Category: Uncategorized

Get Going with Green Screen film-making in the classroom

So what is green-screen?

Essentially it’s using software or an app to combine different images or video so that one appears as if part of the other. The green screen part makes use of chroma-key feature of the app so that anyone standing in front of a green screen will appear in the video with the green screen not seen at all, but replaced by another chosen background image or video. Wikipedia gives a much fuller explanation here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chroma_key.

But how do I create a film in the classroom with green screen?

With an iPad, and a green screen app (such as the Doink green screen iPad app) and with anything in the background which is green (whether frieze paper on the wall or green sheeting, or specially made green screen fabric on a frame) you are ready to go.
Have a look at the Sway below for examples of videos created by pupils using the DoInk green screen iPad app, along with how-to guides to starting to use it yourself. And then it’s creativity on the part of your learners in the classroom – for further inspiration have a look at the DoInk green screen app blog  to see how others have shared about using green screen film-making in the classroom.

Getting Going with iPads in the classroom

So you’ve got iPads in your classroom? Where to start? Have a look at the Sway presentation below for a guide to some help to getting going with using an iPad in the classroom to support learning and teaching.

And if you’re wondering how iPads are being used in classrooms then have a look at the Sway presentation which collates some of the Tweets shared by Falkirk schools about how iPads are being used to support learning and teaching across the curriculum at all stages.

Apple Education 30 Time-Saving Tips for Teachers

Apple Education has provided a quick guide to “30 Time-Saving Tips for Teachers” – an at-a-glance list of tips which may be helpful to teachers in using iPads in learning and teaching. Each tip on the infographic has a link to a fuller description and how-to guide, so if one of the tips resonates with you, then just click on the link for a step-by-step guide to how to use the iPad feature.

Microsoft Educator Centre: what is it?


Microsoft Educator Centre is a site which provides free on-demand personalised learning for teachers in exploring the use of digital technologies to support learning and teaching – learning at a pace which suits each teacher on the topics they find most useful to them, at the time they need it.

Read more

Simulations to engage pupils in their learning

15 Simulations to Gamify Your Class – this post by Jacqui Murray lists and describes a variety of online tools which let learners interact with a situation and make choices, which lead to different options depending on their choices. These include historical situations, life choices, enterprise activities and science and technology scenarios where the learner has to understand the situations, make choices based on their knowledge, then to see what happens based on their choice. Jacqui Murray has also helpfully added further suggestions and tips for teachers using these simulation tools in a classroom context.
29 Games Kids Can Play to Try Engineering – a post by Richard Byrne describing and linking to several online game simulations with an engineering focus on the Try Engineering website. This website also includes 114 lesson plans on a host of engineering themes, including those associated with the simulation games.
More Online Learning Simulations– a post by Larry Ferlazzo listing and describing a range of online learning simulations with a focus on finance or economy at different stages, as well as providing a link to a further post by him of additional simulations sites.