Create instant writing prompts using PhotoFunia

PhotoFunia is a great free app and website that allows to take a photo and really jazz it up!

With over 350 different effects you can transform a simple picture into a work of art or display a picture on an advertising billboard!

Some of the effects include pictures, others just text and some are a combination of the two.

The professional finish to these effects can provide a stimulus that children will believe is real, leading to some really effective and purposeful writing. There are some limitations - for example - you cannot add any punctuation marks into the text, so choose your words wisely!

Here are a few ways in which you can use this app in the classroom -

Create a headline to inspire writing.
Tell the class you took this picture this morning while you were having your breakfast. Share some of the facts from the article. Allow the children to then write the newspaper report, or write a first person recount as the person who made the discovery.
Work in pairs and use hot seating to interview the witness.
Write a description of the artefact, what if it was haunted? Write a spooky tale about it haunting the school.
Lots of opportunities to then use other iPad apps to develop ideas.


If your school won the lottery, what would the children want the money spent on?
Could they come up with a proposal list and budget?
Write a letter to the Headteacher proposing what the money should be spent on.
Can they map out a new playground? design a new classroom?


This image was made by @Redgierob after reading a previous post here.

Children could write descriptions about the day aliens landed.
This can be linked with this previous iPad lesson.
Children can write in role as the aliens, visiting Earth and the school for the first time - what would they think? Could they come up with different names for objects?


There are loads of other effects you can use! Here are a few other ways in which you can use PhotoFunia in class -

When children draw, paint or create pieces of art work, use the app to create the illusion that the piece of art is being displayed in an Art gallery.

Children will love to see pictures as if their work is being displayed in different Art Galleries.



If you have an assembly, performance or show coming up, create an effect like this to share via twitter or Facebook with parents.

If the children have created an animation or film on their iPad, create a similar image as the opening titles for their film.
Do you have a star of the week? Publicise their achievement by creating the effect of the news being featured in a magazine! This could be the "Super Pupils," "Best children weekly," or something along those lines to make the child feel that the reward is being shared and valued.



This next example was made through the website - http://photofunia.com/ as the app doesn't allow the video effects to work on the iPad.

But this is an animated effect which allows you to choose some of your favourite examples of writing and turn them into a book. This could be a great way to showcase the writers of the week!


These are just a few examples of the 350+ effects available on the app or website. Not all the effects would be usable in class but if you have any other ideas please let me know in the comments below.

Here was an idea shared by @larnawhatwhat on twitter. This will be used with her Roald Dahl unit of work -






Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Lovely Poem for Your Leavers Assembly

Image
I am always asked to put a little video together for our Year 6 show and end of year assembly. Each year, I always include a special poem that I finish the end of year video with. It is called Leaving School by Jade Hughes and it is beautiful: We've now left school, It's how the story ends, Tears of happiness is what we recommend,   It's what we say, But there's always a little pain, Because once you've left, It's not the same,   You could walk through school and you would see, Your friends who have grown up incredibly, But now you've gone, It's not the same, As you may never see them again,   Your friends who have grown up right beside you, Who have helped you through your daily strife, Will go ahead and leave behind them, You who wants the same old life,   But you can not live your life in the past, Hoping that the same memories will last, You have to move on and just be glad, That leaving has made you so sad, As this just shows that
Keep reading

Using Disney Films for Geography!

Image
Last week I came across a tweet sharing this picture: I thought it would be a brilliant way for children to learn about the location of different countries around the world.  Before we looked at the map, I asked the class to list as many animated Disney films (excluding Pixar) as they could think of. We shared some of our ideas and discussed the origins of some of these stories. Some were books, others fairy tales, legends or folk tales.  This gave us a link with Literacy to discuss different types of stories, how most films are derived from written texts and also looking at some famous authors. We also talked about whether they could remember where in the world the film was set.  I then shared the map with the children and gave them time to look and see whether they knew any of the countries themselves. They had to make estimated guesses as to where they thought each film was set. After they had had a go at trying the name all the countries, they then were able
Keep reading

Teaching Direct Speech Punctuation using the iPhone text messaging!

Image
Teaching direct speech is always a tricky aspect, there is so much to remember and very few useful visual pictures that clearly help children know what and how to use speech punctuation properly. Lets look at some of the tips to remember: The words that are spoken have to go within the speech marks. Any punctuation needs to also go inside the speech marks. A reporting clause, who and how they said it can go before, middle or end. A comma follows the reporting clause at the beginning. You need to start a new line when a new character speaks.  I think that is most of them?? I have heard of endless different ways to try and get children to remember these tips - keeping the sheeps in the pen  or speech mark sandwich  which are a couple of examples however they do not have any visual help for tips such as starting on a new line, which is something some of my children find hardest to remember.  I decided to use a different approach, to help cover the aspects of correct
Keep reading