Shadow Puppet Edu

Shadow Puppet Edu is a free iPad app, recommended for children 1st grade and older, offers a simple way for younger children to explore the realms of multi-media creations. This multi-media book/project creator offers a range of ways for children to present and create (or re-create) stories, or even creation of presentations for class. The app has a navigation bar on the left-side of the screen with features that allows children to upload their own pictures, web search pictures, flickr/creative commons, or use clipart to set background and add images into their creation. Children select the pictures/images they’d like to use, then place the selected images into the order they wish the book to follow (as in each image acts as its own page). Upon creating the layout, children can insert text, and even record audio or use audio files/music to play on each page. When recording the audio, children can also drag emoji looking animations over the page, which will cause the animations to happen while the audio is playing. When children are expected to create an educational project, they are in luck, since this app also incorporates google maps to search landmarks and geography, along with a tab that has a range of famous landmarks that the children can choose from and view. On top of the ability to use maps for research, there are five databases also included on the navigation side-bar; Library of Congress, Met Museum of Art, The British Library, NASA, & NOAA (these databases are interweaved with educational information, along with a plethora of pictures). This app offers a wide-range of creative and educational opportunities, and also meets multiple teaching requirements listed in Colorado’s Reading, Writing, and Communications curriculum outlines, such as, researching a topic, group activities – sharing creations, employing plan-draft-write strategies, and sharing topics & findings with others. Teacher guided learning with this app is really helpful when children are first using this technology. Giving children direction and explanation of what the child can do in the app and how is important in keeping them engaged in creating, rather than frustrated and confused by the app.

I use this app in my classroom with my first graders. It is one of the first apps I introduce them to when they start the year. They use this app to retell a story or to tell their own story. It is easy to navigate and allows the children to add their voice and decide how long they want to stay on each page. They can take pictures first then go into the app and add them to the project.