Today’s task was part one of developing our own expertise in using animation programmes and to identify the benefits of using animation in the classroom. “Animation breathes life into something that wouldn’t normally move, this could be a drawing, a puppet or an object (Movingimageeducation.org). Having had the opportunity today to play about with Puppet Pals app and iStopMotion app, I can see the massive benefits using Animation can have in our education system. Using ICT tools can bring more creativity and freedom to a lesson and I believe from my experiences with these tasks through the module that it would keep a child engaged with learning for a longer period of time. This is further back up by Beauchamp, 2012) whom states “ICT resources help to avoid boredom (and potentially increase motivation”. To finish off todays class we had to organise ourselves into groups and plan an animation using iStopMotion.
Having used Puppet Pals app today, I was able to create a short story about beauty and the beast. I managed to include voice recordings, movement and changed the size of the characters. I found this app easy to use as there wasn’t too much to it. Reflecting on previous weeks I have found this app probably one of the easier ones. I used another app called iStopMotion and this was to create a short animation which involves movement using a bendy figure. “Animation is created when you film one still image of your subject, change it a bit, film another still image, change it again and so on until you build up a sequence of still images. And when its payed back it appears to move” (movingimageedcuation.org). This statement sums up the iStopMotion app and I felt this allowed me to be fully creative on my own with no help unlike the Puppet Pals app. I would use the iStopMotion app for more second level children and possibly use the Puppet Pals app for first level.
Jarvis (2007, P. 28) stated “We should always bear in mind that all technology is simply a set of tools, and that what we do with it should conform to principles of effective learning just like any other mode of teaching”. I think this is a really important statement by Jarvis and as a group we have planned our animation out to use the set of tools we have to its maximum use for effective learning by conforming to the principles of teaching.
Overall, I have enjoyed developing my own expertise using a couple of animation apps and I have thoroughly enjoyed working in a group planning our animation on iStopMotion for next weeks class. I am interested to see what skills will be developed through this and would it enhance learning.
References
Beauchamp G. (2012) ICT in the Primary Classroom: From Pedagogy to Practice. Pearson.
Jarvis, M (2015) Brilliant ideas for using ICT in the classroom.Routledge
Movingimageseducation.org
