Using Pic Stitch and Splice on iPads

Two great creation apps for students and educators to use on iPads are Pic Stitch, a photo collage creator, and Splice, a movie maker. These two apps can be used well with any subject. Of course there are other apps available that can do similar things. I also like Moldiv which is similar to Pic Stitch and Loopster which is similar to Splice. Splice is no longer free so if you are on a budget, you may want to choose Loopster.

What students can do with Pic Stitch or a similar app:

1. Make a collage representing a robust vocabulary word.
2. Report out on something they learned about, like The Great Depression, Abraham Lincoln, The Rain Forest, The Water Cycle etc.
3. A collage for parts of speech.
4. A field trip recap.
5. SOPs, Standard Operating Procedures.
6. Solving math problems.
7. Use the collages created in other applications like Splice, Loopster, Educreations, Popplet, etc.
8. The list could be endless so get creative and have fun.

What students can do with Splice or a similar app:

1. Book trailers!
2. Reports!
3. Commercials for subject related material.
4. Tutorials.
5. Demonstrating understanding of a target.
6. Recording and reflecting on fluency.

Students helped me create tutorials for Pic Stitch and Splice.

iPad Cart Tips and Ideas

Managing and sharing iPad carts can be tricky sometimes. Hopefully some of these tips may help make the process run a bit smoother. Even if you are fortunate enough to not share or your students have access to 1:1 iPads, these tips can be useful.

1. Post reminders/SOPs directly on the cart. (ex. Remember to log out of accounts.)

2. Mark iPads and storage slots with numbers and have students always use the same iPad. If something happens with an iPad, knowing who to have a conversation with comes in very handy.

3. Have the lock screen of an iPad be a picture of all the students who use that particular iPad. This step creates a quick reference for anyone who finds an iPad lying around.

4. Post QR codes on the cart for quick access to sites.

5. Put students in charge of updating apps.

6. Use a shared calendar, like Google Calendar, to sign out times for the cart to be in teacher classrooms.

7. Show students how to check battery percentage and plug in their device to be charged. A typical charge should last 2-3 days school days depending on use. (10 hours of use) Students should plug in the device at the end of the school day if the battery is between 20% - 40%. If a battery reaches 15% it should be plugged in immediately for a full charge. Watch this great 4min video by Tony Vincent on battery life. It may help your personal devices last longer as well.

ThingLink Keeps Getting Better and Better

Thinglink is a site that allows users to create interactive posters by embedding text, videos and sound onto a photograph. I have used the site with students via laptops and they love it. One great feature is that the creations can be embedded on a site for sharing purposes. Thinglink is a super tool for showcasing student's understanding of standards. What has made it even better is there is now an app for iOS. I am extremely excited about this app! The only missing feature is it looks like voice files can no longer be added and from the app users can not embed their creations. However, the user can share their work via Twitter and Facebook, plus send a link via email to someone. If you click open in Safari while in the app the user would need to log in and then they can share through a few more options plus copy the embed code to use on a website, blog, or wiki.

Below is a practice Thinklink I created using the app on an iPad mini. I am really looking forward to using this awesome tool with students.