Media and mobile technologies

This week we are going to think about how the use of mobile technologies can contribute to teaching and learning. We’re lucky to have a set of iPad3s to play with and we’ll focus on using these to get out and about with technology and capture learning that goes on beyond the computer suite.

We have a selection of paid-for and free apps on our iPads and if you’ve never used one before you’ll want to spend part of the session exploring these. But we also want to look at using the iPad in an open-ended way as a creative learning tool. Have a look at these sets of slides and blogpost ‘There is more to ipads in the classroom than apps’ on the Langwitches blog by Silvia Tolisano.

One way of using technology outside the classroom is through QR codes. These are quick scannable images, like bar codes, which take you to a digital destination such as a written or spoken message, a document or a website when you hold a webcam, phone, iPad or iPod camera up to them.

                  

They can save time and paper and also be fun!  We’ll look at using an app called Scan by QR Code City. Here are some instructions for using it.  Imagine how engaging it would be for your pupils to have the code for book trailers they made in iMovie inserted into library books, to go on a treasure hunt looking for coded clues, or to have a talking display of work in the classroom.

Another must-have creative app is iMovie for making short films, and we’ll be exploring how you can shoot, edit and share video without leaving the iPad. iMovie comes with 12 ready-made story templates for making trailers, a process which has been made really easy in the latest update. Here’s how. Another nice feature is that recordings from other apps such as PuppetPals, Furry Friend, Talking Ben, Morpho Booth and Videoscribe saved to your photolibrary appear automatically in iMovie for you to drag into films.  I have been bowled over today by VideoScribe. Can you believe it only took five minutes to make this movie?

Lots of potential for storytelling and presenting ideas there, as I’m sure you’ll agree.

Alongside iMovie, we’ll look at the latest version of MovieMaker on the PC, another simple video editing tool, free to download.

Here’s a collection of links on the mobile technology theme. Have a browse and see what grabs you.

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