Coding with Keynote

Prior to teaching coding to any age of learners, it is smart to teach better communication skills. At ESU 8's recent Elementary Science Olympiad one of the student activity stations did just that. 

First we began with coding with blocks. The engineer and the builder had the exact same blocks but their workspace was separated with a divider, blocking their view of each other's creations. Instead they gave verbal "code" as instructions to each other in the attempts of replicating the exact same structure. Modifying each round with various alternations (ability for builder to ask questions, written instructions only, etc.) added additional discussion on the importance of communication in the process of science, and coding in particular. 

Activity Guide for 'Let's Communicate'

Next we moved to the computer and worked instead with digital "blocks" which were actually shapes in Apple's Keynote application on our MacBook Air laptops. Both the engineer and the builder had to pay attention to the very fine details and convey that "code" back and forth in order to replicate each other's designs. 

1. Use basic shapes to construct an image on a blank Keynote slide.

Note: The more “complicated” the shape, the more “code” will be involved.

2. Complete a “code sheet” with each shape’s details from the Inspector.

Blank “Code Sheets” for students: http://bit.ly/codesheets

3. Exchange code sheets with a partner.

No peeking at each other’s screens!

4. Using the code alone, attempt to rebuild and replicate your partner’s image on a new blank slide. Enter details into the Inspector exactly for each shape added.

5. View each other’s original slides and share feedback with your partner.

Debug your errors.

Optional Lessons:

• Add a theme to the challenge, such as flag designs, pumpkin carving, or monster creation.
• Address the importance of specific communication as discrepancies arise.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Activity Guide for 'Coding with Keynote'

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Digital Citizenship Week

Visit Digital Citizenship Week site

Digital Citizenship should not be an "event", but rather an everyday occurance. However, this past week was a good reminder to be incorporating these important lessons for our students.  At ESU 8 we celebrated by sharing a week's worth of proactive tips-- what to do before students get into trouble online-- to promote positive digital citizenship.  Use any of the following as starting points to launch your next online learning experience for students. Or better yet, request ESU 8 to partner with you and support the journey. Visit ESU8PD on Instagram for more instant PD tips.

Resources: TextingStory app ifaketextmessage.com Resources: Keynote Bitmoji WeeMee Resources: Digital Citizenship Survival Kit Resources: Share Your Work Creative Commons Resources: Paper Blogging Table Top Twitter Blog Comments Sort Resources: Common Sense Education 21things4students Childnet Media Smarts

Create an animation of the total solar eclipse with Keynote and Magic Move

First, you definitely need to show this TED-Ed 4 min video to explain it all

Then, view Apple EDU’s tweet with model eclipse animation

https://twitter.com/AppleEDU/status/898214860185632772/video/1

To recreate with Keynote, view this how-to example of step-by-step recreation from Koen Marien

Or here is a simpler, 30 sec animation that students more easily recreate with Keynote’s Magic Move

This was my first attempt at trying it, but now I know a little more I could add. Challenge your students to create something better than mine!

September update: Here is just one example of an O'Neill High School 8th grade student example created from this concept. Congratulations!

Introducing CLIPS

Last Spring Apple introduced a brand new app that gives us a fun way to build an expressive story.  Available for free for all iOS products (iPhone, iPad, etc.) it is simply called Clips.

Why learn a new tool to create digital stories?
Clips allows you to...

• avoid the learning curve that you may encounter with many multimedia creation apps 
• record, edit, and share all on the go (designed for a purely mobile experience)
• add a variety of creative filters, overlays, background music and more... all with open usage rights
• engage even the youngest of learners with its natural, intuitive workflow

When you launch the app you will see that Clips is designed for immediate recording. There are 3 sources for capturing: video, photos, or pull in anything from your camera roll/Photos Library.

*A big difference from what some of us more traditional video creators might be used to is that you have to hold the red record button for the entire duration of what you want to capture. (For example if you are bringing in a prerecorded video or photo, you have to hold the record button the entire time the video is playing, or you will only add that much to your Clips project. 

* TIP: Press and slide to the left on the red record button to lock it in recording mode. This frees up your fingers to interact with your photo or video... for example, pinch to zoom and move it around in the square frame. 

The 4 cool buttons at the top allow you to do the following:
1) Live Titles (Your speech will be typed on screen in time with you saying it (like closed captioning)
2) Filters (add fun effects to any part(s) of your video
3) Overlays (Select from pre-made 'stickers', pinch, zoom, rotate, edit text)
4) Posters (Full screen backgrounds with editable text and a bit of included animation)

*The ability to take one photo, zoom in, point and label, zoom out, and create simple, smooth pans truly elevates the media created with Clips above that of a traditional slide show.

Clips always adds new content to the end of your project, but you can easily tap, hold, and drag to move its position anywhere in your 'timeline' across the bottom. Additional editing can include editing the text from your transcribed live titles, muting audio, trimming the ends of each clip, and deleting clips.

One of the most powerful features of Clips when using it the classroom is the background music option. By clicking the music note button in the upper right of Clips, you have access to numerous soundtracks of royalty-free music. Each adjusts to match the timing of your project and even automatically fades in and out depending on pre-existing audio!

Sharing options are numerous and simple. In addition to a variety of social media outlets, each Clips projects can be saved to the camera roll for additional remixing, app smashing, and sharing.

Now, watch a Clips video about a simple project using Clips with kids!


View so many more inspiring ideas by searching the hashtag #ClassroomClips on social media sites such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Do More With... iWork

Let's take a closer look at what sets Apple's iWork apps apart from other app suites by exploring a few skills and accompanying projects possible in Keynote.

• Use Shapes Library & Drawing Tools --- to create --- Infographics
• Use Magic Move --- to create --- Animated Learning
• Use Links and invisible buttons --- to create --- Quiz Shows

Don't hesitate to begin with the free Starter Guides from Apple Teacher:

• Keynote for Mac Starter Guide
• Keynote for iPad Starter Guide

Next explore the big ideas outlined above:

Use Shapes Library & Drawing Tools --- to create --- Infographics

Use Magic Move --- to create --- Animated Learning

Ben Mountz's 'Magical' Presentation about Keynote's 'Magic Move'

Use Links and invisible buttons --- to create --- Quiz Shows

This iTunes U course demonstrates how to use the slide linking feature of Keynote to create "Choose Your Own Adventure" type stories.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/course/write-your-own-adventure-interactive-fiction/id1032400189

And don't forgot about this Wednesday Webinar from last spring as an additional idea generator:

Critical Literacy: Text Dependent Reading & Writing for All

Critical Literacy: Text Dependent Reading and Writing for All from Katie Morrow

Also, the accompanying Canvas course is public as well: http://bit.ly/CritLit 

A decade of ADE lessons

Photo from Marco Antonio Torres

Yesterday marked exactly 10 years since this photo was taken: a decade of belonging to the Apple Distinguished Educator Community. In some aspects of my life 10 years is but a blink of the eye, but in terms of an educational movement and the passion to make a difference, 10 years is a sustainable force.

And a life-changing force that I don't take for granted.

This month I had the opportunity of attending my 11th ADE Institute-- the 2017 US ADE Academy held in Houston, Texas from July 17-20. During this it was easy to reflect on the lasting lessons I've learned as an ADE through a decade of experiences, a decade of nurtured growth, and most importantly a decade of perspective. These themes include:

• Relationships matter.
• To innovate, you need to create.

  Clipspiration: Quick Clips to inspire creativity in the classroom

• Access for all: all ages, all abilities, all interests

Get Started with Code 1 by Apple Education on iBooks

• There is joy in the learning process-- celebrate it!

 Learn Pharrell Williams’ Happy by Brent Paschke & Kiko Doran on iBooks

• and, again, relationships matter!

But it is really the shifts in my thinking, the ways that I've changed-- it is these lessons that stick with me even more strongly.

Firstly, global collaboration is one of our most untapped opportunities. This is true in all of education and especially true amongst our ADE Family. I used to think it was an educational 'extra', but I now see more than ever the absolute necessity of it. Why we don't call upon each other more often and in even more meaningful ways is a tragedy. So used to working in silos, as members of the ADE Community we have no excuse! Whether co-presenting at a conference, cooperating on a project across continents, or connecting one classroom with another, collaboration with my ADE community continues to be an area of emphasis in my professional practice.

Secondly, it isn't enough to be good. We must also be brave. Nothing could exemplify this more than Sady Paulson. Meeting her in person after following her for years via Mark Coppin was a lifetime highlight for me. And this wasn't the only embodiment of bravery that I see in my ADE family. It is everywhere, in so many ways. In the courage to think differently, to break the mold, to go beyond the minimum on a daily basis.

Third, design for the margins. "When you design for the margins, things work better for everyone."

Why create, present, educate, for the average when I can have a broader impact by addressing the needs of the outliers? There is no such thing as an 'average learner', so by targeting the far ends of the spectrum I can actually reach more in the process. This is a lasting lesson I have learned that has been reiterated by Apple's commitment to accessibility for all. It also is a guiding principle when working with other ADEs to create transformation concepts, content, and experiences. 

  

And finally, as I deal with yet another post-ADE-event let down, I now see conclusions differently. It isn't the end of an Institute, Academy, or even a decade. But rather, each conclusion is a call to action. There is so much unfinished business for me and for all of us as ADEs! And that is what will continue to drive me forward for hopefully many more decades to come.

Creating Infographics: Drawing Tools with Pages and Keynote

The drawing tools available in Apple's creation apps are simple, yet powerful. Even a non-artistically inclined person can create digital graphics without even leaving the application they are in! Even more importantly, the act of creating infographics can lead to deeper understanding and longer-term learning for students.

Note: Whether demonstrating the drawing tools in Pages, Numbers, Keynote, or even iBooks Author, the process is the same. Use these ideas as starting points. What kinds of lessons do you teach that would lend themselves to students creating information-filled graphics?

First some teaching resources:

Creating Infographics is an excellent learning activity in content areas as well.   

See a few student examples about the Rock Cycle from Kevin Morrow's 8th grade Science class here. Mr. Morrow commented on how visible the student creations made their understanding of the science content he had taught. In addition, he enjoyed the variety and creativity that the project allowed for. 

Click to advance slideshow through multiple student examples. Or visit the collection at https://www.flickr.com/photos/kmorrow/sets/72157682304347790 

Additional links and resources:

• Kathy Schrock's Guide to Infographics as a Creative Assessment
• 15 free infographics templates from Hubspot

Student Publishing: Merging analog and digital with augmented reality

Don't abandon printed projects... just enhance them with technology integration!

This was a driving force in a recent project I had the honor of working on with the West Holt 4th grade classes. Mrs. Shirley Rossman wanted to create a class book to demonstrate their collective knowledge of Nebraska history. And the 150th anniversary of Nebraska's statehood was the perfect backdrop. 

Excitingly, she reached out to me looking for ways to infuse digital media into the printed, bound book that she envisioned as a class product. We collaborated to design an augmented reality experience for the reader, where each student's two-page spread could be brought to life with AR. 

This was our process:

1. Text development

Students selected their Nebraska topics, researched them, and wrote their text narrative for their page.  The pages of the book were mapped out on large classroom posters. To preserve the authentic student-authored look and feel, Mrs. Rossman had each student hand write their text onto one of the page templates to go to the Schoolmate Publishing Company that she had selected to produce the class book. 

 

2. Create trigger images

Students created original artwork to accompany each page of text, again drawing by hand on the book template pages. I used the iPad to take a quick photo of each student's page of artwork so that I could designate each one as a trigger image for the augmented reality we planned to build in. 

*Side Note: I applaud the originality and creativity of the students' hand-drawn images. While it would have been easy to find images online or even create them digitally, the authenticity of these students' illustrations makes the book extra special. 

3. Create media assets

Each student had the opportunity to create at least one media asset to accentuate their topic. We talked about bringing their research "to life" and trying to enhance the content in a creative, not simply redundant way. This was truly where student choice and voice could shine. App which I demonstrated as suggestions to choose from included:

• Chatterpix
• Tellagami
• Toontastic/Toontastic 3D
• Puppet Pals 1&2
• WordFoto
• iMovie
• DoInk Greenscreen

Nearly every app was new to the students but the definitely jumped in and learned quickly! Some student seven created multiple assets that could be selected when readers scanned their image. Mrs. Rossman did a wonderful job of coordinating additional parent volunteers, para professionals' help, and simply workspace on the days we reserved for media production. 

We did post all the video assets on a YouTube playlist, just as a secondary way to showcase the students' work and creativity. 

4. Blipp-building with Blippar

While Mrs. Rossman sent away the physical pages of the book to be printed and bound, I began working to develop the augmented reality interface.

I selected Blippar as our AR platform because of its reputation with education, in addition to its free price. Teachers can sign up for the Blipp-builder dashboard and create unlimited "blimps" for their classroom, completely for free.  Blippar, the app which readers will use to 'scan' the pages, is free as well, and available from both the iTunes and Google Play Store.

While the blimps created with an educational account aren't "public" they can easily be viewed with a simply "campaign code." This is a 5 digit number that users enters into the settings of the app prior to scanning. We put these directions as the pregame page in our book:

The Blippar dashboard asks you to first name your campaign: West Holt 4th Grade NE History Book and then create a blipp for each student by uploading their trigger image. 

To add to the interaction, you have several options. The student's media asset can be displayed on initial startup. Or you can add a "button" for the user to tap to initiate the media asset. Sometimes I used generic buttons from the Blippar library, but often I used a custom logo that I created for the project and uploaded to the Blippar library. 

Various actions can be accommodated on each tap. Ones we primarily used included:

• play video (either uploaded directly to Blippar or linked online)
• view image gallery
• go to URL
• open PDF

Each blipp needs to be saved and published individually, but all can be accessed with the one campaign code in the app. 

It seems there is a world of untapped potential to blips-building and I have a feeling that we only scratched the surface with this project!