Diary of a Techie Chick: illustrating

Showing posts with label illustrating. Show all posts

A Year in Review .... 2014

I've grown a lot personally and professional throughout 2014. My family even reached memorable milestones. From my oldest son turning 16 and started driving himself around. To my daughter starting kindergarten while my youngest son started high school. 2014 for me is going down in my record book of a year of growth.

I started 2014 off by hopping on an airplane headed to FETC. I was glad a had a friend traveling with me to help guide my way during such huge conference. Thanks Brenda for the guidance and the little push, without you I don't think I would be heading down my new path. I do believe that FETC has been the largest conference I had attended in my career in education.

The hardest and most memorable journey I took was hopping on a plane to go to iPadpalooza. I hadn't really traveled by myself before, but thankfully there was a kind face waiting for me when I landed. Wendy opened up her home to me and watched over me while I was at iPadpalooza. Wendy you will never know how much your kindness help me get over a huge hurdle in my life.

I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people face to face in 2014. From Adam Bellow, Kathy Schrock, Wesley Fryer, Todd Nesloney Brad Waid, Drew Minock, Kevin Honeycutt, Ginger Lewman, to the Blue Bunny gals at SimpleK12. I even met some amazing people online which I hope some day I will be able to meet face to face such as Craig Yen, Sheryl Place, Monique Dalli, Jess McCarthy, and Terri Eichholz just to name a few.

My PLN has grown tenfold in 2014. Without these amazing people online and in person belonging to my personal learning network I don't think I would have

grown as much as I have. If I need help I know I can reach out to them and they are there to lend me a hand. If it wasn't for their support I don't think I could have hopped on those planes and head off to uncharted territory.

If I had to pick a theme song for 2014 it would be Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield. I totally believe that today is where my book begins and the rest is still unwritten. I feel that 2014 has started the first chapter of my this amazing journey I am on. I am not sure where this journey is taking me, but I know I will learn a lot along the way.

If I had to pick a theme song for the end of 2014 and the start of 2015 I would have to go with Let it Go by Idina Menzel. I have this passion building up and I need to learn to let it go and let others see me. I've been told that others have heard me through my blog, but now they want to see me. See what I really have to offer. I would like to extend the walls of my classroom to reach the world. I want to share how to bring learning to life, even if it is just one classroom at a time. I attended a Launch Me workshop and have connected with lots of people from around the world that would love to see me

achieve my dream. With their help and support I believe that I will be able to change my theme song to This Girl is on Fire by Alicia Keys.

I can't wait to see how 2015 unfolds and where I go from here.

Website - katieannwilson.com

GTA 2014 ....

Today I took a step closer to becoming a Google Certified Trainer. I submitted my application to be considered to become a Google Certified Teacher and attend the Google Teacher Academy this summer. Over spring break I passed the tests and became a Google Educator.

Part of the application process is creating a 1 minute video showing how you innovate in the classroom or educational community to generate a positive change. Using some of my iMovie skills and pictures I had of my students working with a variety of tools I created the following 1 minute video clip. In the pictures you will see my students seeing a different reality via Augmented Reality, creating Green-Screen projects, and using a variety of Google Tools including Google Draw for illustrating. My favorite pictures are they ones of students using Google Glass. That tools has really blown the minds of my students.

I like to think that I inspire others to think outside the box, see a different kind of reality, to look beyond what they know, and to create something original. I hope this video shows that. It is really hard to put everything you want to say in only 1 minute. I wanted to add all the conferences and Edcamps I have attended as well as presented at and the many ways I connect and share Google Apps with educators. I think I would have needed 5 minutes just for that alone.

My Favorite Apps or Tools for 2013 ....

colAR Christmas Tree

2013 has been a great year to explore new apps and web tools. Listed below are just a few of my favorite apps or web tools.

Apps or Web Tools to Try:

Evernote - Great for Notes & Organizing
Toontastic - Great for Story Telling
Pixlr - Online Photo Editor
Edmodo - Online Teaching Tool
colAR - Augmented Reality Coloring Pages
Layar Creator - Augmented Reality Creator
ARFlashcards - Augmented Reality Flashcards, Dino Cards, & Space Cards
Simplek12 - Online Teacher Community and Professional Development
Elements 4D by DAQRI - Augmented Reality
Quizlet - Online Flashcard Creator
Symbaloo - Great Tool to Organize
Veescope Live Full Version - Green-Screen Tool
Weebly - Website or Blog Creator
Twitter - Great way to learn from other educators.
Prezi - Online Presentation Tool
VoiceThread - Online Presentation Tool
DocScan - Turn Documents into PDF files with your Smartphone.
Remind101 - Safe way to send text messages.
Padlet - Online Sticky Board
Educreations - Learning Tool, Presentation Tool, White Board
Animoto - Presentation Tool
LiveBinders - Great for building a Digital Portfolio
Screencast-O-Matic - Screen capturing tool
Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Hangout, & Google Draw

If you haven't tried these tools or apps I suggest you give them a whirl.

App / Tool of the Week .... Google Draw

My students have been busy learning how to use Google Draw to illustrate for a children's story. They learned that they could layer shapes over other shapes to create a totally different shape or object. They also discovered that they could group their shapes together to avoid messing up their new object or shape.

I like to give my students a day of "Sandbox Day". On this day they get a chance to play around and learn a new app or tool. The only instruction I give them is explore and discover what the app or tool can do. Some students take off and go to town exploring, discovering, and trying different things. While others just look at the screen with a blank stare while repeating out loud that don't know what to do. As teachers we can't assume just because they are kids and they have grown up with all of this technology around them that they know how to use it. I like think of myself as a cheerleader for my kids. I encourage them to try things, click on something, hover your mouse over items or tools. Once they get over the fear of trying something new some amazing creations start to flow.

Google Draw is free and can be found in your Google Drive. I suggest you play, click, explore, and
build something with this tool. It can be great tool for math, story telling, a writing prompt, and etc... It does have auto save like Google Docs and Google Sheets. I suggest making sure that you name each drawing so you don't end up with a dozen Untitled Draws. You can even make folders and save your drawing to them.

To use your Google Drawing as an image I suggest you download it as a jepg file. This way you can import your drawing into apps, iMovie, web tools and etc... When you are drawing you will notice your workspace has gray and white squares. If you do not cover your entire work area with shapes or color those squares will become a white background after you download your image.

Willy the Wiggle Worm - Created in Google Draw

Green-Screen Effect on the iPad ....

with Katie Ann Wilson

After I started in using my Green-Screen in my classroom it became a buzz around our school. Since I have computers I can use to create the Green-Screen effect teachers that have iPads asked if there was an app for that. I did a little digging and research, even though there is an iMovie app it does not do the Green-Screen effect at this time. This discovery made me look into other apps and if it was even possible to create the Green-Screen effect with the iPad and not costing an arm and a leg. My search lead me to Veescope Full. The app does coast $2.99 but I think it worth it. Veescope Full is very easy to use. You select an image from your Photo Library on your iPad, stand in front of your Green-Screen, or in my case my green wall and record. The image you had picked from your Photo Library is now your background. Once you finish with your recording it saves in your Photo Library on your iPad. You can share it like you would any video or photo.

I have tried doing the Green-Screen effect just using my iPad to record and doing the effect in iMovie on the computer. Now that I have used the iPad to create the Green-Screen effect video I have to say the Veescope Full app is much easier. The only issue I had and this could be the techie in me is that you can't change the background image during a recording unless you stopped the recording change the background and then continued recording. Maybe in the future the company will add a feature that will let you rotate background images while recording.

Tip:

Do not download the Live version. It will cost you $2.99 in app purchase to create a Green-Screen effect video. Download the FULL version.
You can really use any solid color to do the effect, just don't let the person recording wear the same color as the background they are standing in front of. I did find out that green is still the best color to use.
Invest in a tripod and iPad mount to help keep your videos from having the swaying feel to them.
Record in a silent area.

Courses/Workshops:

I am now offering some courses/workshops on the topic of Green-Screen an iPad.

Visit my website for more details. - www.katieannwilson.com

Digital World Meets Reality With AR....

To define augmented reality it is an enhanced version of reality created by the use of technology to overlay digital information on an image of something being viewed through a device such as an iPad.

My Social Studies students created an AR project with the use of the LAYAR Creator and the LAYAR App.

How We Created the Project:

Students drew on paper their name in Greek. (Make sure to use bold colors.)
Name tags were scanned to make them digital.
We uploaded the digital name tags to the Layar Creator. (This becomes your trigger image.)
We had already created our Ancient Greece Artifact Videos (with Green-Screen effect) and our Ancient Greece Presentations via Prezi. After we uploaded the digital name tages students were able to overlay their videos and presentation on top of their digital name tag in the Layar Creator.
When everything was in place we then published our AR Campaign to make it live.
We tested our creations by scanning the original drawings with the Layar app.

Tips:

If creating an image on paper make sure the colors are bold or well defined.
You have to verify your Layar account via email before you can publish.
Make all trigger images digital if you are creating them on paper, clay, poster, and etc... Scan the trigger image or take a digital photo.

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.

Digital Storytelling the Green-Screen Way....

As part as a rule I have for myself I never have my students do anything I haven't done. So with that in mind I created a digital story with a green-screen effect. Their assignment was to illustrate a story using Google Draw and then record themselves telling their story in front of the green-screen. After they are done recording their story then they are to import their video into iMovie and put together their Digital Story with a little help from me.

The 1st step in creating a green-screen effect digital story is to have your illustrations done first followed by your story typed up. It is best to memorize your story so that you appear that you are telling your story not reading it from a script. I do recommend that you practice several times telling your story in front of the green-screen before you record it.

Here is my story I created for my students.

Steps:

Draw your illustrations. (I used Google Draw.)
Record in front of the green-screen telling the story. (I used the video recorder on my iPad.)
Import your video into iMovie.
On the story board in iMovie drag and drop your illustrations in order. You can change the timing of your pictures. On most of my illustrations I had them timed to 10 seconds.
Add a Title and the Author.
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 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 uploaded my story to my teacher YouTube account.

Tips:

Record in a quiet room.
Be patient.
Make sure you have Advance Tools showing in iMovie.

Your story board should look like this once you have overlaid your video
on top of your illustrations.

I did find an iPad app that does do Green-Screen effects. I will post more information about the app once I have had a chance to really play with it.

Removing a Green-Screen as Easy as 1, 2, 3 with Gimp

I've been playing around with different photo editing tools. I have always loved Gimp. It is like Photoshop but the cost is way better, if you like free. It is a program you have to download and they do have a version for Windows and Mac.

Steps to remove the Green:

Always make a copy of the original photo, just in case you really mess up you still have the original.
Open your photo in Gimp.
Go to Layers and Add an Alpha Channel.
In your Tools choose the Color Pick Tool.
Click on the Green background. It should outline your main subject.
Go to "Edit" and choose "Clear". You make have to repeat a few times.
Create a New Layer and make sure it is Transparent.
Open the photo that will become your background in Gimp.
Using the "Select" tool, select what you want to copy.
Go to "Edit" choose "Copy".
Go back to your 1st photo, the one you removed the green from.
Click on your new layer. Go to "Edit" and choose "Paste".
You will need to click on the "Anchor" icon in the Layer window and "Anchor" it to the new background layer.

I did find a YouTube video clip that shows the steps.

Tech Tips:

Always make a copy of your photo before you begin to edit it.
You can always undo something if you mess up or you don't like what the program did.
Be patient.

Dynamic Presentation with JUX...

What is Jux? Jux is away to showcase your stories. You share words, photos and videos for a dynamic effect. It works with Desktop/Laptop, iPad and iPhone. This web tool would be great for a presentation, creative writing project, showcase a video project, or anything else you can dream. To test out this dynamic tool I wrote a little note to my sons "Superpowers".

Tips:

Try it out 1st before presenting it to your students.
For longer stories or projects add several pages.
Use bold dynamic photos to capture your audience.

Ethan in the Clouds....

Ethan in the Clouds ....

I recently attending the MACE 2013 conference in Manhattan, KS. One of the session I attended was Digital Media and the use of Green-Screens and Digital Storytelling. During Spring Break I took a portion of one of my classroom walls and painted it green. My son Ethan had to be my 1st victim, I mean volunteer to demonstrate the use of a Green-Screen. Using iMovie I made a 50 second clip putting Ethan in various scenic photographs.

You can use still photographs or video clips and overlay on top of either another photograph or video clip as long as your main subject is in front of a green or blue screen.

My Goal:

I teach my students how to draw using Google Draw. This nine weeks they will be working on a creative writing project were they will use Google Draw to illustrate their story. Once they are done with their story they will tell their story infront of the Green-Screen. I will them show them how to overlay their video of them telling their story on their illustrations. My vision is to have my students become apart of their story.

Tech Tips:

If you are wearing green don't be in front of the Green-Screen.
Use a lot of light to get rid of shadows.
Turn on Advance Settings in iMovie.

Willy the Wiggle Worm

Willy the Wiggle Worm ...

To help introduce the letter of the week I created this cute little story about Willy. He is a fun little wiggle worm that loves to wiggle his way around, he also loves watermelons. This little tale was made thanks to Little Bird Tales. I used Google Draw to illustrate this story but you can also use Little Bird Tales.

Click here to view Willy the Wiggle Worm.

Tech Tip:

I would have students write their story before creating it in Little Bird Tales.
Save and Save often. If you don't use will lose what you worked on.
Don't forget to give your tale a title. If you don't you will have 50 Katie's Tales and will not know which tale is which.
If recording their voices make sure they are in a quiet room.

Oliver Dreams Big

Oliver Dreams Big .....

My daughter gets to be a helper in school in which she will be helping to introduce the letter "O". Me being the Techie Teacher thought how cool would it be if the two of us wrote and illustrated a book for her class. Using the Digital Storytelling web tool Little Bird Tales we created the story "Oliver Dreams Big". I wanted Oliver to be orange octopus and she wanted him to be an octagon. Together with collaboration we created Oliver the Orange Octagon Octopus who lives in a big blue ocean. We used Google Draw to create our under water world that Oliver lives in.

Teacher Resources:

Tech Tip:

If you use Google Draw you will need to download your picture as a jpeg so you can upload it into Little Bird Tales.
You can also draw within Little Bird Tales.
You can even record your child reading the story you create together.

Digital Posters .... Glogster Edu Style

For the month of October I had my Keyboarding Class create digital Posters to either inform people about Internet Safety or Cyberbullying. We used Glogster Edu to create some very interactive digital posters. My students had to research their topic either Internet Safety or Cyberbullying. Then they had to create a digital poster over their topic. Below is the the Glogster I created to introduce the assignment.

Student Created Glogs:

Tech Tip:

Have your teacher account created before you have your students set up theirs.
If you are a Google Apps School have your students login with their Google Account.
Have examples on how you would like your students to create their digital poster.

Presentations from Basic to Interactive

Presentations are no longer just for Microsoft PowerPoint. You can create some very dynamic interactive presentations via online presentation tools. My 8th grade Computer Apps class is doing a Endangered Animal Research and Presentation project. I took the same animal and created 4 different presentations. Part of Common Core Standards has students making choices and creating using technology.

Click Here to view my lesson for my Endangered Animal Research and Presentation project.

Web Tools Used:

Bibme.org

SlideRocket.com

Google Presentations

Zoho Show

Prezi

Google Docs

My Presentations:

My Prezi - Spotted Linsang

My Google Presenation - Spotted Linsang

My SlideRocket - Spotted Linsang

My Zoho Show - Spotted Linsang

Tech Tips:

Before your students create a presentation make a few yourself using the tools you wish your students to use. I wouldn't use more than 4 different online presentation tools.
Let students pick the tool they would like to use for their presentation.
Have a clear list on what you are requiring from a presentation.

Lil'a and the Treasure Hunt

My kids give me the greatest joy in life, so I wanted to write a series of children's books with characters based off of my them. This past year I learned a lot about different ways to get books published. After I finished by research I decided to do self-publishing via Lulu. I now had a story line and a place to publish my book but no illustrations. Being a tech savvy person I decided to teach myself how to draw using my computer. I try to draw in several tools such as Google Draw and SMART Notebook tools to draw the different objects I wanted in my book.

Every object/picture in my book is made by layering shapes. I had to learn how to layer the shapes, lock the shapes, and add color or texture to each shape. Lil'a and the Treasure Hunt is my 1st attempt in writing and illustrating my 1st children's book. From going through this process in creating this book spawned some teacher resources that relates to the story.

Click here to view my Lulu store.

Click here to view my TPT store to find teacher resources for Lil'a.

Sneak Peek to book #2