What: Make a short animated movie in your browser.
Ease of use: Very easy to master - with enough depth to keep you coming back.
Writing application:
Xtranormal allows you to make animated movies in which you write the text, add sound effects, control the action, select a backdrop, camera angles, facial expressions of the actors ... gasp ... the lot!
The UI is well developed, with simple controls that are straightforward to use. It's great fun, and wonderful for building narratives quickly, and seeing an animated result. Though the animated figures are uncomplicated, the act of creating the dialogue gives students a strong sense of ownership over the pieces they create.
When you're finished, you can even post the results on YouTube to let the world see just how good a storyteller you really are!
My strong suggestion is that you show students over the application first, allowing them a brief period of free play time. Once they have a taste, move straight to drafting stories. By the time they have finished their scripts and storyboards, students will be dying to get back to Xtranormal to see them completed!
Of course, there are some limitations: You have to register save anything you create in Xtranormal, and though it's free, registration with a class of 25 students or more can take up a third of a lesson or more! My suggestion is to create a small number of accounts and get students to work in groups.
Another limitation is the number of characters you can have starring in your little movie, two. There is a premium account coming, in which you can have multiple actors along with other benefits, but until that happens, two is the limit.
Suited: Upper primary and above
Teaching with an existing text: Exploring an existing class novel or story with Xtranormal is great fun! Chose two characters from your novel and recreate a scene, or explore an alternate side to a character.
Another very successful activity is to have students write a monologue for a character in their book, and then recreate it using Xtranormal. Have them put the their text in in pieces, with facial expressions, movements and camera angles to set the scene.
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