Voicethread

I was looking for a way to brainstorm ideas with children that didn't require them to write or type.  I have been exploring Voicethread and think that it has many possibilities for use in junior school classrooms.  
Prior to using Voicethread we created avatars. Then I uploaded these images onto my Voicethread account, so that when I recorded children their picture would appear.  

Voicethread for recording learning
Our first attempt at using Voicethread was to record what we had learnt about school life in the 1860's.  I used photographs from our "Old School Day" as prompts for ideas.  

Voicethread for Questioning

Yesterday the class used Voicethread for the second time.  

During writing time we used a short film clip called 'Bubbles', written by Gabby Zapata.  I e-mailed her to ask if we were able to embed her video into our blog and also if she would be happy to answer some questions that we had about her film.   From her blog we had already learnt that she was now working for Disney as an artist and animator.  We recorded our questions as a voicethread and e-mailed it to her.  We are looking forward to her reply.

Quicktime

Quicktime player is a great application to teach children how to use.  With the click on a few buttons they are able to record themselves reading a text during guided reading time, which you can then listen to and discuss with them later.  It is great for children who are working of fluency.
Click on 'Quicktime player', then 'audio recording'.  Click the record button to start and end recording. To save the recording, click on the red button at the top left of the recording.  This will prompt you to give your recording a name and then save it.

Keynote for Recording Voice

A really quick way to record a child's story is to use keynote. Insert artwork, click on 'File', then 'record slideshow'.  
After recording, export as a quicktime movie file.  It is very simple to use, which means that children pick it up very quickly and will be able to record independently within no time.

Avatars

There are lots of good sites for creating avatars.  The one I used was manga.  It was a simple website for junior children to navigate around.  Once you create an avatar you simple screen capture the image and upload it.

Soundcloud

Soundcloud is a audio recording tool.  It is fairly simple to use and the kids love that you can add their avatars along with their recording.

Interactive Whiteboard and photographs

Use the image capture button, in the 'tool kit' setting 
to select a particular part of an image.

Draw around the image and it will appear on your flip chart.

You can merge images or add a background to create new images.  A fantastic way to motivate children to write. 

Other examples;-

  

 

Activinspire course notes 

Photofunia

Photofunia is a quick way to jazz up photos.

 

iMovie

iMovie has hundreds of uses.  Here are a few examples of how it can be used in a junior classroom.

Speakpipe

Add speakpipe to your blog so that visitors can leave a voice message instead of a comment.  It is great for those people who are worried about spelling. Voice messages are sent to your e-mail address and do not appear on the blog.
Here is how to convert these files into quicktime movies and add them to your blog in order to be listened to again.
When a voice message comes to your e-mail, click on download once you have listened to it.  Drag the download into iMovie.  Add a title on the slide and adjust the timing of the slide so that the whole audio clip is played. Export as a quicktime movie.  You can then upload this onto your blog.
Click here to see some examples.

Quicktime Player

Quicktime player has endless possibilities......

Audio recording

• Children recording themselves during guided reading time
• Reading poetry
• Brainstorming
• News time
• Oral descriptions - What am I?
• Recording ideas before writing
• 
  

Movie recording

• Children become news readers
• Recording Mihi
• Recording speeches
• Sending messages via e-mail or uploading to blog

Screen recording

• Capturing thinking / learning via the IWB
• Making tutorials on how to use programmes

 I-Movie and iTune files can be changed into quicktime files that can be embedded into blogs.

For important events where a particular song is to be played, change iTune music into quicktime files and store them on your desktop. It will stop automatically and does not require you to stop it before another i-Tune begins.

Youblisher

Upload PDF documents into Youblisher to create free e-books that can be embedded into your website.

Picture Trail

Picture Trail is a great way to jazz up your photos

Tagxedo

This was created in Tagxedo.  Click on the hand above to create a word cloud.  

Note:  To change the words go to 'load' and cut and paste words into the box. "Screen capture" the image rather than saving.