I posted about movie making a while back and included ideas like using the super simple APP Educreations, but I didn’t give you details…so here we go!
Educreations is like giving a student their own interaction whiteboard and having them create. You can add images, text, handwriting, maps, and more.
Last year I used it in my 3rd grade Media class when students did their “typing test”. I gave them a paragraph about butterflies to type, then they were given a list of things to add (their name, a selfie, two butterfly images), and narration. All of this had to be completed in 25 minutes of class. AND I NEVER TAUGHT EDUCREATIONS TO THEM!!! Everyone finished and had amazing work. Some students didn’t want a face selfie, so they included eyeballs, feet, elbows, and more. Here are some examples:
My 4th grade team wanted to make books for their Social Studies units, so they used Educreations. They studied the industry in Florida, then created their book/movie. Here are some examples:
Amoozing Cattle Industry (I’d give it an A for the name alone.)
How to lessons by 2nd grade
Here is a simple how to guide for Educreations. Check youtube for video tutorials.
How to Educreations
The free version only allows a limited number of drafts and movies. I pay $11.99 a month to have unlimited. This gives me a little more freedom and options.
Click on the APP icon (there is also a website)
To write with your finger, touch the pencil at the top and touch the color desired. Then write. to erase, touch the eraser beside the pencil.
To add typed text, touch the plus sign at the top select the letter A. Now touch the screen and type. You can adjust font size and color. When finished, click done.
To add photographs, touch the plus sign. Now select the picture icon. You can also take pictures and add them in by touching the camera.
To add files from Dropbox, click the plus sign and the paper icon.
To add something from the internet (webpage, image, etc). Click the plus sign, then the world icon. Enter the URL. You can screenshot the page by touching the camera icon on the top right. This will put your screenshot on the page. You can now write and draw over it.
To add a map, click the plus sign and then the map icon. Enter the information, then take a screenshot with the camera.
You can duplicate the page by touch the plus sign inside the square.
You can change background by touching the lined rectangle on the top right.
To add the next page, touch the right arrow at the bottom.
When you have all of your pages complete it is time to make the movie.
You can add sound but there is no way to edit the sound. If you mess up you are stuck with it.
To add sound touch the microphone button and begin speaking. Touch the pause button to stop. You can have a continuous recording or stop on each page.
If you do not want sound, you still have to record for timing if you want the movie to play on it’s own. Turn the microphone off or just turn off sound when playing. Touch the microphone and advance the pages as fast/slow as you want.
To save your work, touch the back arrow coming from the square. You can save as a draft, then go back and work more, or you can save finished video.
You can share by touching the up arrow inside the square, then selecting how to share it. You can save it to your iPad camera roll and share from there as well.