We got a chance to try out the {Animation Studio from HUE}! I was so excited to get this out in the room. We have so much technology as it is, students are so quick to pick up on anything new I throw in! 

The {HUE Animation Studio} comes with so many ideas for you to try in class and integrate in your classroom! There are also so many "props" included. I was really impressed at the backgrounds, which are in a PDF, for you and the kids to use. The first one we decided to try was the beach background! I just pulled it up on my computer and minimized the video recorder. 

I picked three students to try it out first. I gave them the task of finding an item around the room to help tell a beach story. They decided to use my Cutie! One made eyes and then tried to make a swimsuit with Sharpies...That was interesting to eat at lunch! They placed the orange on a hand to make it a little higher than the icons at the bottom of the computer. 

One was in charge of moving the Cutie, one student was in charge of making sure the camera was positioned right, and the other was in charge of taking the pictures. They decided to make the Cutie walk across the beach and jump into the pool. 

(Keep in mind this was our first try with the Animation Studio. My goal was to see how well my students would be able to use the equipment and create an actual video.)

Shot by shot, that Cutie scurried across the beach!You can see in the very bottom left corner is the screen to take the pictures. The screens are split. The left screen shows the picture you just took. The right screen shows a shadow of the last position you were in so you can make it step by step like the cutie was walking across the beach! It was fun to watch the kids trying to get it so close so the Cutie actually looked like it was walking.

 

We added a little Google Classroom action and the students were making notes about what the Cutie was doing on a Google Doc. Overall this was a great addition to our classroom! Students will be putting together mini animations in no time! 

Pros:

Installation- This was SIMPLE to install! I have installed it on a PC and on a Mac. Both are easy peasy! You can have the {HUE Animation Studio} up and running in no time! 

Engagement- Obviously my students were so excited and interested in creating a short video. 

Integration- Making animations can be integrated in reading (beginning, middle, end, describing plot, etc...) math (telling time, teaching skills to other students to affirm knowledge...) science, or just using their own imagination to create something!  

Accessories- HUE provides you with a book that gives you detailed instructions on things you can create! One of my favorites was the No Handed Eating! There are also a TON of PDF's that provide backgrounds and cut outs. There are also sound effects! They seriously give you all the tools you need to make a successful animation. 

Time- It is time consuming to create a full video. You take a picture, then move your object a little. Take a picture, then move your object a little more. This repeats until you have a few seconds of video. For students to do this in class, I would have to have one group do a project a week instead of letting everyone rotate to use it in one day.

This year, my teaching partner{Primary Scribbles} and I have started to flip our math program. We were getting a new curriculum, and are now 1:1 with iPads, so what better time to try something else new! 

In a typical classroom, students are taught a new skill and given a small amount of time to practice their new skill. Many times, students don't get that small group teacher time because after the lesson, who has time to meet with five small groups? So they end up with what is supposed to be a few minutes of homework, but according to parents takes 5-7 hours[insert eye roll here]. This is where we decided to challenge ourselves by trying a Flipped Classroom. 

A flipped classroom is one where students do the {"homework"} at school and the mini lesson at home. Each evening, students have a short video to watch over the new skill we will be practicing the next day. 

From there, I use the {Educreations} app to record and annotate on my video!  Educreations makes it so easy to grab the pictures/slides from Google Drive. The last slide is always a practice slide. I have been printing out the last slide and sending it home for my kids to do. I never type directions for the practice slide, I always say them on the recording. This helps me figure out who is really listening and who is not. The funny part about that is the ones who don't do it also don't realize I show them the right answer after I tell them to pause the video! Here is an example of one of my videos.

-Aimee

By far, one of my favorite activities to do at the beginning of the year is the wrinkled heart activity. I start by giving students a print out of a big heart. If I am super prepared, I will cut them out of construction paper, but that was not the case this year! I tell students to draw things they love inside their heart. 

They cut the heart out when they finish. We all get in a circle and share things we love. I extra love this activity because it is an awesome get to know you activity, as well as a kindness lesson. After everyone tells what they love, we wad our hearts up! This usually gets a lot of sad looks or complaints. 

With some pushing, they all wad up their heart. You may have to remind them not to rip their heart because we don't want it to be a broken heart! Then I challenge them to unfold their heart and try to get the wrinkles out. 

     Unable to get the wrinkles out, we talk about how it hurts when someone says something mean to us or makes fun of something we love or enjoy. I tell them it puts a wrinkle in your heart, just like paper.      

     When you have a wrinkle in your heart, they are hard to get out, basically impossible. Throughout the year, I have students telling each other they put a wrinkle in their heart or telling me about someone putting a wrinkle in their heart. I love using this to remind them to be kind to each other and use kind words. It's a wonderful activity to get students to grow together as a class, as well as learn a little about your new kiddos! 

-Aimee