Tuesday 15 December 2015

Helpful tips for embedding documents in Blogger - Docs, Slides, PDFs

Embedding documents into Blogger is not always completely straightforward, particularly when you want to embed a PDF, so I made a set of 5 videos to help out with this very issue. From embedding Google Docs & Slides, to PDFs. I also made a couple of videos to explain how to adjust the  width and header of your blog.

Check out the embedded playlist to see the videos.


Monday 23 November 2015

Make Things Move Magically with Reverse Video

Students love video effects on the iPad, and this one is a great effect to make it look like you can magically move things with your thoughts. It is super simple and uses the free app "Reverse Vid" following is a very short video which explains to students how to do this on their iPad.

If you make one it would be great if you could link a copy to it in the comments below.


Thursday 12 November 2015

Bringing the fun back to school

With an increasing focus on data, and pure academic achievement, fun is often pushed aside to get through more material. I’m personally concerned that many people overlook the amazing levels of engagement that come along with fun, and the opportunities to teach students almost without them knowing they’re learning. And more than this, when learning is fun, it becomes intrinsic.


Following is a recording of a speech I gave recently in Manila outlining my thoughts on the importance of fun at school.


Tuesday 10 November 2015

Publishing Books Using Google Slides

There are many ways to publish digitally, and recently I have been looking for a method that uses common tools students are familiar with, is easy to embed in a blog, and looks great. The solution that I settled on…

Google Slides

There’s nothing too revolutionary about using slides to publish books, however it is good to remember some of the great advantages it has, and think about some new options you may not have considered.

Great advantages:
Easy layout - No problems with wrapping
Hyperlinking the contents page is easy
You can edit on the iPad (embedding from the iPad is a problem)
Adding captions, or creating labelled diagrams is quite easy.

Other Options - Create Portrait Books
To make a portrait book in slides, it’s as simple as finding “Page Setup” section in the file menu. Using the custom size option, you can put in the measurements for an A4 page for instance (21cm x 30cm).

Use animated Gif images
There are lots of bad examples of Gifs online, equally balanced with amazing examples as well. In fact it is possible to use a free iOS app like “PicPlayPost” to make your own animated Gifs from videos on your camera roll. These can then be put in student books and will play automatically when embedded in their blog.

Below are examples of books that I have published using this method, as well as links that will create copies of these presentations if you want to use them for your own purposes.






Sunday 20 September 2015

iPad Bootcamp Presentation

The iPad summit at ISKL has been a great event. Following is a copy of the presentation I used during my iPad bootcamp, it could be helpful if you're running training or would just like some tips yourself.

Monday 11 May 2015

Make a free iPad stand using only cardboard - great for Stop Motion

Having a stable iPad stand is one of the most important tools you need for making Stop Motion videos, and is also super handy for lots of other occasions. Here is a super quick video which will show you how to make your own iPad stand using only cardboard, and a couple of minutes of your time.

This is a great activity as a beginner maker space project with kids.


Thursday 12 February 2015

Making the cheapest & easiest DIY iPad Stylus

I've been using drawing apps with my kids at school recently, and wanted to give them the chance to draw with a stylus rather than their fingers. I ended up making a super cheap and easy Stylus for the iPad using just a pencil and some foil. It was really that simple, all you need to keep in mind is that the stylus needs to stay pretty vertical, as the iPad is designed to have a nearly 1 cm contact patch, hence the end of a pencil is perfect.

It's a simple idea for classroom use if you're using drawing apps, as it's super cheap and easy. I hope it works well for you too.