Software
The following software programs will form the basic set of tools we will use during our creative learning projects. In addition, we will experiment with a range of Web 2.0 tools to further enhance the creative potential of ICT in the classroom.
Audio
Audacity (Mac & PC)
Audacity is a free audio editor that you can download to your computer using this link. It's great for music projects and podcasts.
Garageband (Mac)
Garageband is a software application for Apple Mac computers. It is very similar to Audacity but with a few extra features like built in audio loops. There are some excellent user guides on the Apple site.
Animation
I Can Animate (Mac & PC)
I Can Animate enables anyone to create stop motion and time-lapse movies. It is very straightforward to use but can produce sophisticated results. Here's an example of what can be achieved by very young children and here's a link to download the teachers' guide.
Comics
Comic Life (Mac & PC)
This is a fantastic multiframe comic creation tool with cool sound effects. You can quickly select a suitable template, add photos and text. The photo filters and text transformations are very impressive.
Movie Making
iMovie (Mac)
Apple have divided fans with the latest version of iMovie. It works more like a photo editor, using thumbnails instead of a timeline but for speed and flexibility, there's not much to beat it.
Movie Maker (PC)
Movie Maker is the Windows version of iMovie. It's very simple to use, comes as standard on most PCs and you can download various add-ons.
Photography
iPhoto (Mac)
iPhoto is the standard photography management and editing application on a Mac. For basic filters and editing it's remarkably efficient.
Picasa (Mac & PC)
Picasa is available as a free download from Google. It's perfect for organising, editing, creating and sharing.