Introduction
Creating educational content with animation is an excellent way to engage children in learning and help them develop important skills. What teachers need to have in mind is that it’s not just about making things look pretty; it’s about ensuring that the content is meaningful and relevant to the child’s age, interests, and abilities. This means that teachers should carefully select what kids should learn online and how to present it in a way that they will understand.
Our project’s experts have focused on six different tools that can offer significant benefits to teachers who work with little kids (Early Care Education) so as to make new and exciting ways for them, to learn using computers and other technology tools, making sure that learning is still fun and not just serious or tedious:
- Toontastic 3D, is an easy-to-use mobile app that allows children to create their animated stories, short films, and presentations.
- TupiTube, a free and open source 2D animation software, can help children experiment with their creativity and artistic abilities.
- StoryJumper, designed for children to develop their reading, writing, and storytelling skills.
- Pencil2D Animation, is a free software tool that allows children to learn traditional animation techniques like frame-by-frame drawing and onion skinning.
- ChatterPix Kids, is a mobile app that provides an interactive way for children to create photos that talk or "chatterpix."
- Stop motion is a free app which makes it possible to create small film sequences using the stop motion technique.
Upon completion of the training on these 6 tools, early education teachers can expect to have acquired valuable skills and knowledge that can enhance their teaching methods and improve the learning experience for their students. By learning to create educational content with animation, teachers can engage children in learning by presenting information in an interactive and engaging way. They will have a better understanding of what kids should learn online and how to present it in a way that they will understand.
By mastering these tools, teachers will be able to:
- Develop their students' creativity, storytelling, communication, and artistic abilities, making their classes more dynamic and interesting;
- Introduce their students to traditional animation techniques, such as frame-by-frame drawing and onion skinning, which can spark their interest and help them learn about new themes and concepts;
- Able to evaluate the effectiveness of the content they develop, ensuring that children are really learning from the digital things they have created;
- Have a positive impact on their teaching methods, enhance the learning experience for their students, and develop their students' skills and abilities.
This course is mostly for teachers who work with kids, who are around 4 years old or/and older.
