Explain Everything: Integration Apps For The iPad

It is important to understand the tools that exist for efficient, effective, and engaging productivity by our students and staff utilizing the iPad. 

This does not dismiss the importance and necessity of Google apps or Creation apps used on the iPad, but "showing what you know" is a critical skill for students. 

Continuing a four part series of Integrating Apps for the iPad will be our Lunch N' Learn's focus.

Four Apps. True Productivity.

Week 1: Notability
Week 2: Recordium
Week 3: Explain Everything
Week 4: iMovie

Define: Integrat(ion)

Readers of iPaddiction will realize that Explain Everything is well used in our school district.  Well used in the fact that it is moving toward being invisible.  Invisible in that our students don't ask for instructions, they understand the app and therefore focus on the learning! 

Putting together a compilation of Explain Everything may help in continuing to provide teachers and students with an excellent technology tool to...

• Record and annotate lectures - student action
• Show What You Know - student action
• Describing step by step directions - student action
• Preparation and direction for students - teacher action
• Testing and assessment - teacher action

30 Learning Opportunities:

Video Tutorial

Inserting GIF

Logging Out of Other Accounts

Coaching Teachers Through Using The Explain Everything App

Mitosis Project

Perfect Tool For Analyzing Text in An American Literature Assessment

American Literature Using EE to Discuss

Enhances and Clarifies AP Stats Project

In High School Science Planets

Inserting Objects For Creating & Reflecting

Google Presentation To Explain Everything

Audio and Visual For Junior Papers

Math Discussion  Part 2

Newton's Laws & Rube Goldberg

AP Stats

Summarizing Informational Text

Enhanced Notes of Content

Splicing iMovie and Exporting To Explain Everything

Explain Everything Calculus 2

and Google Forms For Analyzing Exponential Functions

For Individual Instruction

Magnetic Poetry

Connections in Algebra I Lab

Explain Everything, Google Form, and Paper For Assessment

Continues To Enhance Note Taking

Insert Video with Explain Everything

Making Common Craft Videos of History of Psychology

For One Form of Assessment

Common Craft Videos Day 2

Common Craft Props

U.S. History & Imperialism: Explaining With Creativity

Tools Used:
Mindly App
Explain Everything
Adobe Draw

I'm a huge fan of "Common Craft" type of videos.  Students will be creating "Common Craft" type videos completely on the iPad using their creativity and some tools.  Since 2012 our students have created "Common Craft" type videos, and we have progressed with our tools.  I look back on my first explanation video and we definitely can improve.  I feel we are!



Student Created 2018

Common Craft Day 2 Sharing iPad Photos

We needed all students to contribute to the Common Craft video by making paper props.  We shared these with the person who is actually making the Common Craft type video with the Explain Everything app via our Google Drive app.

Perfect.

Draw and Show Lite For Common Craft Props

As we started our Common Craft videos pertaining to Imperialism, students discovered the features of Draw and Show Lite.  An additional feature of this video provides the reason for creating video tutorials for students.  This allows for students to learn at their own pace.  It is located on the teacher's blog.

See our students in action.

AP Environmental Science Areas Of Concern Videos

Our Environmental Science groups had a work day to continue development of their "Area of Concern" videos.  Through the tremendous preparation and hard work by Mrs. Stainton, experts in the field of concern were brought in.

While students discussed their projects with those students, Mrs. Stainton and myself continued to provide resources and support for the other groups while the developed their plan.

One meaningful conversation that I had was with a group that is creating a Common Craft video.  I showed them how the common craft videos are set up.  Students are also discovering the possibilities with the Green Screen FX app, which they will be using.

See the learning environment.

Common Craft Type Videos Entirely On The iPad

Mr. Krause, Mrs. McCumber, and Ms. Wilcox informed me today that he would like to complete Common Craft type videos on the iPad because, as he states it, "I like the explanation aspect".

I immediately thought, "This could be a great opportunity to create the entire video on the iPad."

I chose a drawing app, specifically Draw-n-Share Lite because of its paper feel, and it was free!

I also chose Explain Everything because it is the tool that best provides a canvas.  I thought of Lee and his "four 750 watt  bulbs" that he uses for shooting video.  We don't have that!  Explain Everything removes the additional equipment that is needed while still providing a great production canvas. View the process!


I also liked Explain Everything, because I could write a script for each slide, thus stating clearly what was to be spoken on each slide.  I used Evernote, but any tool, including paper and pencil, could be utilized.
With ONLY one hour into the project, I was able to make the following Producing Muscles In Plain English.



In one week, I look forward to viewing what the students create.

Draw & Show Plus Explain Everything To Make Common Craft Videos of History of Psychology

Mr. Krause's students created Common Craft videos using the iPad in a different class with different subject matter earlier in the year.  Applying that experience, students in his Psychology class were able to discover and master the "History of Psychology" information while creating videos.

Discover how he changed from lecture format to engaging student driven discovery while using the iPads.

Top Posts of 2012

The obligatory Top Five Posts of 2012.

1. Google Docs on iPad
2. 8 Burning Questions, Answered!
3. Creation Apps on the iPad
4. Teaching Teachers Who Will Implement iPads
5. Common Craft Type Videos Completely on iPad

iPaddiction is Batting 1000

Blog post 1000!

In 2011, I decided to document everything I used technology for in my classroom.  Things I discovered, things I tried, things that failed, things that I thought others may be interested in learning.

On March 25, 2011, I posted my very first iPaddiction post!

I'm not sure what I expected as I had blogged before under RecessDuty, but with no real purpose.  Truthfully, iPaddiction was all about recording items that occurred with technology integration in my classroom because I felt I needed to justify $30,000 worth of equipment I was entrusted with.

As I progressed forward in blogging, I realized my niche was using the iPad to physically record "action" of technology being implemented.  My YouTube channel was my main source for hosting videos. If you ask some of my students from the 2011-2012 school year, they would probably laugh at how many times I asked them if it was o.k. to record them using tech or asking them for reflection comments.  It wasn't easy to record while I was teaching but I felt it truthfully was the most authentic use of technology (mostly iPads) on the web. (Humble opinion).

Nine hundred ninety nine posts later and iPaddiction has turned into a celebration of our "Rock Star" staff and students along with a "go to" place for sharing "how to" videos with our staff and people from around the country!

iPaddiction's Top 10 most viewed blog posts out of 1000.

10.  Google Apps Needed On The iPad  January 16, 2015 1,283
9.  WASB & PCSD School Board Presentation  November 30, 2011  1,307
8.  G Drive (Green) App For Downloading Video  Dec. 17, 2013 1, 771
7.  Common Craft Type Videos Entirely on the iPad  Dec, 5, 2012 2,164
6.  Top Tech Tool For iPad and Chromebooks  February 7, 2014 2,507
5.  Teaching Teachers Who Will Experience iPads March 2, 2012 2,827
4.  Insert Horizontal Line Google Docs  May 1, 2013 3,104
3.  8 Burning Questions About iPad  January 6, 2012 5,060
2.  Google Docs on the iPad  January 24, 2012  8,537
1.  Creation Apps Used on the iPad  March 27, 2012 14,458

Explain Everything Student Productions

Concluding our Common Craft project required production.  One person was the speaker, one person was the mover of objects, and one person was the start stop of the recording.

Worked perfectly!

See how it is done.