Loopster - a Free Video Editing App

iMovie is a great video editing app, and one many iPad users navigate to.  Pinnacle Studio came out a while back and is comparable.  Yet some people ask if there is a free version that would work nearly as well, since they are only creating one project.

Loopster might be an answer, and as today it is free.  Hurry and install this app while the price is right.

Features Loopster has are the following:

• You can put in transitions between video clips
• You can use video and still pictures
• You can modify the audio of existing video tracks
• You can add an audio track
• You can split video into segments
• You can add text overlay
• You can alter a segment to play under slow motion
• I haven't seen any ads running on the screen, nor watermarks on your video.
• You can save to camera roll or share online to youtube, facebook, and more
• You work on multiple video projects

A great option with a perfect price for those that want to tinker with digital video.

For those with students using iMovie, download and have students create videos using both apps and provide you with an academic evaluation comparison between the two products.

Book Magic - A digital story telling tool

Last week while visiting a 2nd grade classroom we observed that students were using a digital storytelling tool we hadn't seen before.  This tool is called Book Magic, and if you haven't seen it you need to take a look.


This free app has many positive features you want in a book creator app.  Along with using photos from camera roll, authors have the opportunity to search through a nice volume of clipart in order to find a picture of something that supports their writing. 

You start off by making a book which requires you to title the book and provide your name as the author.

Next step is to start inserting content on each page.  Students could select a theme for their book, for instance the ocean, so all their choices would encompass items supporting that category.

 

There are many different types of objects you can insert into a book, including clipart, photos, drawings, and text.

Each object has a set of options to alter the look of that object, like size, layer, and color.  For example in this text box there are options to change, color, size, font style, alignment, and more.

Finished projects can be shared as pdf files via email enabling students to send finished projects to parents, teachers, and peers.  There is also a facebook sharing option or one can upload to the book magic community.  

Here is a snap shot of a book about dogs created by one second grader.