grid.

padlet instrYou can copy the wall if you want to use the same wall with different groups of people.

You can make the wall private, password protected or public depending on your requirements.

share                                           When you click on the arrow symbol this gives you various options to share the padlet wall so that others can add to it.

As you can see you can email the link or share it using social media.

 

 

 

Why use a Padlet wall?

You can use this tool to ask pupils or students in a class or people in an audience to contribute comments, ideas, recommendations in the form of text, pictures and links. It can be useful to collect views after an event or experience. When the wall is complete you can download it as a PDF.

At this link you can see a Padlet wall used as a record of an event – TMNorthants 2014

At this link you can see how teachers have added questions ans challenges to a maths starter:

Minion Alphabet Maths

At this link you can see at Padlet wall created in the Literacy Shed with children’s book recommendations:

Picture Book recommendations

and here is a Padlet that the FDLT Y2 MK group contributed to in a session:

FDLT Y2 MK

Your ideas:

If you use Padlet walls please share links and ideas in the comments section.

 

 

 

 

Pinterest

Pin3Pinterest

Cost – free

Available on computer, tablet and phone and as website and app

WebsitePinterest

Help and information available here – All about Pinterest

Account – with your email address or sign in using Facebook.

pin4Pins

Pinterest describes pins as visual bookmarks – images that you collect and save or ‘pin’ to boards. You can browse and search the pins of other Pinterest users and pin them to your boards. Images might be your own photos and those taken by others, images collected from the internet and other sources. When you choose a pin and add it you have to name or label it and it is important to note the source of the image so that you can acknowledge the person who originally made it, unless you made or took it yourself.

Pin3Boards

You can collect your pins onto boards that you create, title and share, keep secret or use as a group. Have a look at the help pages above to explore how to create secret and shared boards.

Boards are the way you group your pins around themes related to an idea, interest, event or subject. You can follow the boards of other users that interest you.

Following

You can choose to follow other Pinterest users who pin on themes of interest to you and other users can follow you. You can also follow specific boards made by other users.

Pinterest for learning and teaching

Pinterest can support learning and teaching in a variety of ways both in the classroom and as part of your preparation for support or teaching.

In the classroom

You can collect images around a theme to support learning in a subject or lesson. When starting a unit of work on portraits in art or history you might collect some examples that you want to use in your teaching. You can label these with questions, information or suggestions.

You can pin photos of learning outcomes from a group of pupils or students and these can be shared with the pupils or students and their parents or other interested people – other teaching assistants and teachers.

To support your own role

Pinterest is a great tool for research. There are many teaching resources and ideas already pinned there that can give you ideas or spark off your own ideas for supporting learning. You can search using keywords and phrases to find these and then either follow the boards or users you find or collect the pins you choose onto a board of your own.

You can read a guide by edudemic here – The Teacher’s Guide to Pinterest

Some links to Pinterest users:

Jean Edwards – Jean’s Pinterest boards

Helen Caldwell – Helen’s Pinterest boards

Tate Gallery – Tate Gallery

Teaching Ideas – Teaching Ideas

If you are on Pinterest do add your name and link to the comments below so we can enjoy and learn from your boards.

 

 

 

ThingLink

ThingLink

website here and app – free (also ThingLink Teacher)

Account – register using your email address

ThingLink is a way of creating and sharing interactive images. You can create an account and log in or log in with Facebook.

How to make a ThingLink.

1. Collect or take some images and then upload them on the ThingLink website or app.

TL1These might be around a theme that you are teaching; say something about you or be based around an event you are organising or have taken part in. It could be one image, or you could use Pic Collage or Moldiv to make an image with several pictures.

2. When you have made the image you can then attach tags.

TL3These can be placed anywhere on the image – somewhere specific or at random depending on your aim for the use of the ThingLink. The tag pattern and colour can be changed by clicking on the tag shape in the box on the left.

Copy and past a link into the bar at the top of the box on the left. Add some text. You might do both of these or just add text. You can attach as many tags as you wish.

3. Save your ThingLink.

TL6You can then share it with other people using the link you are given and using social media such as Twitter and Facebook.

This example is just a quick one to show how a ThingLink can be made – #DrawingAugust

What can I do with ThingLink?

I made a ThingLink to share links about the First World War with some groups of students so that they could research aspects of it using links I had had chosen. With children this could be a way of focusing them on some links you know will be useful to their classroom learning or homework. You can explore this example below.

1914-18

I also made a ThingLink using photos of some field visits made with students. This ThingLink incorporated within in it links to research about outdoor learning that tutors wanted to share with the groups. With children this approach could be used to set challenges or investigations after a visit or event, or share supporting information with parents.

Outdoor Learning

This ThingLink contains links related to handwriting. This is another example of using it to share a range of sources of information – it could be useful to help staff prepare for a training session or explain issues to parents / governors.

HandwritingTL7

 

I came across ThingLinks on Sway Grantham’s blog. She uses a ThingLink to introduce herself – you can see it here

I think there could be some scope for using ThingLink to attach questions, prompts and suggestions for children. Adding a range of comprehension questions to a page from a book perhaps. If you have any useful or interesting ideas please add them using the comments section.