Engaging Animations (Middle Years)

As explained previously, I’m working with a colleague to incorporate the use of a couple of iPad apps in her classroom. We have started with the puppet apps, Sock Puppets and Puppet Pals 2.

After working with both apps for a short time, it is obvious that Puppet Pal 2 is the preferred app for upper primary students as it has a more extensive selection of locations, characters and accessories to be included as props for projects. There is also the flexibility of personalising characters by allowing photo head shots to add to the selection of characters, thus featuring yourself or friends as Santa, a dancer, soldier, etc.

Last week a group of year 5 students were introduced to Puppet Pals and its features - locations, characters and props. They were then asked to work in pairs to create a scripted story that presented a point of view. Just viewing the app features enabled them to brainstorm several ideas in a short timeframe and proceed with planning and writing their story and script. It was a brilliant writing stimulus that produced some interesting writing. The next stage will be the students producing the animated story using the Puppet Pals 2 app.

This unit also involved investigating the Animation Creator HD app. As a beginner, I found the Animation Creator HD app far more challenging than the puppet apps because I haven’t previously pursued developing skills in any ICT drawing programs.  My attempts at creating an animation were trial and error, focussing on the learning to use the tools. At this time I’m not prepared to share any of my attempts with this app.

I can see that it would take a lot more time for me to develop a level of skill in the use of this app before I would be prepared to introduce it to students for a work task. However, I see the potential for its use as an upper primary classroom tool. We know that children love cartoons and are always keen to present a work project they have created to their peers and others. Providing students with the opportunity to create work samples using the Cartoon Animation HD iPad app would engage the most reluctant students in the work task. The drawing tools and colour options would allow students to experiment and create animations in all areas of the curriculum. This app would provide a new creative medium for students especially those with an interest and /or talent in drawing. It could be used for classroom tasks where visuals are a feature such as a procedure, timeline or animated story. Good cartoons tell a story and often have a moral or story to teach so it could be used to create an animation to feature a ‘You Can Do It’ moral or an anti-bullying message. Animations are only short so they can convey a story or message that is simple such as ‘Don’t’ litter’. Another option could have students listening to a text or watch a news clip and create an animation that depicts the major events that were conveyed.