360 Visit London virtual tour

I have previously written about the amazing website AirPano and the potential uses of it in the classroom here.   I have also written about 360 video and virtual tours here as I believe they are one of the most engaging ways to inspire writing.

The 360 Visit London virtual tour is a great website which, as you might expect, allows you to take in the sights of some of the capital's most iconic landmarks. 

http://360.visitlondon.com/#

Simply move around the image to see it from all angles before clicking on your desired landmark. 

Your perspective changes depending on the landmark you choose; from the view from the London Eye, to greet level and even inside buildings.

On the right you'll notice an 'information' tab which gives you a brief introduction to the landmark as well as a link to more information.  

On the left you'll see a map of the city to give you a better idea of where you are in relation to the rest of the capital. 

Obviously the website is aimed at tourists but I think it's a perfect way for your children to explore London from your classroom.  They could take screen shots of interesting views and places, follow directions on a trail to see various landmarks, or simply use the site to inspire writing or further research - there is so much potential.  

Have a look and please let me know if you decide to use this site with your children. 

Thanks!

Tom 

@teach_fresh

Fused Double Exposure App

This is a great app for blending and merging photos and/or videos together.  It's very simple to use but the results are great and strikingly professional; have a look. 

Simply choose a 'Background' and then a 'Foreground' image or video to begin. These can be from your camera roll, the 'Collections' page (free and paid for images and videos from selected artists) or from the Search page - which as you might have guessed, allows you to search for specific images.  

Once you've chosen your images/videos it's just a case of deciding how to blend them together to get the look you're after - this is easier than it sounds!

The mask tool is especially useful in that you can erase/draw back sections of your images/videos.  

This app has a great deal of potential and the fact that it's so easy to use means your children can create a great quality product relatively quickly and have fun doing so. 

Let me know if you use it with your class! 

Thanks, 

Tom 

@teach_fresh

MSQRD app

This app is amazing.  I could explain what it does but to be honest you need to see it and experience it to really appreciate it. 

Watch the video to see exactly what you can do and then download it and have a play around for yourself!  It could be used for hot seating and impersonating/empathising with characters, personifying animals or just to have fun!  You could even use it in terms of a 'you never know who you're talking to online' e-safety session.  There is so much potential. 

There is even a Minecraft block-head style effect!

Check it out! 

Thanks, 

Tom 

@teach_fresh

Pop music PSHE

The National Curriculum guidance for PSHE is a little vague to say the least (you can see it here)  It can often be overlooked and can be one of those subjects many teachers just don't manage to find time for, bar the odd circle time/parachute game.  How about using music to engage children and initiate conversations?  Difficult topics such as racism, sexism, equality, terrorism, poverty and the environment could all be brought up in this way. 

Below are some examples that could be used; I haven't used all of them (we did have some great discussions after listening to the first two songs on the list though!) It is also worth noting this is by no means an exhaustive list and I am sure there are many songs I could have included but haven't - please feel free to suggest others!  

As well as sparking discussions you could also use some of the themes and key issues to allow children to create their own songs/raps/poems etc!  For example, apps like AutoRap, Garage Band and Ditty could all be used, as well as more traditional instruments for a more cross curricular PSHE/Music lesson.  Anyway, here is the list:

The Specials - Free Nelson Mandela

Black Eyed Peas - Where is the love? 

Michael Jackson - Earth Song

Michael Jackson - Black or White 

Michael Jackson - Man in the mirror 

Marvin Gaye - What's going on? 

John Lennon - Imagine 

Prince Ea - Dear Future Generations: Sorry

As I said earlier, please let me know if you can think of any more - there are some notable exceptions that I felt may not be completely appropriate for Primary School children, even though I'm aiming most of this list at KS2/Upper KS2.  Please let me know if you decide to use any of these with your children too!

Thanks,

Tom

@teach_fresh

Take your students back in time with VHS Camcorder!

VHS Camcorder from Rarevision allows you to recreate those grainy, jittering VHS videos that most (!) of us are old enough to remember.  There are so many ways you could incorporate this into the classroom, from creating back to the future style films to inspire writing, imagining what life was like years ago, recreating key moments in history or role playing/interviewing public figures.  

The app is very easy to use and literally only takes a couple of minutes of playing around with to see its potential.  

The menu has enough options to make the app interesting and engaging without becoming too daunting or fiddly. 

One of the best features is the date/title, which give a real authenticity to your videos.  You can also adjust the video resolution and frame rate very easily to add to the illusion.  

You can also zoom in and out and use the front facing camera for retro selfies too!

Let me know if you use this app and it would be great to see some videos if you do!

Thanks for reading 

Tom

@teach_fresh

T-Rex at school without a green screen!

I have previously blogged about inspiring writing by having dinosaurs at school here using the very simple and straightforward app Jurassic Paint.  Part of the reason I liked the app was that you don't need a green screen to have children and dinosaurs in the shot at the same time.  However, Jurassic Paint only allows you to place images of dinosaurs on photos.  Which is why I am writing about Efexio.

With Efexio you can add a moving T-Rex to a photo OR a video.  This means your children can film themselves running around the playground or the field and then add in the dinosaur to create a really professional looking scene, without using a green screen or any additional apps. This makes the process much more straight forward and a lot quicker, which gives you more time to concentrate on writing.  

The app has lots of extra content which you can purchase as the free options are fairly limited.  For me, the T-Rex is easily the best free effect you can use (there are also skeletons, fire and smoke)  The T-Rex alone makes the app worth downloading.  

What makes this app work so well is the editor, which allows you to change the position and orientation of the T-Rex as well as its shadow.  These options are easy to play with and really add to the authenticity of the scene, as you can finetune it so that it appears much more realistic. 

You can also preview your video as you edit it which means the children can instantly see what the finished product will look like. 

You can just add a photo as a backdrop but for me, a video is far more interactive in that your children can pretend they are running away from the dinosaur, which is much more fun!  

Please let me know if you decide to use this app to inspire writing with your class; it would be great to see any videos you make too! 

Thanks, 

Tom

@teach_fresh

Using Tim Peake in the classroom

With the release of Star Wars as well as Tim Peake's mission to the International Space Station, the children in my class (and probably yours) are totally obsessed with space.  After watching the launch and signing up to TES's Live Link on the 2nd February (if you haven't done so already make sure you do by clicking here) plus the interest surrounding his space walk today, Tim Peake has already inspired so many children to learn more about space.  We need to tap into that enthusiasm.

The following links all allow you to see what Tim Peake has and will continue to see, as you can virtually explore the ISS, the stratosphere, views of the Earth and much more.  By allowing your children to explore and imagine what life as an astronaut is like, it should inspire them to produce some amazing writing.  Whether it's a diary entry as Tim, a story about a space mission or a description of the views in space, there are so many possibilities and I am sure your children will be enthused and excited.  The following links are also all iPad friendly, so children could even take screen shots to make storyboards, import them into Book Creator or make a slideshow/movie with voice over.  You could even use some of the videos and tours as a green screen backdrop.  There is so much potential. 

Virtual tour of the ISS http://esamultimedia.esa.int/multimedia/virtual-tour-iss/

Live stream from the ISS http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/HDEV/

Follow the ISS in real time and see Tim Peake's view live. 

Virtual tour of the Discovery space shuttle http://360vr.com/2012/02/16/discovery-flight-deck_2193/

Whilst this doesn't have as much to do with Tim Peake, it's still a great tour that really gives you an insight into what life as an astronaut is like. 

Stratosphere AirPano http://www.airpano.ru/files/Stratosphere/m-2

Obviously not as high above the Earth as the ISS but this panorama still gives you some brilliant views.

Soyuz rocket launch AirPano http://www.airpano.ru/files/Rocket/m-2

Again, not specifically Tim Peake but still an interesting and engaging panorama. 

NASA interactive content, videos and pictures http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/mmgallery/index.html#.VplATHrfWK2

Lots of brilliant content here, from interactive tours to stunning photographs and videos of recent missions and operations. 

Please let me know if you use any of the ideas here or if you have any that I haven't mentioned!

Thanks, 

Tom

@teach_fresh