Looks What Playing....

Looks What Playing....

To make sure I included writing, listening, speaking skills into my keyboarding class I had my students illustrate, write, and record a digital story.  They recorded their stories in front of the green-screen so that their illustrations would be displayed behind them as they told their stories.  It took several takes but we finally had our stories.

Tools Used:

• The iPad's built in camera for recording.
• A tripod with a iPad mount to hold the iPad still.
• iMovie to put it all together.
  

Steps Before Recording Stories:

• Students created their illustrations in Google Draw.  Students could draw out their illustrations on paper and scan them.  Illustrations just need to be digital to be added to iMove. 
• Students composed their stories in Google Docs.
• Students practice in front of the green-screen several times before recording.

Steps in Creating Our Digital Stories:

• Illustrations need to be saved as a jpeg (a picture file) and imported into iPhoto if using a Mac or saved in a folder on your Windows computer.
• Video recordings need to be imported into iPhoto if using a Mac or imported into your Windows video editing software.
• In iMovie create a new Project without any themes.
• On the story board in iMovie drag and drop your illustrations in order.  They can be found when you click on the camera icon on the bottom right side.  
• You can change the timing of your pictures by click on the arrow on your illustrations placed on the story board.  On most of my illustrations we had them timed to 10 seconds.
• Add a Title and the Author slide those can be found right tight next to the camera icon by clicking on the T icon.
• Change the Preference settings in iMovie so that you can see the Advance Tools. (You only have to do this once.)
• Drag your video and drop it onto your illustrations on the story board.  You must drop your video ON TOP of your illustrations in the story board.  You will see a Green Circle with a Plus Sign.  When you do drop your video and choose Green-Screen.
• Adjust your timing so that your illustrations match up with your story telling.  (This does take practice.)
• Share your creation.  I have uploaded our stories to my teacher YouTube account and also have housed them on a Symbaloo board.
  
  

Tech Tips:

• Record in a silent area.  We discovered that the mic on the iPad loved to pick up background sounds.
• Practice telling your stories several times before recording.  This helps relax the storyteller.
• Don't delete video recordings off the iPad or camera until after your project is finished.  Just in case you delete the video off the computer you still have the original recording.
• If you are using a Windows computer you will need to be familiar with its video editing software.

To view our stories you can visit my Teachers YouTube Channel or my Symbaloo board.