During session one my partner and I experimented with the MORFO application which can be used as a presentation tool. To see the end result of this just click the link below…
We decided to choose the historical figure, Florence Nightingale, so that we could possibly use it in a History lesson as a resource. To produce this MORFO we found a picture of Florence online and then took a picture of her on the computer screen using the iPad. We then created a MORFO using her image and made sure her eye colour was accurate. We then went online to find a biography of her and we choose certain pieces of information that we found most relevant. My partner had control of the iPad and dealt with the recording procedure and facial expressions, while I spoke into the iPad as Florence Nightingale in first person narrative.
This idea could be used in the classroom by the teacher allowing the children to come up with a question that they would like to ask Florence Nightingale. The teacher will then record the response using the Florence Nightingale MORFO. This will then be used in the next lesson as a starter. The MORFO will be placed onto the interactive whiteboard, the children will be able to ask their question and the Florence MORFO will be able to answer it.
Another use for the MORFO inside the classroom would be to give a small group of children a certain topic and they will have to quickly research the topic based around Florence Nightingale and take the most important parts relating to the topic out to be able to record it using the Florence Nightingale MORFO. Each recorded MORFO will then be shown to the rest of the class and discussed further.
The advantage of using MORFO is that this resource is not constricted to just History. This application can be used in any subject to bring the lesson to life. It will help engage the children more effectively as they will enjoy looking and listening to the ‘real figure’ talk about their life or experiences. Using this in the second activity that I described would be beneficial to the children as they will have to read through the researched information more intensely in order to break it down and take what they believe are the most important and relevant parts of the text. This means that the amount of learning happening will increase by using this task.
However I believe that the only disadvantage to this application is the restricted amount of recording time. This means that during the task the children will have to be very careful with their choice of words to make sure that they do not over-run. This could be difficult for the children to deal with and may be difficult to include all the vital information that they thought was important to know. However, to over-come this I would highlight this issue to the class beforehand and maybe allow the children to produce a second recorded MORFO following on from their first.
Here is an example that I found on Youtube of a child’s end result in a similar activity, using Anne Frank as an Historical figure…