Avatars: Use the Lego Minimizer to make a fun avatar

This is a post I wrote about using the Lego Minimizer to make avatars for the SchoolNet blog in January 2016 but it is still relevant in 2018. My classes have joined the 2018 blogging challenge so we are busy with making avatars. My plan is for different classes to make different avatars.

Grade 1 students enjoy using today's avatar known as The Reasonably Clever Mini-Miser. It can be found at http://www.reasonablyclever.com/mm2/mini2.swf. This site does not require login or registration which is perfect for younger students. It requires building up a lego figure to what you’d like it to be.

How to get started
How it works is that you use arrow buttons to scroll through the different options to customize the lego figure. There is a good selection of body parts and colours to choose from as you go along. There is also a selection of backgrounds for the final image to give it context.  Once the figure is created one would need to do a printscreen to save the image

Examples
The Grade 1s loved using this application when we worked with it during a lesson.  They chatted away as they worked telling each other stories about their lego figures.


A YouTube tutorial on how to use the application
 This tutorial will show you how to use this application step by step.


Educational use

• This is a good vocabulary building exercise on the body.
• It is also good for matching words with objects. 
• The students can make up an oral story about the figure they have created.

Storybird #9: The February 2018 challenge - Across the Universe

Storybird is my favourite, free, story writing application on the web www.storybird.com. I use it with my classes all the time, and I love all its tips.. Here we are in February 2018 and Storybird has a new challenge for your class! It sounds exciting. I am adding it below as written on the Storybird blog https://goo.gl/tAfDUC.
                                                         _________________________________

February challenge: Across the Universe

"Imagine you have left Earth and traveled far out into space. Maybe you live in a space station. Perhaps you have colonized another planet. You could be floating in an escape pod after your rocket ship exploded. Or you’ve been captured by aliens. There are so many possibilities!

"You have the chance to transmit a letter back home to Earth. Who would you write to? What would you say? This month’s challenge is to write that letter. Describe where you are, what you see, what it feels like, and what you’re doing. Maybe share some of the things you miss about Earth, or about the person you’re writing to. Do you have any advice to send home? A warning? A new discovery?

"Let your imagination run free and really try to put yourself into that situation. Take some time to think about what you’d write before you begin — you have until February 21st to complete the challenge. It’s fun to let your mind wander, so enjoy the ride! We can’t wait to read about your adventures.

"P.S. Keep in mind that although you are writing a letter, you should not include any personal information like your last name, your hometown, or your school. Sharing that kind of information goes against our community guidelines, which we use to keep everyone safe.

                                                 __________________________________________

If you would like your class to enter this challenge, please go to the challenge on the Storybird blog at https://goo.gl/tAfDUC . Storybird says, "To be eligible to be featured, your chapter must be submitted to moderation on or before February 21, 2018. Selected entries will be featured on the Storybird blog at the end of the month."

If you haven't yet signed up any of your classes to Storybird, head over to www.storybird.com today and join. Your students will love this application.  

Looking for a great note-taking AND voice recording app? Try AudioNote...

What do you use for note-taking if you're at a conference, workshop or attending a face-to-face course? For a lonng time I used Google Docs, but then I moved to AudioNote made by Luminant Software. I love using this application. The reasons for this is that you can take notes, and record the speaker at th same time. It is very easy to look through your notes afterwards, find a part you need to elaborate on and then listen to the speakers exact words.

What is AudioNote?
Simply put, it is a notepad AND a voice recording app together that suncronises the two and indexes the recording.  This saves oodles of time, I find.

Which platforms support AudioNote?
You can use it on iOS (https://goo.gl/UvSryF) , Windows 10 (https://goo.gl/Q9ydwR) , Mac (https://goo.gl/sgRwW3) and Android (https://goo.gl/DCp7G). There is a lite version which I used for a while. It has a limited recording time. There is also a paid version which I use now.  It costs R247 on Windows,  around $14.95 (R181) on the Apple products both of which are quite pricey in South African terms, and R93 on Google Play.   The only drawback with these platforms is - you can't buy AudioNote and then use it across the platforms. You have to pay each time for the paid version. So basically, you have to decide on which platform you'll use it and I settled for my iPad as I use it everywhere I go.

Why I like using it
You can use it on a paper selection of your choice. You either type or use a stylus for drawings, you can add a bighlighter and you can take pictures with it and add them to your notes.  I love the fact that it can use audio which syncs. As it plays back it highlights the words you wrote at that moment. It syncs to iCloud, but you cn also save it in Dropbox or email it to yourself. You can also export it as a MP3 in a roundabout way which i will explain below. 

How to use AudioNote
This video by Xandru Tait 'AudioNote Learning Made Easy' https://goo.gl/bYT84Y (5.57mins) is great at explaining how it all works.

In a nutshell, you could be in a lecture and you want to take notes. You open Audionote, start a clean file, choose your paper, put on recording, and away you go. There is also an audio amplifeir which I leave on in case I am in a big room. There are plenty of tips and trick which the video above explains. Sometimes, to be honest, I simply record the talk! You can even use Audionote personally – by writing down ideas and talking about them as you do so!

Description of AudioNote from the iTunes App Store preview section
This is taken from the iTunes AudioNote page https://goo.gl/UvSryF 
"Take notes with recorded audio using the best note taking app in the App Store!

AudioNote combines the functionality of a notepad and voice recorder to create a powerful tool that will save you time while improving the quality of your notes. It’s the perfect app for students or business.

By synchronizing notes and audio, AudioNote automatically indexes your meetings, lectures, interviews, or study sessions. Need to review the discussion about deliverables on your next project? Trying to remember what the professor had to say about a key point? With AudioNote there is no need to waste time searching through the entire recording to find out. Each note acts as a link directly to the point at which it was recorded, taking you instantly to what you want to hear. Didn't take any notes during the meeting? No problem, you can add them later.

A fully functional note application, AudioNote also increases the value of your notes. Watch as your text, drawings, and photos highlight during playback, helping you to remember the context in which they were taken.

With the convenience of the iPad or iPhone, you can use AudioNote anywhere: meetings, interviews, conferences, lectures, study sessions. Even use it to record memos to yourself as you jot down new ideas. Join the thousands of students, teachers, business executives, and other professionals who have already discovered what an indispensable tool AudioNote can be. Download it today!"

Exporting AudioNote files a) Exporting sound only

If you don't want to listen to your notes in AudioNote itself, you have other options available to you. The problem is that the audio is saved as a CAF audio files. If you export them from AudioNote as audio they are exported as CAF files and you can save them in whatever location you choose. The problem is that you normally can't play CAF files easily. In the next AudioNotes blogpost I will show you how to convert CAF files to a MP3 so that they can be shared. 

b) Exporting notes

You can export your notes as PDFs but what I have discovered is that you cannot edit them as they are saved as images on a PDF. This is a pit!

So, despite the drawbacks mentioned above this is a great app to use. It may be a bit expensive to use in a classroom. I need to explore other possibilities such as Evernote, OneNote and Google keep to see what they offer. Be on the lookout for my next post on how I solve these two AudioNote drawbacks.