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Marius the Giraffe - A Tragic Story!

February 9, 2014, 2:13 pm
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I was shocked and appalled this week to read about poor Marius, the 2 year old Giraffe, who has been put down at Copenhagen Zoo.

For some links about the story -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26098935
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/giraffe-marius-killed-healthy-animal-3129390
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/528/607/193/save-marius-the-giraffe-from-the-bolt-gun-now/
http://www.fromestandard.co.uk/British-Irish-Association-Zoos-releases-statement/story-20598267-detail/story.html

I have had first hand experience of how powerful the internet can be to share children's writing and when linked to a real issue the impact can be incredible. Read all about the work my class did based around the film Blackfish - Click here.

This is another issue where I feel, given the information, children can produce some thought provoking and passionate writing about a real issue.

Granted, it won't save poor Marius, who has now met his untimely death, but some of the children's writing may make other Zoos reconsider in the future.

With it being internet safety day this week, I think this could be something that shows how far and wide a project like this can spread. This is what I would encourage you to do:
  • Share the story with your class, ask them how they feel about it? Is it right/wrong? 
  • Ask them to list some for/against reasons.
  • Share some tweets by searching #marius or Copenhagen Zoo. Use tweets as quotes in their writing.
  • Explain to the children how blogging can share children's work with a worldwide audience. 
  • Suggest that children should write a blog post about their thoughts on this issue, this could be as a persuasive text, discussion, letter to Copenhagen Zoo.
  • Publish it on your blog and paste a link below, if you don't blog - take a photo and link it as a tweet:

If you need a book to link with this issue try 'Zoo," by Anthony Browne, also have a look at the app Pocket Zoo - see a post about the app here.

I will try and tweet as many people to comment and share all the writing produced on this topic. I am hoping a class maybe able to contact and Skype with a Zoo to discuss this issue.





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Using Disney Films for Geography!

February 12, 2014, 1:54 pm
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Last week I came across a tweet sharing this picture:


I thought it would be a brilliant way for children to learn about the location of different countries around the world. 

Before we looked at the map, I asked the class to list as many animated Disney films (excluding Pixar) as they could think of. We shared some of our ideas and discussed the origins of some of these stories. Some were books, others fairy tales, legends or folk tales. 

This gave us a link with Literacy to discuss different types of stories, how most films are derived from written texts and also looking at some famous authors.
We also talked about whether they could remember where in the world the film was set. 

I then shared the map with the children and gave them time to look and see whether they knew any of the countries themselves. They had to make estimated guesses as to where they thought each film was set.


After they had had a go at trying the name all the countries, they then were able to choose from a few iPad apps such as globe or google maps to locate the exact location of each film. As a differentiation tool - some found countries; others states or towns.



It gave the children a nice way to link some of their favourite films and deepen their understanding of names and locations of countries around the world! A lovely little lesson!





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Story telling through the iTunes Charts!

February 26, 2014, 3:16 pm
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Have you ever thought about why social media sites such as twitter are so popular and enjoyable? Why one of the quickest growing social media site is based on videos no longer than 6 seconds? One reason is because of the constraints they enforce. These constraints challenge us daily to be creative, experiment and play with language with amazing results. Most tweachers, without realising it, are constantly playing with words, phrases and sentences when constructing their tweets. One hundred and forty characters is sometimes not enough but that is the beauty of twitter, get your message across with that constraint. Sometimes I ask my children to do the same - sum up a book, evaluate a lesson/learning, tell me about your weekend in no more than 140 characters. It doesn't seem like much, but is a challenge that encourages children to think about language.

Sometimes less is more - take the wonderful 100 word challenge website. It is a perfect length to showcase writing but again provides a constraint in that children have to be concise, choose words effectively and with purpose.

Some of the most creative web videos I have seen recently have come from Vine. A website/app that only allows people to create videos that are 6 seconds in length. On paper sounds ridiculous, how would that be popular? entertaining? Yet this constraint has produced some of the most creative videos I have seen lately. Click for some examples. Again there is no reason why this can't be set as a task with children - create a 6 second video to sum up a book, poem, lesson!

I am always trying to challenge children with their writing by adding constraints. It challenges them, engages them but most of all gets them playing, experimenting and discussing words and language. My favourite resource for this is Alan Peat's book - 50 ways to retell a Story. This book provides 50 different and challenging ways to tell a story, most by adding a constraint.

Today, I tried a new type of constraint which really challenged the children but also got them excited about their writing. I came across this picture a while ago on facebook which sparked this idea:


 
After investigating further, I came across this story and shared it with the class, I told them there was a secret theme running through the story, they had to be detectives and try and work out the hidden secret - http://www.visitnairn.com/classictale.html.
The challenge for the children was to then retell a familiar story by using vocabulary from a hidden theme, they could use chocolate bars, confectionary, shop names, famous people's surnames or the most popular choice song titles. To help generate ideas, they used the iTunes chart of music singles. 
 
From this, they had to sneakily drop as many songs in their story, making sure it makes sense and still retells the familiar story. It was a real challenge for some, however it had the whole class talking and playing with language and that was the aim. The challenge inspired some; others loved the humour it generated. While not all finished stories were perfect, I enjoyed walking round and listening to some of the children's discussion around their story. Here is one example, see how many popular songs they managed to sneakily drop in:

Red Riding Hood 
First of all,my mum had to WAKE ME UP for me to go to Grandma’s house. I set off riding my DARK HORSE ,I felt like a MILLION POUND GIRL: the sun was shining , birds are tweeting , EVERYTHING IS AWESOME! I saw the ROYAL’S palace and I could hear TRUMPETS. On my journey, while I was daydreaming and COUNTING STARS, I got lost. If I LOSE MYSELF TONIGHT, I thought, I would be WAITING ALL NIGHT! WHAT NOW? 
All of a sudden I heard a DIBBY DIBBY SOUND ,a voice said “HEY BROTHER, why are you CRYING FOR NO REASON?" 
“I’m sorry I’d RATHER BE on my own, I’m going to my grandma’s to STAY THE NIGHT.” Little did I know the wolf was a MONSTER and one of the  DEMONS... OF THE NIGHT. Sneakily, he got to Grandma’s first, she was POWERLESS and the wolf gobbled her up faster than a TSUNAMI, this is the BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! The wolf thought. 
I arrived at the door unlocked, I shouted Grandma but all was silent "Grandma SAY SOMETHING,” I shouted. 
“MY LOVE” a peculiar voice came from the bedroom. I walked in, "are you ok?" 
”I’m not really FEELING MYSELF” my Gran responded. 
"Why what big eyes and ears you have” I exclaimed 
"GOODNESS GRACIOUS, LET IT GO," said Grandma, “I’ve had enough on my plate today,” said Grandma (or so she called herself.)
With a loud ROAR the wolf jumped out at me “don’t eat ALL OF ME” I said. 
At that moment a woodcutter arrived “TIMBER” he cried and cut the wolf open and releasing Grandma. ” THANK YOU,” We both said.And that was the STORY OF MY LIFE!









For some other examples of stories children created please visit our blog. What I would love to see are any other efforts from other classes and children, creating stories with hidden themes throughout. If this inspires you to try it with your class, please tweet or post a link in the comments for all to see.
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10 iPad Lessons for World Book Day!

March 4, 2014, 1:36 pm
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This week celebrates World Book Day (Thursday 6th March,) although I hoped to share these ideas a little earlier, I have been stuck in bed ill for the past few days so have been unable to do so.

However here are 10 ideas for celebrating World Book day using iPads. Well not all are strictly iPad based, but more incorporating some aspect of technology into your World Book Day theme.





1. Extreme Reading - This was something we did as a whole school last year. The idea is that you ask parents to take pictures of children reading in the most weird and peculiar place. We had over 200 entries and children really enjoyed creating and sharing their efforts. It really promoted how we value reading as a school and the two massive displays within the school reflect this.


2. Blog a Book Review - Fairly straightforward for those schools who blog, but get your class to choose their favourite book and blog a book review. Remind the children that when it is blogged it will be shared with a worldwide audience and therefore may influence people from around the world to read it. If you are not blogging - WHY NOT? If you need help or support contact me and I can help getting a blog up and running in your school.

3. Twitter - So you have created blog book reviews, why not now use twitter to contact the authors of those books. Most of them are on twitter and most are happy to comment. This can have a huge impact on children knowing the REAL author of the book has taken the time to read their work. I know only to well when Henry Winter responded to my Stepson's football report - 

As well as using twitter to contact authors, you can use the constraint of twitter for children to create book reviews. Can children review a book as a tweet? a rebus using emoji? or even a vine? I have recently blogged about using contraints in writing and the exciting challenges they present children. To read some of these ideas - CLICK HERE. Further to this you could create a writing challenge dice to set rules for a book review. Using the app Foldify, you can create the net of a cube and write different challenges to include in their book reviews.


4. QR Codes - Creating QR codes of blog book reviews can also be an interesting way to share children's work. Copy the blog address of the book review and visit qrstuff.com to create your QR code. This can be stuck in children's books, displayed on noticeboards or at Parents Evening for Parents to read. If your school has a library, children can stick QR codes of book reviews into books in the library, so others can scan and read the reviews before choosing that book.

5. Explain Everything - Use this app for children to create a video of themselves reading one of or an exert from their favourite book. I can't take credit for this video but here is how:


6. Telligami - Create a animated book reviews using Telligami. This great free app allows you to add a background (picture of the book,) design an avatar and then record 30 seconds to review their book. The app allows you to either record the children's voices (great for KS1) or type out text for it to be read by one of the computer generated voices. The second option is great for older children as it responds to punctuation, meaning if they have forgotten full stops it will be read that way. Here is an example of Telligami in action:



7. Aurasma - Once the children have created their Telligami videos, why not bring them to life by creating Auras and interactive displays. Aurasma will allow you to program the iPad to recognise a trigger image (picture of the book cover) and when recognised will display digital content such as the Telligami video. To read more about Augmented Reality in the classroom - CLICK HERE.


8. Film Trailer - Using iMovie Trailers really challenge the children by asking them to create a film trailer for their favourite book. Children could watch some examples of trailers and pick out features before using the app to then create their own based on the book they have just read. It is a great, fun and challenging way for children to show their understanding of the story. To read more about how iMovie trailers can be used across the curriculum - CLICK HERE. 

9. Interview teachers about their favourite books - Why not create a podcast, using Audioboo,Thinglink or even BossJock of Teacher's favourite books. Ask the children to think of 3/4 questions to ask a teacher about their favourite book then use the iPad to record an interview with the teacher about their book. Try and make sure the children interview a different teacher than their own. Hopefully hearing a teacher speak enthusiastically about a book will make children want to read it themselves.


10. Create a Character Interview - Using an app such as Morfo, children can create an interview with a character from their favourite book. They can either retell the story from the character's point of view, explain reasons why a character acted in a certain way, what happened to the character after the story or give a back story to a character. Here is an example of some interviews using Morfo and famous Tudor people:

And there you have it 10 ideas for World Book Day! If you found them useful please share!
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#Selfies, Flipagrams and Vines... Oh My!

March 12, 2014, 10:32 am
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Selfie : noun
 informal
  • A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smartphone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website:"occasional selfies are acceptable, but posting a new picture of yourself every day isn’t necessary."
    It was deemed Word of the Year in 2013 - Read here.

    It is everywhere, people taking selfies literally anywhere and everywhere! Whether it annoys you or not, the fact is incorporating this in the classroom will grab children's attention. 

    I decided to create a #readingselfie video of the children and their reading books. Firstly, to promote reading, make it look cool and show how I as a teacher and we as a class value it. Secondly, for others to see which books we are reading. I would repeat the video in a few weeks and again see which other new books are popular in the class. To make the video I used the app Flipagram. This FREE app allows you to create slideshows in the matter of seconds, simply select your pictures, edit them if needed and then choose from a range of music to add to your slideshow. You can then save the slideshow to the camera roll or share it on various social platforms. Here is our #readingselfie video:

If you like the #readingselfie video and want to have a go with your class, please send a link in the comments, tweet me and use the hashtag!

It then had me thinking about an idea @DeputyMitchell shared at a session looking at using some web tools to create slideshows of children working. I thought, Flipagram would be great to snap pictures of children who are doing the RIGHT thing and add them to my HARD WORKER's Flipagram. So that is what I said to the children, as they were doing their work, I would be stealthily trying to take pictures of children working. These pictures would then be added to a Flipagram and shared on the school blog for all to see. It certainly got a response, I have never seen a class so quiet and concentrating, hoping they would be snapped! Here is my first but by no means last HARD WORKER's Flipagram:



For months I have been enjoying the wonderful world of vine! Some of the funniest web clips online all created in under 6 seconds. I have recently blogged about how constraints can really inspire creativity (which you can read here,) and vine is the perfect example how a constraint (only recording for 6 seconds,) can really create some hilarious and impressive videos. 

I have been wanting to use this idea in class for AGES, however the app vine isn't appropriate for children with a lot of content aimed at a much older audience. Same with instagram, I didn't want to use an app that would give children easy access to roam and stumble upon something dangerous or inappropriate. So I have trawled through the app store looking for something that uses the same tools. To record on vine you simply hold your finger on the screen meaning editing a clip is incredibly easy. The length of recording is determined by how long you press the screen for, meaning it can also create some interesting stop start animations. 

I first came across the app Cineverse, which showed a lot of promise, until I realised that links to an online library of examples and also doesn't allow you to save to Camera Roll but does have some really interesting features.

At last, I found the app, Spark Camera, which records in the same way that Vine does, without having access to an online community of examples. The only downside is that children can record longer than 6 seconds whereas Vine won't allow you to record longer. However with some nice editing tools, filters etc it is perfect to create the same types of videos seen on Vine.

So how did we use it? Well I am a big believer in using drama to help children develop their understanding of texts but also writing. 
The class I was working with, have been using the picture book - Flotsam by David Weisner as a stimulus in Literacy. Today they had to compare two contrasting images from the story. I decided to use of of Alan Peat and Mat Sullivan's exciting sentences to help - a Tell: Show 3 example sentence. But rather than simply writing examples relating to some of the pictures, I wanted the children to act them out and record them as 6 second videos. They had to be precise, clear and quick however the constraint kept the children focused. I know from this, they will be more inclined to remember this effective sentence when they come to write a story linked to the pictures. Here are some examples:

6 Second "Tell: Show 3 example sentence' videos from Davyhulme Primary School on Vimeo.

There are plenty of other ways to use this 6 second video craze:

  • Other sentence types could be explored and acted out 
  • Creating 6 second stories 
  • Retelling stories in 6 seconds. 
  • Improve your writing in 6 seconds. 
  • Act out a two sentence horror story courtesy of @PrimaryIdeas, see some examples.
  • 6 second Maths Tip/Trick.
If you can think of or have examples of other ways in which this vine (6 second) type video can be used in the classroom, please comment and I will add to the list. 
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A recent class project - Multimedia Digital Stories using the iPad

March 17, 2014, 3:28 pm
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Over the past half term I have been working with a Year 4 class at Cheadle Heath Primary School in Stockport.

I have been trying to inspire the children by using the iPad to create digital stories. I wanted the children to develop their methods of story telling using different skills through a range of different apps.

For each part of the story, the children used a different app to bring their story alive. All the content was then put together using the app Book Creator. Here is a video explaining how our stories were created and examples of the children's work:



The following apps were used to create the stories:

The children absolutely loved the range of apps used to tell their story. They were engaged, motivated and felt they really achieved something special with their finished eBooks. By using the apps to really bring their writing to life gave every child the chance to tell a whole story regardless of ability. The range of skills including writing, speaking and listening, drama, ICT and teamwork skills demonstrated how the iPad can really enhance the way in which stories are created in classrooms today. 

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KS1 Topic "9 to 5" on the iPads

March 20, 2014, 3:58 pm
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Each week, I work with a split Year 1/2 class. Since September I have been using the iPads to try and enhance learning in all the subjects I have been asked to cover. Although most of the children have access to iPads or similar technology at home, it has been a tough task getting quality work from the class using iPads. Even though most children can navigate around an iPad, turning the children from consumers to creators has been the challenge.

It has been a journey from September which has been more about getting children to follow instructions and working with independence. But with perseverance, I feel we are now at a stage where children are creating quality on the iPads.

The recent topic for the class has been "9 to 5." A topic based around working and different jobs. The children went on a trip to a local Krispy Kreme shop. To recount what the children did on the trip, they created slideshows using the app Shadow Puppets. This app allows you to add pictures and record audio while zooming and highlighting the picture.

A really simple yet effective app and one KS1 children seemed to be able to use and create some great recounts of their trips with. Here are some of the children's efforts:




As part of the topic, children have also been learning about different jobs within the school by interviewing different staff. To share and showcase what the children have learnt they used the app Morfo and brought pictures of some of the staff to life. Although it doesn't do the members of staff any justice and I apologise to them for that, the children loved this activity. 

It is a interesting and enjoyable way for children to share what they have learnt. Made the learning so much more captivating and by encouraging speaking and listening skills which can then help develop the children's writing. Here are some of the children's examples:


After the children had interviewed and learnt all about different jobs it was time for them to think about what they would like to do in years to come. To help inspire the class, they created pictures of themselves as the job they want to do. To do this they used the app Pic Collage. The children loved seeing themselves as a doctor, footballer and others. I have put all their pictures into a film using Animoto:


After the pictures were created, they were then used as a backdrop to a Tellagami, where children recorded an animation explaining why it is their dream job and what they need to do to achieve it. Again as a way to inspire the class and create a video which can be used to aid the writing process, it was a great activity. Now I feel the children are at a level where their listening skills and independence is at a point where they can focus on the quality of their work rather than knowing how to use certain apps. I look forward to some of the other work we will be doing using the iPads in KS1. Here are some of the children's tellagamis:


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Coveritlive - a great tool in the Classroom!

March 25, 2014, 2:35 pm
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I have to start by thanking +David Mitchell (@deputymitchell,) @Cherise_Duxbury and @HGJohn for their ideas and inspiration with this fantastic tool.

Coveritlive is a web based live blogging tool that can be embedded into your school blog. It can be used in so many different ways in the classroom and as a whole school.

You can sign up for a free account and then upgrade to an education account which gives you all the features for free. I first came across Coveritlive after seeing it used with @Deputymitchell and @PieCorbett. The idea that children can have a live writing session with a real author and have some of their ideas commented on and be given feedback immediately. You could see instantly the immediate impact it had on the children and their writing and the quality coming through.

For some examples of session from David and Pie - Click here and here.

I have tried some live writing with a number of classes all to a great reception from the children and some quality writing. Having the opportunity to feedback immediately to children and them see how they can improve their writing within the lesson is a great tool to have. I have currently only ran the sessions by myself so to do it with a special guest or even another class would be something really special. Here is an example of a live writing session I have completed with a Year 6 class:




Another example of how we have used Coveritlive was part of a recent eSafety week with thanks to @HGJohn for the idea. We duped a Year 5 class to believe they were having a online chat with a special guest - a young girl from America. We wanted to test how much information the children would share but also to shock them into realising that people online are not always who they say they are. I acted as the young girl Maddie and chatted with the class. When I revealed to the class that they were actually speaking to me, the penny really dropped. They were shocked but quickly realised the lesson behind the activity. Here is the session:



Coveritlive also provides an iPhone app that allows you to run a session straight from your phone. This was perfect for broadcasting our school sports day. For parents who couldn't be at the event or family members who live further away, they could enjoy the sports day live as it happened. The app allows you to add text, pictures, audio and video recordings meaning every race was filmed and added to the session for all to enjoy. Here is the session:



There are plenty of other ways this can be used in the classroom. A teacher or TA could pretend to be a book character, famous historical figure or celebrity for children to interview as a coveritlive session. An interview with Father Christmas perhaps? I am sure there is a a wealth of professionals on twitter who would love a Q&A session with an enthusiastic class! Either way, this tool is an absolute must for the classroom.
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Selfie Carroll Diagrams!

March 26, 2014, 3:36 pm
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I have previously used the app Doodle Buddy for children to sort data into a Carroll diagram - I have blogged using the app for data handling activities here.


Today I used another app to create a Carroll Diagram. The app Pic Collage is an app used a lot in schools but not always used to enhance learning, rather substitute what can be done on paper with colourful posters. I have previously blogged about different ways to use Pic Collage to enhance learning here. Today I used it with a class of year 1/2 to create some Carroll Diagrams.

First the children set their background as the blank Carroll Diagram then using the iPad camera took pictures of children in the class and sorted them into the necessary sections. The children loved the activity to create and sort data, the results were fantastic!




It wouldn't just be carroll diagrams that pic collage can be used for, venn diagrams and pictograms could also be created. Children may not necessarily need to take selfies of each other as data, it could be shapes around the classroom maybe? What is for sure is that this is another great way to use Pic Collage in the classroom!




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Using Augmented Reality to Inspire Augmented Reality - Aliens in the Classroom!!!

March 26, 2014, 3:37 pm
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The Year 1/2 class I work with had an extremely enjoyable day today when they discovered Aliens in the Classroom!

Using the App String, children were able to scan a picture and see an alien moving around the classroom - an amazing WOW moment! String is a AR showcase app, there are plenty on the app store and they really inspire some great writing opportunities. To see examples of this - click here.



The children then wrote short description about their new classmate and drew a picture. Using the iPad children then interviewed their alien using Morfo and also created a news report using Tellagami.

Then using Aurasma, the children's iPad work was then linked to the children's work. The children's writing was used as the trigger image:


Here is a link to all the other descriptions or trigger images that link to the children's videos - click here.

To view the Auras, you will need to open the Aurasma app, click search - find davyhulme and follow or like. You should then be able to then scan the above images and see the linked digital content! The future of displays in my eyes! How to bring displays alive by scanning pictures and writing to display all the digital work children produce on iPads. I have previously blogged about using Augmented Reality in the classroom and you can read it here. Otherwise enjoy the project below:

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Descriptive Tweets!

April 2, 2014, 8:18 am
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Last week, I trialled a new app with a Year 4 Class. The app Path On, allows children to creating a line or shape onto a picture, which they can then fill with words to create a really effective descriptive picture. The children enjoyed the app and the results were really effective -




I was really impressed with the rich description generated from the image, I decided to use the picture again this week with a different Year 4 class to attempt some description with a different twist.

I am a big advocate of developing writing through constraints - adding rules to make children play and experiment with language. I first came across these ideas through Alan Peat and some of his brilliant approaches linked with Oulipo.

I have recently been experimented with different constraints in writing such as creating stories with hidden messages and also using some social media trends that add constraints. Today the children had another constraint to challenge them!

Twitter is a social media platform that seems to be getting more and more popular! Why, because everyday it encourages you to play with language and words. You only have 140 characters to get across your message and so whenever you send a tweet it needs to be concise and direct. I decided to challenge my year 4 class to try and describe the picture in as much detail as possible only using 140 characters. I was strict with this, no more, no less. I provided a grid 14 columns by 10 rows as a template for children to use. I explained that 140 characters means spaces and punctuation count just as much as letters. I then let them have a go, it was great! Straight away they children got to the end but were either a few characters short or over. Then they had to look at some of their word choices, what can they change? What can they add? Which word will carry the most meaning rather than clutter with 3/4 adjectives? 

It also made children more aware of punctuation, they questioned apostrophes and commas, discussing whether they should be there? Suddenly children were adding ellipses and brackets to help them reach their target. 

It also made the children a lot more conscious of spelling. One word spelt incorrectly at the start of their writing would have a knock on effect for the rest of the description. Suddenly, dictionaries were out, children were checking and rising to the challenge. I was really surprised and impressed with how the challenge engaged and inspired the class. Maybe because I wasn't asking for quantity it grabbed their attention, or the idea of creating a tweet sounded cool. Either way it worked and the children relished in the challenge - here are some efforts:








There are plenty of other ways to use twitter as a constraint - create a book review in a tweet, evaluate a lesson or their learning, retell a fairytale in a tweet, retell different genre stories as a tweet or create a poem as a tweet. Any of these will have your children playing and experimenting with words!

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Let's do Mental Maths - YES PLEASE!!!!

April 10, 2014, 6:49 am
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It is that time of year again, when teacher's are desperately trying to prepare for SATs tests and looking for ways in which to get those all important results. The Year 6 teachers asked are there any really good apps to help with revising different topics. I have previously blogged about ways in which I use the iPads to make the SPAG more bearable - read here. I have recently discovered two new apps from Andrew Brodie, focusing on Mental Maths and they both are BRILLIANT!

The two apps are aimed at KS1 and KS2 and both are great ways for children to practice every objective of their mental maths.

They can enter their names and keep a running assessment of their progress through practise questions and a range of different tests.

Each test orally reads the questions for children who may struggle with their reading. They provide a variety of different question types and even has a hint button that simplifies the answer for the children.

What impresses me most about this app is the fact that children can pick a particular area they struggle with. When they click a area they want to practise they then see all the objectives building up by difficulty. Children can then click the objective and answer a range of questions linking to it. This means the app can be easily differentiated so children can work at their own level and pace.


They Year 6 team are using this app almost daily and the Year 2 teachers are also using it to help practise different aspects of numeracy in the run up to SATs. Here is what one Year 6 teacher thinks of the app:
"An incredibly useful resource for teachers and students looking at improving mental maths and rapid recall of a range of maths topics. Children are instantly corrected and can work at their own level with banks of questions differentiated linking to different objectives. It is also easy to monitor progress as children's scores are saved and recorded into charts for teachers to use for assessments. For competitive children, it encourages them to beat themselves and improve their scores. I would strongly recommend this app to Year 6 teachers preparing for SATs as a useful tool to have."

Both apps are priced at £1.99 and well worth the cost. You can download Mental Maths 6-7 here or
Mental Maths 10-11 here. 


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Can Augmented Reality Improve Writing?

April 10, 2014, 7:22 am
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For inspiring and creating writing opportunities in class, I have found Augmented Reality to be superb. I have recently been using an Augmented Reality showcase app to inspire writing with a mixed Year 1/2 class. It has not only engaged and motivated them but provided them with an exciting visual stimulus that has created some incredible writing - read more here.


I wanted to see whether using Augmented Reality improves writing. So with a Year 5 class, I decided to try a little experiment.

I started the lesson by providing the children with this image and I asked them to write a description of it:

Despite having little to work with, I was impressed with some of their writing. However I wanted to see whether colouring the picture and then bringing it to life through Augmented Reality would improve the quality of writing.

Once they had finished writing their first description I asked them to colour their picture - 



Once completed, it was time to bring the picture to life using ColAR Mix app. This app is another fantastic showcase app that allows children to colour in the trigger images and see their creations come to life using augmented reality. There are a few free pictures and more can be unlocked with an in app purchase. But the potential for creative writing stimulus using the app is incredible! Here is an example of how @ThisIsLiamM and his class has used this app - http://www.crosshalljunior.co.uk/year5#ColAR
Once the children had closely observed their bird come to life, move and interact with its surroundings, it was time to have a go at writing another description. I was hoping that because children had coloured their bird and seen it move and come to life they would have more ideas and language to use in their descriptions. I wanted to see whether this process actually inspired the children to create better quality writing. Here is a video of the whole lesson:


Using Augmented Reality To Inspire And Improve Writing from Mr L Parkinson on Vimeo.

Here are some examples of the before and after descriptions, what do you think? Has Augmented Reality improved the quality of writing, giving children more precise language to use in their desctiptions? Personally, I think so and for some of the more reluctant writers, it certainly gave them a lot more ideas to work with, see what you think:






 

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Grid Guru 2 - Guidance through the Grid Method

May 1, 2014, 12:06 pm
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I recently came across this app and have wanted to try it with a class for a while. Grid Guru 2 is an app from Primary Apps which looks at guiding children with their long multiplication through the grid method.

It is often difficult and frustrating for children when they solve a long multiplication problem when they realise somewhere along the way they have miscalculated and therefore got the wrong answer.

Grid Guru supports children through every step of the grid method by checking every calculation the children solve. The children can choose from a range of calculations such as TUxU TUxTU HTUxU or HTUxTU or even choose their own numbers.

The app then displays the calculation in the grid method. Children can then press the partition button which then partitions the numbers into the correct grid. It would be great if children could input this themselves rather than having it done for them. However by asking the children to discussing and writing how to partition the numbers they could then check their answers against the app.


The children then solve every calculation which they can check and if they are incorrect they can correct before they go onto the next calculation. I found it really helped children who just lacked confidence with their calculations, it deepened their understanding of the method and gave children instant feedback so they reached the correct answer at the end. 

As a starting point for introducing the grid method, I think it is a great app and well worth a download. Currently priced at £1.49. Primary Apps provide a range of engaging apps designed to improve children's understanding in Numeracy.

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Improving locational writing using Minecraft

May 1, 2014, 12:37 pm
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It's simple, the more I use Minecraft in the classroom, the more I think of the incredible potential to this app. I have used it for a number of activities such as Area and Perimeter and designing a classroom. Teachers know what Minecraft is through how much their students will talk and talk about it. As a strong believer in Camouflage learning I wanted to again see whether the use of a game the children are obsessed with, would firstly enthuse the children to write and also inspire them to produce some quality writing.

A mindmap showing how Minecraft can be used across the curriculum.

Minecraft has two modes of gameplay- survival and creative. Survival mode is much more like a video game where players must survive against different elements, collect tools and resources and protect themselves against different threats. Creative mode gives players access to all the resources and allows them to build anything. This mode has big potential for use in the classroom, here is one way we used minecraft to inspire writing.

Working with a Year 4 class, I set the children a task to create and build a haunted house, over the wifi 4/5 children can join the same world and work together to create a setting for their story. The rich talk, collaboration and teamwork while building their houses was incredible! The instructions were simple, try to make the creepiest and scariest house you can imagine.

By children building their own haunted house, they knew everything about it, they were so much more familiar with the setting and this gave them a wide range of ideas to work with. Once the settings were built, I asked the children to write an descriptive paragraph about their haunted houses. We discussed a range of different techniques to make their writing as chilling as possible.

Using the new AirServer, which allows for screen recording, each group created a video where they navigated around their setting. This was then shared onto the children's iPads. As an editing tool, children recorded themselves reading their writing over their video. By listening back to their writing, they could hear what sounded effective and what needs changing and improved. For the higher ability children, this was used as an extra challenge to try and make their writing fit with their video. Creating a finished digital story that not only shows children's writing skills but also their oral speaking skills demonstrated how great the iPads can be for producing work using a range of different skills.

Here are some of the children's haunted house descriptions:

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Inspiring writing through the new Pixel Press App

May 6, 2014, 2:43 pm
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Prince of Persia - £335 million at the box office.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - £150 million at the box office.
Resident Evil - £200 million at the box office

What do all these movies have in common? They are all video games that were developed into films.

With other popular video games currently being made into films, such as, Angry Birds, Temple Run and Assassin's Creed, it seems Hollywood is exploiting the popularity and the storytelling potential of video games. Why not do it in the classroom?

I am a big believer in using Camouflage Learning as a technique to engage reluctant learners and 'trick,' children into learning. To read more about Camouflage learning Click HERE.

I have also previously blogged about iPad apps that allow children to create their own iPad games. To read that post, click here.

This week saw the release of the eagerly anticipated "Floors,"app by Pixel Press.

This incredible free app allows children to design their own computer game by hand or within the app.

They can download the Sketch Guide from the Pixel Press website and carefully draw and design their own platform game. Once completed they can use the iPad camera to scan their picture for it to be analysed and added into the app. The app then allows children to design their level with different themes, colours and options. Then the fun bit, getting to play their games!

I used this app with some Year 5 children today and the response was incredible! To have the ability to be as creative as they could and add so many different elements to their game had them excited and eager to work. Adding ladders, coins, monkey bars and portals to name just a few of the game features, had them discussing, planning and designing their game intricately.

Unfortunately, when it came to scanning their plans, it wasn't possible using the older iPad 2 model.

Having the discussion about my day with my stepson when I got home led me to show him the app. He was hooked, instantly wanting to create his own game.

I used it as a chance to get him to do some creative writing! And you have to believe despite being quite a talented writer, to get Callum to write off his own back is a real challenge!

However once he had created and played his game, I asked him to describe the game as if it was a story and challenged him to write a little story of his gameplay. He relished the challenge as he was so proud of the game he had created. Once finished, I recorded him reading his story over a video of the gameplay (which has been slowed down to fit with the narration.)



I think the potential for this app to inspire creative writing is fantastic! With different themes to choose from and the ability to purchase enemies and power ups it will only inspire children's imaginations more! And just like Hollywood, create some BLOCKBUSTER stories based on video games!
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How Pixar can help develop writing!

May 9, 2014, 3:29 pm
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I am a massive fan of Disney, especially Pixar! Each film is always a box office smash and they continue to be at the forefront of animation and storytelling in the movie world.

Over the past few weeks, I have been talking on twitter with @pinkhev about ideas you can use in the classroom from Pixar. What I believe makes Pixar stand out isn't just that they have been one step ahead as far as the technology they use in their films but the incredible stories behind each one. I truly believe the approach they take towards creating stories is one that should be shared and used in the classroom.

I recently watched the film, The Pixar Story, which tells the story of the company and that itself is a completely inspiring tale about how you should never give up and follow your dreams.

There are resources online that share some of Pixar's wisdom behind the art of their storytelling. This clip, which @Pinkhev pointed my way is a great video to share with a class and use to develop stories:


This would give your class a really good starting point for a story with examples from stories they will probably be very familiar with.

Then there is this- 22 rules of phenomenal storytelling by Pixar:


Pixar's 22 Rules to Phenomenal Storytelling from Gavin McMahon

Some of these are again great tips to share with children. I especially like rule 4 as a very basic story spine, which you can then build on and also links well to the video above. But most are great ideas to help improve story writing in the classroom.

As far as using Pixar films in the classroom, there are plenty of ways in which Pixar films can be used to develop writing. Look no further than the opening ten minutes from the film Up! Which could be the initial video to share with the children and compared to another similar story like Ethel and Ernest by Raymond Briggs. Some ideas can also be found on the Film Trailer Shed on the Literacy Shed.

I have previously blogged about how you can use short clips from some of the Pixar films and rewrite them as works of Shakespeare! 



Disney Pixar films also have great soundtracks that can be used to inspire writing. I have previously blogged about this idea and you can view it here. But here are some examples of a children's stories inspired from listening to part of the soundtrack from Finding Nemo -







There are also some of the Pixar short films that can be used as a focus in class and inspire some fantastic writing, here are just a couple of ideas:

Day and Night


This Pixar short is perfect for developing descriptive writing in particular similes and metaphors! All of the sounds and visuals in the background can be used to create similes for the actions and emotions of both characters. Ask the children to list as many sounds they hear and objects they see and then ask them to create similes or metaphors based on this.

It could be used to inspire a similar story where Hot meets Cold? Big meets Small? New vs Old?
 A contrasting description of what is great about hot weather compared to cold or even a discussion text arguing which is better.

The Blue Umbrella


Although this clip isn't the full short film, there is definitely enough here to use to inspire some great writing. I love the idea of bringing inanimate objects to life and creating stories from a completely different perspective. Start by discussing the text -
How does the umbrella feel at the beginning? How do you know? Why does he feel this way?
What helps him to escape? What other inanimate objects come to life on his journey?
How does his mood change? What causes this? What is he trying to achieve?
Is it a happy ending? 

Children could write a version of the clip or continue the story in role as the umbrella. What would be interesting with an object like an umbrella is that it only really appears when it rains. Generally, rain is linked to a sad and miserable atmosphere, whereas umbrellas must thrive and love the rain as that is when they are most alive so to speak.

Children could choose another inanimate object to bring to life and write a story from that perspective.


One final thought from Pixar, lessons to be learnt from the films (picture found on twitter):

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Flipping the genre, altering characters... being creative with stories!

May 14, 2014, 1:07 pm
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Another idea from one of my favourite books "50 ways to retell a story," by Alan Peat has been the inspiration for this blog post, along with my recent post about using Pixar in the Classroom.

Last Halloween, I decided to challenge the children to rewrite familiar fairytales as horror stories after watching a video shared by @SparkyTeaching :


This idea challenged the children in two ways - firstly, whether they could write a story using the features of a particular genre. Secondly, to show a thorough understanding of the original story. They had to use the same characters and loosely the same events in the story but tell it differently to create the haunted tale. Once the children had written their stories they recorded them using Audioboo to create a spooky podcast!


listen to ‘GoldieGhost - Eleanor and Libby’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Megan and Marcus’ on Audioboo

listen to ‘Snow Bite ’ on Audioboo



The children loved creating an interesting spin on these familiar stories and the same can be applied to plenty of other genres. After another video was shared on twitter over the weekend by @Bennett31 inspired me to find some other flipped genre movie trailers:


After a little search on YouTube I came across some other examples of flipped genres, here are a couple of my favourites (not all appropriate for the classroom):


 

I decided to give this a go with a class to see if they could take a familiar film/story and rework it to create a completely different type of film. To do this they used the app iMovie and the range of trailers available. Here are some of their efforts, these then could inspire a story/blurb/persuasive review written in the genre different to the original film/story:

I also really like the pattern that is emerging in popular culture looking at stories from different perspectives. Again it demonstrates children's understanding of a story, but also makes them consider reasons why a character thinks and acts a certain way. @InspiredMind5 is a big advocate of this in his comics approach and you can read some of his examples here. The theatre musical Wicked is the perfect example of this, telling the story from a different perspective and forcing the audience to look upon characters differently with empathy and justifying their actions. Even Hollywood seems to be taking note with one of this summer's biggest blockbuster:


Again as a writing stimulus in class, this could really challenge the children to apply their knowledge of a story in a different and creative way. It would really demonstrate the children's understanding If you have a go with this approach in class, please tweet or email me the results and I will post a link on this blog. 
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Enhance your end of year performance with the iPad

May 22, 2014, 12:15 pm
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SATs are over! Well for at least the rest of this year! Most teachers will now be planning the BIG end of year production.

What some teachers may struggle with, is keeping their class engaged when they are not on stage. I thought it would be useful to share some ways in which the iPad can be used when rehearsing a school production. I have previously blogged about how to use a production as a focus for lots of cross curricular activities (READ HERE). All of these ideas relate to how the production can be enhanced using the iPad.

1 - Production Posters 

There are a range of different poster making apps on the iPad. My three favourites: Pic Collage,Phoster and Comic Life. Using the iPads, ask the children to research and look at different film, TV and theatre posters to create a checklist for what they would need to include on their effort. Being able to add backgrounds, images and choose from a range of different fonts and colours will encourage the children to be as creative as they can in advertising their play.

2 - Learn lyrics with Emoji

Want your class to learn the words of the songs to your show quickly? Ask them to rewrite them substituting as many words for Emoji symbols as possible. The visuals will help and they will be constantly reading the lyrics. Read more about using the Emoji Keyboard here.

3 - Retell the story of your play using Puppetpals 

Once the children have read through the script a couple of times, challenge them to retell the story using Puppetpals. They can add images of the characters or take pictures of the children in costumes and use them. These could be shared during the interval of the performance. It is a great way of deepening the children's understanding of the plot. Here is an example of Puppetpals, used to retell a poem.


Puppetpals the visitor.wmv from Davyhulme Primary School on Vimeo.

4 - Character interviews

Using the app Tellagami, children can design their digital avatar to look like a character and record themselves as the character, explaining the role they play in the show, their characteristics and motives. This can then be exported and added to an interactive digital programme.

5 - Interactive digital programmes

Allow children to create programmes for their performance on the app Book Creator. They then have the ability to pictures, text, videos and sound recordings into their eBooks. They could add interviews with the cast as videos or audio recordings, write a synopsis, add trailers and posters or even audio recordings of the class singings some of the songs. Each book can then be shared to Dropbox and create a link as a QR code to be printed on tickets issued to parents.

6 - iMovie Trailers

To create a buzz around school before the performance, allow children to create their own movie trailer based on the show. Choose a theme from the wide range provided and ask children to add pictures or videos of the children practising their show. The finished videos can be uploaded to the school website/blog or added to the children's digital programmes.

7- Special effects backdrops

The iPad allows children to create videos where they can be anywhere in the world! Doink Greenscreen will allow children to record themselves in any location by recording in front of a green background. This means parts of the play can be prerecorded and projected on to the stage during the performance. It may mean children who fear performing live can still have a part and also adds a different element to the show which will WOW your audience. Below is an example of Green Screen used in storytelling:



The children could also create other spectacular backgrounds by using apps such as Action Movie FX which allows them to add Hollywood style effects onto videos. Your only limitation with these apps is your imagination.

8 - Stream your performance LIVE!

There could be no bigger buzz with your children than to tell them their performance will be broadcast across the internet LIVE! It is great for family members who live away from the school, or parents who are unable to attend. I have previously blogged about the best ways to live stream from the school and you can read it here and here.

9 - Record and upload your performance to YouTube.

Make sure you have permission from parents first! Once you have the all clear film the performance and upload it to YouTube. Children then will be able to rewatch and enjoy their last performance in Primary school and any family members who couldn't attend the show can view and enjoy your master performance. Here is our KS1 Nativity play 2013 which was shared on Youtube:


10 - Create a goodbye video using iMovie

Collect pictures of children's journey through school, find a heartfelt poem, I suggest this add some emotive background music and you have the perfect keepsake for children to have as they leave Primary school. Here was our effort last year:



Year 6 Leavers Video 2013 from Davyhulme Primary School on Vimeo.

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15 iPad lessons for the World Cup

May 24, 2014, 1:55 am
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I am proud to announce that my first ever eBook is now on the iBooks store. "15 iPad lessons for the World Cup," is the perfect companion for any teacher using the World Cup as a topic in a classroom with iPads over the next half term.

Although all the ideas are tailored to the World Cup they can easily be adapted to any topic or focus. You can download a copy of the eBook for the very reasonable price of 99p by clicking the picture below. If you like the book and find it useful I would really appreciate if you could rate and leave a review on the iBooks store - click here.

Thank you for all the continued support with this blog.


Update - 25th May - Just a day after release, the book is currently sitting number 8 in the iBooks chart for ALL books:

 

This fantastic achievement was then picked up and shared in the Manchester Evening News.

I just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has purchased and downloaded the book! It means an awful lot! I also want to say to special thank you to everyone who has been kind enough to leave a review or rate the book! Here some of the reviews, thank you to everyone who took the time to write a review:


Very inspiring and great ideas for more than the World Cup ★★★★★
by MJH13579 - May 27, 2014
This is a great iBook to have with some great ideas of how to use iPads to enhance learning. All the lessons have the links to the new curriculum which is fantastic. The ideas can be used for a range of topics, it's just great to see how it has worked in an actual classroom.
Superb Resource ★★★★★
by BrynGooan - May 27, 2014
This fantastic book is a great resource for any teacher who is keen to relate their children’s learning to the world cup. The ideas contained in it will surely enagage all the children in any class. Just as importantly, the standard of work that can be produced with these ideas is sure to be outstanding.
Eager to get going ★★★★★
by Swordfish SPS - May 27, 2014
Very useful - practical and engaging ideas.
Fantastic resource! ★★★★★
by Addicted2wordz - May 26, 2014
A superb resource for teachers of all age groups. Fantastic ideas for most areas of the curriculum which will surely get all children excited about the impending World Cup. I cannot wait to get started on some of the lesson ideas.
Amazing! ★★★★★
by Mr W 10 - May 25, 2014
A fantastic bank of ideas for any teacher, engaging, interesting and forward thinking (totally unlike the current England side). Buy this now!
Charlotte Davies ★★★★★
by @cedavies84 - May 25, 2014
What a fab book - full of excellent ideas that are explained simply to make them easy to use. I have been trying to decide on some World Cup activities to do with my class for a while now, and this resource is just the help I need! I particularly like the movie and gaming suggestions, and know the boys in my class will love the commentary and comic activities. Brilliant - thanks Mr P!
Great resource ★★★★★
by Anthonyh1187 - May 25, 2014
Fantastic resource. Would advise you all to check out the blog too!
Very useful ★★★★★
by Natty2107 - May 25, 2014
Full of good ideas that can easily be used in the classroom. Everything is clearly explained and there are videos in there that give really helpful examples of work that children have produced. (Just make sure you turn your iPad landscape to see it all properly - thought it didn't work on my iPad mini at first!)
Miss ★★★★★
by Vlee88 - May 25, 2014
Wow what a fantastic iBook. I love to magpie Mr P's ipad lessons and trial them @wyndham_academy I look forward to the next iBook. Well worth 99p!!! :)
A super time saving resource! ★★★★★
by @debi_tr - May 25, 2014
Inspiring and straightforward to use and importantly it will be easy to substitute the World Cup theme for another theme. It has cross curricular links to the New Curriculum and links to the APPS needed. So, even if you're not planning to cover the World Cup, this eBook is definitely worth 99p! It could save you hours of planning time!
15 ipad lessons based on the World Cup ★★★★★
by Paul Cooper - May 25, 2014
Great ideas once again from MrP. Children will be actively engaged in these super lessons. If you are thinking of an INSET for your school on ipad integration this is the guy you need. Brilliant!!!
Amazing iPad resource ★★★★★
by MediaShaw - May 25, 2014
Cannot wait to get into the classroom to try out these fantastic lesson ideas. My classes will love using the World Cup as a stimulus, I'm sure they won't feel like they're working! :) Thanks @ICT_MrP great work, yet again... #twitterhero
Mr ★★★★★
by Bijou999 - May 25, 2014
This is great!
15 iPad Lessons for the World Cup ★★★★★
by Fcesc4 - May 25, 2014
This is a fantastic collection of lesson ideas linking the creative use of technology with literacy and maths, all under the umbrella (or should that be parasol) of the World Cup. A must have iBook for every primary school!
Brilliant - I can't wait to get started on these ideas! ★★★★★
by Grantalien - May 24, 2014
I have been borrowing (stealing) ideas from Mr P for about a month now via his blog and I can honestly say it has changed my teaching. Lee has opened my eyes to the way in which iPads can be used to inspire a different way of doing pretty much anything and the things I have started to think differently as a result. This ebook is fantastic, because the ideas are fresh, simple and easy to adapt for your own class. My boys will love the Score app, and we are just getting to grips with Explain Everything, so the World Cup is a great way to inspire them. I'm looking forward to trying out some of these activities and then taking some of them further as we move into the new academic year. The inclusion of the videos is great, because sometimes you need to see something in action to truly believe it can be done, and all credit to the children who present so well. An essential resource, absolute bargain at 99p; I would have paid more, especially for the amount of quality teaching experiences I know will get out of it. Great stuff Mr P! Let's have more please!
Brilliant resource! ★★★★★
by @mancc - May 24, 2014
A must for all teachers who intend to use the World Cup as a topic next term (even if it is not your topic, it still provides great ideas!) The videos help and the links to the New Curriculum are helpfull too! Love the idea about the children creating their own stadium! Great work, Lee!
Great resource for teachers ★★★★★
by Tinks2204 - May 24, 2014
Straightforward, practical and inspiring, this is a great book for teachers looking for useful ideas when using iPads in the classroom!

If anyone who has downloaded the book uses some of the ideas, please email and share examples of work, I will happily post any links on this blog post.

Thanks again!



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