Strip Design for Storytelling

I have been using Strip Design with the children at Whangarei Primary both on iPod touches and iPads.  This has proved a very successful tool for sharing digital photos.  The junior children have explored this app by taking their own photos around the school, adding them to strip design and writing small captions with some of the photos.  The senior children are flying as they add frames, text, colour and different effects to personalise their story.  Endless opportunties for creativity in their storytelling.  Here are a few step by step guides to using Strip Design...

Step 1 - Choose your style

Step 2 - Choose your template and number of photos you wish to add

Step 3 - Click on add your photos

Step 4 - Choose photos from photo album, facebook etc or use the camera to take as you go 

Step 5 - Have a play with your photos - add frames etc

An example of adding, changing style and colour of frame

Step 6 - Once you have your frames sorted you are able to choose text etc for title and words

An example of adding title - simply double click on words to change them - easy as:-) 

Step 7 - When done click Share

From here to can email or save to Photo Album

You are also able to open as PDF and if you scroll down... share via facebook/flickr and twitter

My very basic finished product!  Thanks to my Oxfam Adventure Angels team for sharing photos:-)

Geared

Geared is a puzzle game where players need to connect cogs together to have the gears turn.  Each level has a turning cog, and and end point with pieces that need to be added so all the cogs turn.  The levels progress as you go.

StoryPatch - create your own stories

Story Patch is an app for story writing,  providing an additional tool for encouraging young children to write.  This app is designed so that it can easily be used by young or older children.  Young children can choose a theme which provides a background of images for the story and the child types in their text.  Older, experienced authors can use the built in clip-art to add images to their words - there are over 800 illustrations available to choose from OR your own photos can be added to provide the background.  Character expressions can be changes to fit in with the story.  Text can be added to each page.   It is easy to add new pages, images and text. Once finished, the book can then be saved and emailed as as a pdf for online reading.

QR Reader

I have been doing some work with QR Codes and have tried out many different apps to find a reader that works well and can also create codes as well.

I have found QR Reader to be an effective app because it scans and reads codes quickly, can read in many different types of light and angles and keeps a history of the codes that have been read.  As well as a reader, QR Reader is also a code creator as well enabling users to create text, web, contact code, sms or geo location codes.  Once created, the QR Codes can be shared using email, twitter facebook and more.

Sock Puppets

Sock Puppets is free App with an option of purchasing further additions.  The free version allows 30 secs of recording time which (so far) I have found ample time for what I have done with children.   Check out the description from the App Store.  I have had lots of fun with this app with the children at Whangarei Primary School and with my children.  Explore and see what you can create:-)

If you decide you would like to extend your recording time, import backgrounds and add further puppets, simply click on the STORE to see new content.

Sock Puppets lets you create your own lip-synched videos and share them on Facebook and YouTube.

Add Puppets, props, scenery, and backgrounds and start creating. Hit the record button and the puppets automatically lip-synch to your voice.

Friends can work together with multiple puppets and create hilarious conversations. While recording simply tap a puppet and that puppet will lip-synch, tap a different puppet and switch auto lip-synching to it. Switch backgrounds to take your puppets to different places, move the puppets, props and scenery to animate them while recording. Cartoon and photo realistic puppets are included.

Simply press the 'square' to start and stop recording - click on each individual sock puppet throughout to start recording it's voice - you can also move puppets as you are recording by dragging...

When you stop recording Sock Puppets automatically "scrub up your voice" ready for playback.

You then have the option to save or share.

Simply add a title and click OK.

Or choose where you would like to share it.

Engaging Writers with Comic Strip

Designed for both iPad/ iPod touch and iPhone, I really like how easy Comic Strip is to use. Very similar to 'Comic Life' but less cluttered. Really easy to create, quickly upload photos from your camera roll OR take photos as you go. Ability to add text bubbles to each photo. Able to save as a JPEG image or share instantly on Facebook or Twitter. I can imagine children creating their stories 'on the go' and being able to save their JPEG image straight to their ePortfolio via iPod touch or iPad.

Simply click on the plus to add a photo or take a photo.

Click on the small arrow to change template and add captions.

Finished product ready to save or share:-)

Click on the small arrow again to save, publish or share.

Keynote Remote

Keynote Remote is an app that works as a remote from your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad (although an iPad is a bit awkard to use as a remote during a presentation!).  From this app, you have control of your presentation and can advance, reverse or preview slides.  You can also view your slide notes, if you need to quickly view these.  It is a pretty handy remote control and saves you manually advancing slides as you present.


I did have some inconsistency with the wireless connection not always working in the first version of this app but later versions have fixed this.  As long as I have wi-fi access when presenting, I use Keynote Remote.

Keynote

I  facilitate a number of presentations, both conference presentation and workshops, and I use Keynote to develop my slides.  So, I was keen when Keynote became available on the app store.  Keynote enables users preapre, edit and share presentations on the iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. While I generally always prepare my presentations on my Mac, the Keynote app does give me flexibility when travelling if I choose to take one of my smaller devices.

Presentations can be uploaded to Keynote on any of your iDevice through iTunes.  Sync your device, select Apps, scroll down to the list of Apps, then select Keynote and Add.  You can then upload your presentation.

Guitar Tuner

EasyTune makes tuning guitars easy, automatically detects the string being tuned.  Children are easily able to tune guitars themselves.  A great app for the classroom or for the home musician.

Welly Walks

The Welly Walks app is a great guide to walks around Wellington.  The app provides information on Wellington including the 'must sees' to visit, what is on while you are in town and links to emergency services and public transport.

It also provides detailed walking guides around Wellington, noting points of interest and things to do, maps and walking time.  A must for the next time you are in Wellington on a fine day!

A fun app

My family and I have had some fun with this app from over the holidays. My two boys are Star Wars mad and have enjoyed playing with light sabre which works on both the iPhone and iPod Touch.  The sound effects are great and they have been able to 'battle' each other through peer-to-peer bluetooth connectivity.  Check it out at the App Store

Welcome

Hi

Welcome to our blog where we will be sharing apps that we use or have trialled.  We both love using our iPhones and constantly seek out new ways in which we can use them and thought we would share our journey with you.

Tania and Tara