Zu3D

Today we used Zu3D to create a animation using our drawing skills. I really enjoyed this program it was like 'paint' but you were able to make your images into a movie. There were different settings which allowed you to change the speed add music and edit clips. It did become frustrating after a while as it was difficult to to edit and add music to the parts I wanted but after a while it became easier. This program would be very good within the classroom as it lets the children use their creativity and imagination to create short videos.

We used Zu3D to create our own moving animation using drawings.

Padlet

Today we used Padlet where you can all post on one wall, we were told to answer the question 'From the session last week and from what you already feel about animation, what do you think animations have to offer the learning process?' The whole class was able to add to the wall and we were able to share our ideas. This is a very good program for schools as it allows the children to share their ideas on topics discussed in class, it also means that they are able to keep the brainstorming if it is needed for exams or research.

Created with Padlet

Stop motion cameraless animation

This week we were looking at camera-less animation, at first we were shown a number of clips which contained different methods of camera-less animations such as a zoetrope, praxinoscope and a flipbook, we were placed into groups and given the task of making a zoetrope, which uses mirrors in a circle to create a simple animation. At first we believed we had chosen one of the easier options however it was very difficult to assemble and we were unable to make it work. The mirrors and pictures needed to be in the right position and this was very complicated. In the end we decided upon using four mirrors and eight drawings, this was then placed on a spinning disk, this was then turned quickly and showed a stick man juggling. I think if we had had more time and the mirrors didn't have gaps then it probably would have worked a lot better than it did.

Stop motion animation

Stop motion animation is where you make a physically manipulated object appear as if it is moving. The object is moved in small motions between individually photographed frames making it look as if it was moving. Usually puppets, dolls or clay are used for this sort of animation and it allows small movements. Stop motion animation was first seen in 'The Humpty Dumpty Circus' (1987) it was created by Albert E.Smith and J. Stuart Blackton. One of the most famous examples of stop motion animation is Wallace & Gromit which was created by Nick Park of Aardam Animations. The story centres on two characters Wallace a man who invents useless contraptions and loves cheese, and Gromit a silent but intelligent dog. The films are shot using stop motion animation, creating clay figures and moving them slightly to make them look like they are moving. It is a long process but gives a more rustic appearance.

Last watched animation

The last animation I watched was a childs cartoon called Peter rabbit with my cousin. It was based around the story of 'Peter Rabbit' by Beatrix Potter and is about a rabbit and his friends. I did not really enjoy this program, I don't know if this is because it was a childs program or whether it was because it was boring. However my cousin loved it and it has become one of her favourite programs, I think as a child I probably would have enjoyed it though. The graphics were really good however and you could actually see all the individual hairs on the rabbit, you could tell that a lot of effort had gone into it. From watching TV as a child it is incredible how much the graphic and quality of these programs have improved, for me though I enjoy the rustic looking childrens programs such as the moomins and the old postman pat

Enquiring mind & ICT

Unfortunately I was unable to attend the trip to London so instead I conducted some research into a childs enquiring mind in ICT. A child’s enquiring mind is basically where you allow them to figure out how to learn in there own way, developing their own skills at their own pace. A number of groups have been established to encourage children to do this, one of the main ones being Enquiring Mind with 'the aim being 'to enable students to take more responsibility for the content, processes and outcomes of their learning.' It is the teachers role to guide the child down the right path allowing them to learn on their own. ICT has become an incredibly important learning tool in the classroom, it gives teachers the opportunity to teach through interaction and allows them to work in a number of ways. It is also considered an exciting activity by the children, who find it not only helps them to learn but also creates a fun way of doing it. A child who struggles to learn in a normal classroom setting finds the use of ICT allows them to learn at the same level of others as they are able to not only use their listening skills but hand eye co-ordination which is not usually displayed within a normal classroom environment. ICT can be used for almost any lesson as today there are a number of different programs out there catering for different levels and subjects, being able to choose the different style games allows the teacher to decide what skills the child should use, such as strategy, exploration and problem solving, skills not usually used within a normal education setting. By having white boards in the classroom the teacher is able to encouraging learning through interaction and group work, it also helps with communication skills as they can use white boards as a way of presenting their work through presentations. It means that the teacher does not waste time writing work on a board but can instead prepare for the lesson beforehand. (inquiring minds, 2012) It is important for children to be encouraged to develop their skills through activities in the classroom as they will need these in the real world. Taylor (1980) described three different modes of computer use, 'tutor, tool and tutee. When being used as a tool the computer saves the learner time by completing low level tasks quickly and easily, allowing the learner to focus on higher order tasks'. This allows the child to develop on their own quicker. Taylor (1980) Avaialble at: ttp://www.inquiringmind.co.nz/FinalResearchReportJMK.pdf Enquirning Mind (2013) Available at: http://www.wholeeducation.org/pages/story/introduction/513,240/enquiring_minds_4th_year_report_innovative_approaches_to_curriculum_reform.html inquiring mind (2012) Avaialble at: http://www.inquiringmind.co.nz/inquiry_&_ict.htm