This story was made by a Grade 2 student during Indonesian language time. The characters were hand drawn and captured with a digital camera. The frog was made using Spore Creature Creator. The story was completed using Keynote with voice overs and animation. This is the level that Grade 2 children can get to given support and plenty of access to technology. We run a mobile lab of Macbooks for Grade 1-3 students at Sinarmas World Academy.
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
Digital Storytelling in Grade 2
The Grade 2 students have their end of year class party today. They will present their digital stories to their parents.
Each story was written by a student, then the characters were hand-drawn on paper, photographed, then saved as a gif. These pictures were then put into Keynote and each student made their story with 'move' animation and voice overs. Here is a finished example:
Each story was written by a student, then the characters were hand-drawn on paper, photographed, then saved as a gif. These pictures were then put into Keynote and each student made their story with 'move' animation and voice overs. Here is a finished example:
Monday, 7 June 2010
Press Reader for iPad
I came across this brilliant app for iPad called Pressreader
Pressreader is a fantastic app that allows you to download the print version of newspapers from all over the world. You can get current and back issues. Papers are in full colour and in HD. Double tap zooms on text making it easy to read. Drag your finger around the paper to view all parts of the page. The app is fast and responsive.
This is a FREE app. You get a full version trial for 7 days. After the trial is over you can subscribe to the service and enable the reader to download newspapers of your choice from all over the world. Currently there are over 1400 newspapers to choose from. The app includes a built in emailing option allowing you to email articles. It also has a voice reader that reads the articles to you with a very realistic voice that has intonation. It sounds quite human!! There is also a search feature that can be used to search for keywords in articles or headings.
Pressreader is a fantastic app that allows you to download the print version of newspapers from all over the world. You can get current and back issues. Papers are in full colour and in HD. Double tap zooms on text making it easy to read. Drag your finger around the paper to view all parts of the page. The app is fast and responsive.
This is a FREE app. You get a full version trial for 7 days. After the trial is over you can subscribe to the service and enable the reader to download newspapers of your choice from all over the world. Currently there are over 1400 newspapers to choose from. The app includes a built in emailing option allowing you to email articles. It also has a voice reader that reads the articles to you with a very realistic voice that has intonation. It sounds quite human!! There is also a search feature that can be used to search for keywords in articles or headings.
Thursday, 3 June 2010
My Top 10 iPad Apps for Kindergarten
I have been looking into what apps I will put on the image for iPads at the Jakarta World Academy. Here is a list of my Top 10 Apps:
1. Drawing Pad - drawing, stickers, stamps and more! The finished pictures can be saved on the iPad or emailed to parents.
2. Clicky Sticky - Make wonderful pictures with moving stickers and sound effects. It actually creates pictures but students could make their own live puppet shows (as the stickers move and make noise) and then email the finished picture to their parents.
3.My First Words (accepts Chinese characters) Make your own flash cards with voice over.
4. Elias Farms - tap to hear the sounds, swipe to move around the farm. (FREE)
5. Virtuoso Piano - play a double keyboard on your iPad - great sound!! (FREE)
6. Shape Builder - a puzzle app that includes sounds and animation (FREE version is great!)
7. Toy Story - a fantastic 3D digital book that includes animations, activities and games. Parents can even record themselves reading for their child to listen to over and over again. (FREE)
8. I Close My Eyes - a beautiful 3D digital story with voice, sound effects and animation. I have used this with classes as an introduction to digital storytelling.
9. iReading Stories Collection - English and Chinese. This wonderful collection of stories includes versions in English and in Chinese within the app. Children can tap on the pictures for extra sound effects. (FREE version includes one story)
10. Feed Me Mandarin Chinese - Feed the cute monster whatever he is asking for in Chinese. (FREE)
1. Drawing Pad - drawing, stickers, stamps and more! The finished pictures can be saved on the iPad or emailed to parents.
2. Clicky Sticky - Make wonderful pictures with moving stickers and sound effects. It actually creates pictures but students could make their own live puppet shows (as the stickers move and make noise) and then email the finished picture to their parents.
3.My First Words (accepts Chinese characters) Make your own flash cards with voice over.
4. Elias Farms - tap to hear the sounds, swipe to move around the farm. (FREE)
5. Virtuoso Piano - play a double keyboard on your iPad - great sound!! (FREE)
6. Shape Builder - a puzzle app that includes sounds and animation (FREE version is great!)
7. Toy Story - a fantastic 3D digital book that includes animations, activities and games. Parents can even record themselves reading for their child to listen to over and over again. (FREE)
8. I Close My Eyes - a beautiful 3D digital story with voice, sound effects and animation. I have used this with classes as an introduction to digital storytelling.
9. iReading Stories Collection - English and Chinese. This wonderful collection of stories includes versions in English and in Chinese within the app. Children can tap on the pictures for extra sound effects. (FREE version includes one story)
10. Feed Me Mandarin Chinese - Feed the cute monster whatever he is asking for in Chinese. (FREE)
Wednesday, 2 June 2010
First Words App
Today I tried out the First Words app for iPad. I am really excited about using it in our 1:1 iPad program at the new sister school of Sinarmas World Academy where I am currently the Tech Integrator.
What's so cool about First Words?
Flash cards have been long used by educators to introduce new vocabulary to students. The iPad with it's large colorful screen makes it all the more enticing.
My son is 4 years old and is currently in Pre Kindergarten. He is learning to speak English (his mother tongue is Indonesian) and as well as this he is learning Mandarin Chinese. This app allows the user to make custom cards. The free version even allows you to edit the pre existing cards to make your own voice over or change the picture entirely from any picture in your iPad photo library. My son John was so excited to be able to put photos of animals he like and record himself saying the name of each animal. We then tried working in Chinese and found that after you configure the International keyboard settings that you can type in Pinyin.
John also was able to include photos of his family and friends. He is so happy to use this app and hear his voice saying the name of each photo loudly and clearly.
This app is a must buy for early childhood educators and parents alike.
What's so cool about First Words?
Flash cards have been long used by educators to introduce new vocabulary to students. The iPad with it's large colorful screen makes it all the more enticing.
My son is 4 years old and is currently in Pre Kindergarten. He is learning to speak English (his mother tongue is Indonesian) and as well as this he is learning Mandarin Chinese. This app allows the user to make custom cards. The free version even allows you to edit the pre existing cards to make your own voice over or change the picture entirely from any picture in your iPad photo library. My son John was so excited to be able to put photos of animals he like and record himself saying the name of each animal. We then tried working in Chinese and found that after you configure the International keyboard settings that you can type in Pinyin.
John also was able to include photos of his family and friends. He is so happy to use this app and hear his voice saying the name of each photo loudly and clearly.
This app is a must buy for early childhood educators and parents alike.
Monday, 31 May 2010
IPad - my initial thoughts
Our plan at Jakarta World Academy and Sinarmas World Academy is to use iPads 1:1 with the students. I managed to get one on the weekend and have had a chance to test it out on my children. I have an 11 year old son, an 8 year old daughter and my youngest son is 4. All of my kids loved trying out my new iPad, but it was my 4 year old that took to it the most.
My plan is this:
* At JWA we will use iPads 1:1. Firstly I will image the iPads with Apps that connect with the current unit of learning. I will arrange for the wallpaper to be a photo of the student in uniform at school taken of that child engaged in some learning. We could also arrange to get Jakarta World Academy sleeves made to store the iPads in.
* I would identify apps that encourage creativity that connect with the learning. For example if the focus was on Sea Creatures, I would put Clicky Sticky on the image so that the students can make scenes and even act out stories using the different stickers. I would also include fish apps and virtual ocean apps.
* I would load songs that connect with those stories onto the iPod feature and make it into a Sea Creature playlist.
* Classroom activities can be filmed and loaded onto the iPad for viewing at home with the parents. Videos of teachers using flash cards for key vocabulary could also be included.
* Sets of Flashcards could also be loaded onto the iPad in the Image library as an event. Perhaps using the First Words app as it allows sound recordings to be made.
* I would make sure that there is a drawing app so that students can draw different sea creatures.
* Keynote app could be used to create student digital portfolios with scanned paper based work and photos of 3D work.
My plan is this:
* At JWA we will use iPads 1:1. Firstly I will image the iPads with Apps that connect with the current unit of learning. I will arrange for the wallpaper to be a photo of the student in uniform at school taken of that child engaged in some learning. We could also arrange to get Jakarta World Academy sleeves made to store the iPads in.
* I would identify apps that encourage creativity that connect with the learning. For example if the focus was on Sea Creatures, I would put Clicky Sticky on the image so that the students can make scenes and even act out stories using the different stickers. I would also include fish apps and virtual ocean apps.
* I would load songs that connect with those stories onto the iPod feature and make it into a Sea Creature playlist.
* Classroom activities can be filmed and loaded onto the iPad for viewing at home with the parents. Videos of teachers using flash cards for key vocabulary could also be included.
* Sets of Flashcards could also be loaded onto the iPad in the Image library as an event. Perhaps using the First Words app as it allows sound recordings to be made.
* I would make sure that there is a drawing app so that students can draw different sea creatures.
* Keynote app could be used to create student digital portfolios with scanned paper based work and photos of 3D work.
iPad - a first look and trial with Pre K Student
On the weekend I got an iPad and tried it out with my youngest son who is four. This has confirmed for me that this tool is totally suited to this age group.
Tuesday, 4 May 2010
JWA - Jakarta World Academy
iPads at JWA
With the opening of SWA two years ago, it has quickly become a leading school in the use of IT in education. It is the first Laptop program school in Indonesia and has set a standard for 21st century learning that leading schools such as JIS are now getting ready to follow.
But it can be difficult to imagine what that can look like in classrooms for 2-6 year olds. Recent developments in technology in the last few year have greatly changed what is possible – and brought new and highly exciting learning possibilities for even our youngest children.
Years ago IT in kindergarten classes meant electronic matching games, or an animated story book but today young children get to create pictures and video themselves to create their own stories.
Adding to the possibilities of having interactive whiteboards and class sets of computers, the iPod, over the past year, has quietly revolutionized the way we use technology in the early years. Young children have short attention spans, but it is amazing to see how focused they are interacting with iPods. But the true power ahead is with the iPad. At JWA, students will
be encouraged to have their own iPad so that class ebooks, videos, songs and educational
applications can be loaded onto student iPads and refreshed each month with the digital resources for each new classroom learning focus. This will keep the learning going on at home and in the car, and can be shared with mom and dad. Watch out for more iPad news
in coming editions of ‘Dragon Tales’.
Read more about JWA here:
Dragon Tales-May 3
With the opening of SWA two years ago, it has quickly become a leading school in the use of IT in education. It is the first Laptop program school in Indonesia and has set a standard for 21st century learning that leading schools such as JIS are now getting ready to follow.
But it can be difficult to imagine what that can look like in classrooms for 2-6 year olds. Recent developments in technology in the last few year have greatly changed what is possible – and brought new and highly exciting learning possibilities for even our youngest children.
Years ago IT in kindergarten classes meant electronic matching games, or an animated story book but today young children get to create pictures and video themselves to create their own stories.
Adding to the possibilities of having interactive whiteboards and class sets of computers, the iPod, over the past year, has quietly revolutionized the way we use technology in the early years. Young children have short attention spans, but it is amazing to see how focused they are interacting with iPods. But the true power ahead is with the iPad. At JWA, students will
be encouraged to have their own iPad so that class ebooks, videos, songs and educational
applications can be loaded onto student iPads and refreshed each month with the digital resources for each new classroom learning focus. This will keep the learning going on at home and in the car, and can be shared with mom and dad. Watch out for more iPad news
in coming editions of ‘Dragon Tales’.
Read more about JWA here:
Dragon Tales-May 3
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
IQ Bar aka Genius Bar at SWA
This morning I had the honor of being the guest speaker at the K12 Online Echo. I had previously published my 'Living History - Authentic Learning Empowered By Digital Technology' presentation last December via the K12 Online Conference
This morning my video was live streamed and then I was asked a series of questions by those people who joined the chat via Skype. One of the many questions asked was about the technology set up at my school. I mentioned that we have a Genius Bar modeled after the ones that can be found in Apple Stores around the world. This school-based concept was developed by my CEO John McBryde.
The IQ Bar concept is the same as the Apple Genius Bar model with the only difference is that this facility in located in the school. There is always an IT technician available at the desk and students, teachers or parents are able to drop in for assistance with their technology needs. As well as this, teachers can iChat across the school campus and request assistance remotely. I have had student laptops fixed remotely by chatting and explaining the problem. The assistance is made possible by using Apple Remote Desktop.
Sinarmas World Academy IQ Bar
Classroom Behaviors in Chinese Intermediate Lessons
We had some fun in Chinese lessons today using Skitch and the laptop webcams. Skitch is a great little app that allows the user to take photos and mark them up with hand written notes. Take a look
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