Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Great App for Your Class and Home

Shout out to Dr. Geoff Price for showing his students and me this really neat app for Apple products called Green Screen by Do Ink for just $2.99.  Used on the iPad, this program allows you to insert your own background into a photo or movie using the same basic concept of a green screen that news and multimedia producers use. 

The app is user-friendly and a lot of fun.  In my elementary education field experience lab course today, we had planned on taking basic photos so that they could create their bulletin board in the hallway dedicated to their cohort.  One of the students suggested using the Green Screen app, so we borrowed Dr. Price's iPad and green tarp and each student uploaded their self-selected background and took their photo. It only took a matter of minutes.  They made me take one as well with my other children - the Potato Head family! (see pictures below)

In the classroom, this is a great tool for projects like creating weather reports (since you can insert a map and add a voiceover), demonstrating geographic concepts or locations, or narrating a cartoon or scene from a movie.  I am still learning the product, so there are many functions I have yet to learn, but I have found it extremely easy to play with and enjoy.

At home, I already have plans to use this for Ryder to have fun inserting himself into various Potato Head pictures and other cartoon "friends" of his.

Jess and her goldfish

Melanie running in Chicago

Evelyn, Dora, Boots, and Swiper

The Potato Head Family