The EdTech Roundup
Connect:
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Editorials & Press
  • Ed Tech Sites
  • Lesson Plans
    • Elementary
    • Secondary
  • Former Weekly Podcast
  • About Me
  • Contact

Shadow Puppet: Digital Storytelling for iOS Devices - Updated for Version 2.0!

11/10/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Shadow Puppet is an excellent, new free app for iOS devices that lets students narrate photo slideshows and create a digital story.  It's incredibly simple to use and has a lot of potential in education.  It would be a great app for any grade level (elementary and secondary) and could be used in a ton of different subjects as well.  Let's check it out!

Before we get into the review and discussion of Shadow Puppet in the classroom, let's check out an example of what the finished product looks like:


Essentially, you can use Shadow Puppet to create a narrated digital slideshow of photos and videos from your iOS device.  And, as you saw in the example, you can also zoom and pan around the pictures, and tap to add a yellow indicator.   The app is very simple in its execution, but it's a powerful tool nonetheless.

After you download the app and open it up, you'll be presented with the basic steps of creating your story as well as the option of watching a quick "How-To" presentation.

Picture
The Basics

To get started making your slideshow, just click "Create New" and select the photos, videos, or GIFs you want to use.  If you want to use photos that aren't on your iOS device, you'll need to add them to your camera roll (through email, or dropbox, or the internet, or something along those lines).

Picture
Click "Create New" To Get Started

Once you have all your pictures or videos selected, click "Next" at the bottom right and you'll be taken to the recording interface.  Here, you can record your voice, use two fingers to zoom, use one finger to pan, and tap to add a yellow highlight to the image.  On the right, you can click the arrow to go to the next image or just swipe the screen.

Picture
The Recording Interface

And when you're all finished you can share your slideshow via email, facebook, twitter, or embed it on another site, all with a few simple clicks!  Plus, a copy of each finished slideshow is also saved to the camera role as a video  (for uploading to a video service like YouTube or saving a copy). 

Picture
Share Your Finished Product

Version 2.0 Updates

With Shadow Puppet 2.0, the team has significantly expanded the scope of the product based on feedback from teachers and early users.  The updates have turned Shadow Puppet into a lightweight but powerful video creation tool. This update let's users:

  • Add video clips, not just still images 
  • Easily search the web for images and animated GIFs to add to your videos
  • Add music from your iTunes library or choose from our background tracks
  • Draw on screen to point things out or highlight ideas
  • Overlay animated text 
Plus, if you're looking for lesson ideas, you can check out their idea bank here!

And you can check out this great tutorial from the team for some helping getting started...


And that's the app!  Yes, it's incredibly simple, but I think that's perfect for this application because it can be used at all ages without much difficulty.  It takes less than 30 seconds to figure out how the application works and it can be integrated in a huge variety of subjects.  

Students can narrate their understanding of virtually any topic and then share those narrations with the class or the teacher.  It's an excellent, easy way to get students talking and sharing what they understand about a particular idea.


Overall, I love the simplicity, I think it's an excellent app for the classroom, it could be used in all subjects and grade levels, and to top it all off, it's completely free!

Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Reviews

    Here you can find the Round Up's collection of in-depth reviews on the latest programs, apps, websites, and more.

    Make sure to click the review's title or the Read More link for the complete review!


    Picture

    Featured

    Picture
    Check out our featured review | ClassroomAPP: A Complete, K-12 Digital Platform for Online and In-Person Classrooms

    Teach.com

    Picture

      Subscribe

    Subscribe

    Connect


    Awards

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    RSS Feed


    Archives

    July 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013

           
​Except where noted, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
Picture

Copyright 2020 | Mike Karlin, Ph.D.