Week Six:
App Smashing
What is app smashing?
App smashing is a termed coined by Greg Kulowiec . He defines app smashing as "the process of using multiple apps to create projects or to complete tasks.
Why app smashing?
Educators have started using app smashing in their classrooms because it...
- demands creative thinking.
- demands more from the technology.
- turns the issue of not having a ‘wonder app’ into a positive.
- removes restrictions to take a topic as far as it can be taken.
- results in more engaging learning products.
- is a fun challenge for ‘digital natives’.
Apps Smashing Steps
There are four basics steps in app smashing:
- Create content with one app
- Create content with another app(s)
- Merge content together
- Publish content to the web
Smashing Examples
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Thinglink book review (included a Google Doc, but not visible)
Tools:
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APPlied Poetry - iBook (in my iBook library)
Tools:
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Frog and Toad Get an iPad - created by 1st grade students
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Creating App Smashing Activities
- End Result - begin with end in mind, what will the end product look like
- Apps Smashed - make a list of the apps used in creating the product
- Smashing Workflow - detailed, step-by-step instruction
- Product Created - share the finished product globally
App Smashing Challenges
Weather Forecast
End Result: Create a five day weather forecast. (Science)
Apps: Feltz Lite, Skitch, Tellagami, Photo, iMovie, Google Drive
Steps:
End Result: Create a five day weather forecast. (Science)
Apps: Feltz Lite, Skitch, Tellagami, Photo, iMovie, Google Drive
Steps:
- Create five different backgrounds for each day of weather in the Feltz Lite app. Each day must be a different type of weather.
- After you’ve created each background, you will take a screenshot. Then clear the background for your next day.
- Create an introduction image for the title of your video & take a screenshot
- Go into iPhoto and edit your backgrounds - remove anything that isn’t part of your weather background
- Use Skitch to add the day of the week on each weather background
- Save each annotated background to your photos
- Create a weather person avatar in Tellagami
- Add your first weather background and record the forecast for that day
- Save your video clip (it goes to your Photo app)
- Repeat steps 7 & 8 until you have finished all five days
- Open iMovie and create a new video
- Merge your introduction image and all five of your Tellagami video clips into one movie (tap the ? for help)
- Save your completed video to the Photo app
- Upload your finished video into your Google Drive App Smashing folder
- Publish your movie to the web
- Add a touch spot on your Thinglink for your Weather Forecast
Dream Vacation
End Result: Postcard describing your dream vacation and why someone else should go there too. (Geography, English, Persuasion)
Apps: Google Earth, Google Map, Safari, Photos, Moldiv, PhotoCard, Google Drive
Steps:
1. Collect images of your dream vacation spot in one of three ways or a combination:
3. Create a collage of your photos in Moldiv
4. Save your finished collage to Photo
5. Create a postcard in PhotoCard and include the following:
7. Upload your postcard to your Google Drive App Smashing folder & publish it to the web
8. Add a touch spot on your Thinglink for your postcard
*If I were using this with students, I would have them use Skitch to number their photos in Moldiv. Then I would have them create a Google Doc with their photo citations based on the number they labeled the photo in Skitch. I would have them include both of those items on their Thinglink.
End Result: Postcard describing your dream vacation and why someone else should go there too. (Geography, English, Persuasion)
Apps: Google Earth, Google Map, Safari, Photos, Moldiv, PhotoCard, Google Drive
Steps:
1. Collect images of your dream vacation spot in one of three ways or a combination:
- Take screenshots in Google Earth
- Take screenshots in Google Map
- In Safari, use the website Photos for Class to locate and save images to your Photo app (citations will be added to your photo)
3. Create a collage of your photos in Moldiv
4. Save your finished collage to Photo
5. Create a postcard in PhotoCard and include the following:
- Collage of photos
- Description of your dream vacation and why others should go there
- Fill in the address - Teachers name and email
- Add a stamp
7. Upload your postcard to your Google Drive App Smashing folder & publish it to the web
8. Add a touch spot on your Thinglink for your postcard
*If I were using this with students, I would have them use Skitch to number their photos in Moldiv. Then I would have them create a Google Doc with their photo citations based on the number they labeled the photo in Skitch. I would have them include both of those items on their Thinglink.
Rose, where did you get that red?
Write poem based on a mysterious and beautiful creature
Sample Poem:
Rabbit, how come you twitch your nose?
Rabbit, how can you run so fast?
And why are you so feary and why do you run away from people?
Why do you eat grass and carrots?
Why don’t you eat bugs?
Why do you hibernate?
by Lynn Bonner
End Result: Illustrated and narrated poem based on a mysterious and beautiful creature created by the student. (English, Poetry)
Apps: Notes, Haiku Deck, Explain Everything, Google Drive
Steps:
1. Write your poem in the Notes app
2. In Haiku Deck (on the computer) create illustrated slides that correlate with your poem - don’t forget a title slide & your name
3. Add the text of your poem to the slides
4. Export your finished product as a PPT
5. Upload the PPT into your Google Drive
6. Open Google Drive on your iPad
7. Find your PPT:
8. Record yourself reading the text of your poem for each slide
9. Export your finished Movie to the Camera Roll
10. Upload your movie to your Google Drive
Write poem based on a mysterious and beautiful creature
Sample Poem:
Rabbit, how come you twitch your nose?
Rabbit, how can you run so fast?
And why are you so feary and why do you run away from people?
Why do you eat grass and carrots?
Why don’t you eat bugs?
Why do you hibernate?
by Lynn Bonner
End Result: Illustrated and narrated poem based on a mysterious and beautiful creature created by the student. (English, Poetry)
Apps: Notes, Haiku Deck, Explain Everything, Google Drive
Steps:
1. Write your poem in the Notes app
2. In Haiku Deck (on the computer) create illustrated slides that correlate with your poem - don’t forget a title slide & your name
3. Add the text of your poem to the slides
4. Export your finished product as a PPT
5. Upload the PPT into your Google Drive
6. Open Google Drive on your iPad
7. Find your PPT:
- Tap the i
- Tap Open in
- Tap Open in again
- Tap Open in Explain Everything
- Import to new project
8. Record yourself reading the text of your poem for each slide
9. Export your finished Movie to the Camera Roll
10. Upload your movie to your Google Drive
Once Upon a Time
End Result: Digital story created and narrated by the student. (English, Writing, Digital storytelling)
Apps: Popplet, Buildo Sticker Books (Museum, Rescue, History), Photo, Balloon Stickies Plus, Adobe Voice, Google Drive
Steps:
End Result: Digital story created and narrated by the student. (English, Writing, Digital storytelling)
Apps: Popplet, Buildo Sticker Books (Museum, Rescue, History), Photo, Balloon Stickies Plus, Adobe Voice, Google Drive
Steps:
- Look over the 3 Buildo Sticker Book apps
- Create a Popplet to formulate the characters as well as the beginning, middle and ending of your story
- Save your finished Popplet as a JPEG to the Photo app
- Use the Buildo Sticker Books to create illustrations of your story. You will need to create a scene and take a screenshot. Then clean your scene to make the next scene and so on until you have completed each scene you need for your story.
- Edit your scene screenshots in Photo
- Use the Balloon Stickies Plus to add thought and speech bubbles to your characters in each scene.
- Save each scene image in Photo
- Open Adobe Voice and tap create a new story
- Give your story a title
- Tap Make Up Your Own
- Add a title slide
- Add each scene to a new slide
- Record yourself on each slide telling the story
- Optional: Add a theme and music
- Save your finished video story to your camera roll
- Upload your movie to your Google Drive
App Smashing Resources
Your Turn
A. Choose and complete 1 of the four app smashing challenges (Weather Forecast, Dream Vacation, Rose, where did you get that red?, Once Upon a Time). Post your completed challenge on the USD 495 Tech Challenges Facebook group.
Answer the following questions about the challenge process:
B. Create your own app challenge using the App Smash Challenge Template. Post a link to your challenge on the USD 495 Tech Challenges Facebook group.
C. Finally, share your response to one of the following on the USD 495 Tech Challenges Facebook group:
A. Choose and complete 1 of the four app smashing challenges (Weather Forecast, Dream Vacation, Rose, where did you get that red?, Once Upon a Time). Post your completed challenge on the USD 495 Tech Challenges Facebook group.
Answer the following questions about the challenge process:
- Which app in the challenge did you like the most? Why?
- What issues did you encounter while completing the challenge and how did you resolve them?
B. Create your own app challenge using the App Smash Challenge Template. Post a link to your challenge on the USD 495 Tech Challenges Facebook group.
C. Finally, share your response to one of the following on the USD 495 Tech Challenges Facebook group:
- Something new I learned was...
- I didn't know...
- The most important takeaway for me from today's challenge was...