10/08/18
Today's workshop explored available tools educators can use to present information, from iBooks, to Hype and Screenflow. The capabilities of these tools are incredible, and they open up a new world of opportunities teachers in the way they shape their students' learning experience. I tested some of these out, so check out some resources that came from these programs, where to download them, and their potential uses in a classroom context:
iBooks and Bookry
iBooks is a fantastic software that allows owners of apple devices to view PDFs (in a classroom setting these may include worksheets, textbooks, sheet music/scores) and iBooks (essentially, incredibly interactive PDFs). iBooks Author allows anyone to create their own iBooks with a number of interactive elements (widgets), giving teachers the freedom to present information in clear and engaging ways - when used effectively. More than this, Bookry allows the inclusion of even more widgets in your iBook - amazingly, it's completely free and easy to use (complete with tutorial videos, making it failsafe for teachers of all technological backgrounds).
To test both iBooks Author and Bookry out, I decided to transfer some student resources I created last year to aid the learning of an arrangement of and improvising on Just Friends from the original powerpoint to an iBook.
Here is the original PP, the new (and hopefully improved) iBook resource, and a screen-recording to demonstrate how easy it was to use a Bookry widget. Of course, there is a lot more possible with this resource, with the inclusion of all parts, recordings of parts and videos (tutorials and score recordings exported from Sibelius). However, this was just a test of the difference in experience creating the resource and the difference in presentation/usability.
In terms of making the resource, I didn't find that there was much difference in difficulty when inputting the content. Although I did have to google how to add an audio onto an image, which ended up being pretty easy, and it isn't something I worked out how to do on PP. Overall, the user experience seems smoother on the iBook, with hyperlinks between various pages and nicer looking buttons to press (being images in most cases). The issue with the iBook is the usability in a classroom context with BYOD, where not all students have apple devices (unless the school had easy access to a class set of iPads, but even then that doesn't solve the issue of using the resource at home, which was the intention). PP, however, is available on every platform. The day an equivalent service is available on windows will be a great day.
Tutorial Videos: ScreenFlow and Final Cut Pro
Making tutorial videos is widespread practice across the internet, and has been for many years. ScreenFlow is an amazing application that allows the creation of tutorial videos (with screen-recording, voice recording and editing these). Final Cut Pro is another program that allows the editing of videos, and if you have Logic Pro, you can communicate directly between the programs to get great audio too (watch this video to see how).
Since students are accustomed to consuming information through this format, it is useful for teachers to consider this medium. It would be particularly helpful when incorporating Informal Learning Practices (e.g. making a tutorial video demonstrating how to play a bass line in a song, instead of just providing notation - check out the video below for an example).
For more of these, visit https://aper2065.wixsite.com/royals for more tutorial videos (all made using Final Cut Pro) and heaps more resources to learn/teach Royals by Lorde in a classroom (as well as a composition activity).
HTML5: Hype and Google Web Designer
(Visit this website for more info on what exactly HTML5 - Hypertext Markup Language - is).
Apps like Hype and Google Web Designer allow the creation and inclusion of interactive elements and means of presenting information, with no need to code. Hype allows you to export to Dropbox and embed on your website. Unlike iBooks, there's no need to worry about the device that students use, being web-based, which is a big plus.
Copyright
With all this sharing of information on the internet, it's easy to take things like images and accidentally make it your own. So it's important to check where it comes from and how we can use it, some places to search copyright/search directly for free images:
https://search.creativecommons.org/
https://pixabay.com/
When using www.images.google.com, go to tools > usage rights > labeled for non-commercial use, to search for images that are open source
Free Online Resources
MusicaViva provide free interactive iBooks that take students through music of various cultures (pairing nicely with their in-school visits)
The State Library of NSW provide a number of free online resources
Final Thoughts
The accessibility of these programs makes it so easy for educators to explore different ways of presenting their content, expand the range of experiences to suit the different learning styles of students in classrooms, and relate to students digital consumption of information. However, the number of programs available can be daunting for teachers who are not familiar with these technologies, and for those who are time poor it can be easier to revert to traditional ways of presenting information (hopefully this post can help that!). This isn't to say that traditional ways are now obsolete and should be disregarded. In fact, it is important to not use technology for technology's sake - ensure that the choice to present students with information is deliberate, whether that be through traditional/analogue or digital means.