Yeah, iPad Camp!
I am very excited to be preparing for four sessions of iPad Camp sponsored by the Friends of the Daura Gallery at Lynchburg College. There will be two 3 hour sessions a day, the first for students 8 to 12 years old and the second for teens and adults. Each camp lasts for 5 days. I have been pleased with the response and registration and am really looking forward to getting things rolling on Monday afternoon.
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| Lynchburg College Dell, Lynchburg, VA Credit:Imaginegod614 Wikipedia CC |
My objectives for the camp are primarily three fold:
1. introduce some well-tested tools for creative media production;
animation, video production and interactive books
It's important to remember this is about process, not everyone will have
a completed project at the end of 5 days. However, they will know how to do it.
2. support an exploration of those tools through the students original projects
3. walk the students through the steps professionals use to create media;
a good idea, planning with storyboards, asset creation and production
(Learn about my work as a professional media producer on my website.)
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| Storyboard template campers will use to plan their projects |
My First iPad
I bought my first iPad two years ago when it was gloriously obvious to me that it was an amazing tool for kids. The size and ease of access has proven to be a winner with kids and educators as well as the general population. Let's face it, iPads are here to stay (what ever that means in the world of technology).
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| A favorite animation tool for kids, FlipBoomCartoon |
What I didn't understand immediately was that an iPad is a complete mobile production studio. This aspect is very relevant to my curriculum for iPad Camp. I will introduce students to FlipBoom Cartoon, iMovie and Demibooks Composer Pro. We will be using Procreate as well for asset creation, ie making images that will be used in projects. I have used all of these tools with students as young as 6 and 7, so I know with carefully guidance, they will be accessible to my iPad camp students. Most of the students participating in the camps will be using one of Lynchburg College's 30 iPads. Other students who are bringing their own iPads will need to come with these apps downloaded and ready to go on the first day of the camp. The big question mark for me is how much experience do these students have with iPads. This is to be determined but I will assume for some it has been very limited, others extensive.
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| Demibooks Composer Pro interface, the app campers will use for interactive stories |
Demo Sample Projects
Part of the fun of preparing is making demo projects to introduce each app. One of the limitations of this camp environment is that all of our work must be done in the classroom as opposed to being able to say shoot video anywhere on campus, or during off hours because the iPads don't leave the classroom. In an earlier iMovie workshop at the Daura Gallery I suggested fake newscasts as a good way to shoot video in a very limited indoor space.I got some great results in that workshop. For iPad Camp I made a little newscast which is SOOO cheesy I am only including a still, the video is only to share with my students. BUT, in its cheesiness, it's lots of fun with surprise breaking news made possible with a short animated clip I created in FlipBoomCartoon. Another sample project is my sister-in-law making chocolate chip cookies. My Composer Pro demo includes both animation and video of my beloved water garden, water lilies and gold fish. I will also show the students the two apps I have developed in Composer that are currently in the App Store.
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| Waterlily drawn in Procreate for the interactive demo "All About Me" |
Challenges for the Students
Kids are full of good ideas. (I have not forgotten not all of my students are kids, but most are.) Let's not forget they are the future teachers, business leaders, scientists, artists, playwrights who will be taking over for us. This camp is an opportunity for the students to explore these apps to tell a story. The story can be an original, an adaptation, non-fiction, a story about their life, a story about their life in 2050, anything they want to do. I will give them some challenges to get their creative juices flowing, if they need it. These are probably the least interesting ideas, but getting my creative juices flowing for challenges to share next week.
Make a newscast about something you'd like to see happen in your school,
your town, your state, or the world. This can be animated,video or in book format.
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| Silly, cheesy newscast demo in iMovie |
What about ways to keep the polar caps from melting that involves butterflies and
cheese?
Tell the story of who you will be in 10 years. Where will you be living and what will
you be doing? Tell the story of one of your heroes.
What can parents do to assist their student during Camp?
Be on time.
Be interested and supportive.
Help your students set realistic goals ( I will be doing this too)
Encourage wild and crazy ideas.
See the potential.
If your student is working on a Lynchburg College iPad, you need to arrive early
for pick up on the last day to email/Dropbox the projects to save them
Looking forward to meeting all of my iPad Campers and playing iPad.
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