Imagine the scenario:
Fortunately, my teaching colleagues are not only open-minded and trusting of my "only useful technology" philosophy, they are also willing to step outside their technology comfort zones and have a go at anything I can throw at them! It was no surprise then, that when planning for our Hong Kong public transport trail, they were reaching for their iPhones when I suggested we have a go at live, mobile blogging.
Traditionally, we'd carry digital cameras with us. We'd take photos. The class would view them back at school. By using the amazing coveritlive.com, their free iOS app and an iPhones or iPod Touch we could take photos, videos and record audio AND share it with each other, other classes and teachers back at school and parents worldwide.
After setting up our 'live event' via the coveritlive site, we embedded this into our password-protected school VLE and invited parents who couldn't come on the trip with us to follow our blog online. Through the easy to use iPhone app, we were able to take photos and instantly post them to our event and into our VLE.
As half of the Year 2 children set off on their trip, the other half of the year group stayed at school and followed our progress.
We took a photo of our class mascot getting ready to leave with us, and said hello to two members of our class who had Chickenpox and couldn't join us for the real trip.
Children, parents and teachers took photos from different devices and they were all embedded into the one blog feed. We were able to add quotes from children, and receive comments from parents viewing from home.
The classes that remained at school were excited to follow our progress - and the children on the trip were thrilled to learn that their blogging had a real purpose and a real live audience!
We were able to add GPS maps to show our location, and as both classes were travelling separately, we could see where the other group was!
We added pictures with captions, and as you can see from the screenshot above, we were able to capture HD video with the iPhone, and upload clips straight to the blog. As the school day wore on, the leadership team and our year group colleagues back at school followed our progress towards home.
The most exciting part of our live blogging experience is that at the end of the event, the blog is archived and can be viewed at any time. Our children went home and were able to see the photos they had taken and share their day, and trip with their parents.
Live blogging? Possible!
60 Grade 1/Year 2 children and 30 adults, travelling on public buses, trains, trams and boats on a 'transport trail' in a city of 7 million people... armed with iPods, iPhones and a captive audience following our every move.Impossible?
Fortunately, my teaching colleagues are not only open-minded and trusting of my "only useful technology" philosophy, they are also willing to step outside their technology comfort zones and have a go at anything I can throw at them! It was no surprise then, that when planning for our Hong Kong public transport trail, they were reaching for their iPhones when I suggested we have a go at live, mobile blogging.
Traditionally, we'd carry digital cameras with us. We'd take photos. The class would view them back at school. By using the amazing coveritlive.com, their free iOS app and an iPhones or iPod Touch we could take photos, videos and record audio AND share it with each other, other classes and teachers back at school and parents worldwide.
After setting up our 'live event' via the coveritlive site, we embedded this into our password-protected school VLE and invited parents who couldn't come on the trip with us to follow our blog online. Through the easy to use iPhone app, we were able to take photos and instantly post them to our event and into our VLE.
As half of the Year 2 children set off on their trip, the other half of the year group stayed at school and followed our progress.
We took a photo of our class mascot getting ready to leave with us, and said hello to two members of our class who had Chickenpox and couldn't join us for the real trip.
Children, parents and teachers took photos from different devices and they were all embedded into the one blog feed. We were able to add quotes from children, and receive comments from parents viewing from home.
The classes that remained at school were excited to follow our progress - and the children on the trip were thrilled to learn that their blogging had a real purpose and a real live audience!
We were able to add GPS maps to show our location, and as both classes were travelling separately, we could see where the other group was!
We added pictures with captions, and as you can see from the screenshot above, we were able to capture HD video with the iPhone, and upload clips straight to the blog. As the school day wore on, the leadership team and our year group colleagues back at school followed our progress towards home.
The most exciting part of our live blogging experience is that at the end of the event, the blog is archived and can be viewed at any time. Our children went home and were able to see the photos they had taken and share their day, and trip with their parents.
Live blogging? Possible!
