Harvesting Still Images From Emoji Me Stickers

A previous blog post discussed the use of graphics created with an app called Emoji Me. In that post you learned how to 'populate' your educational resources with faces created with the Emoji Me app. You also learned how to personalize existing Animated Step-by-Steps® by swapping emoji of your students, with the 'generic child images' currently displayed in these ASbyS resources. 

When you create an emoji you are primarily creating the face. Of interest to this blog post, however, is an additional capability of automatically generating animated stickers.

The sticker is a series of graphics that collectively form an animated sequence, saved as an .gif file. 

If you 'drag and drop' the .gif on to a PowerPoint slide, it will play automatically and continuously when in presentation mode. 

If you want more control over when the video starts, import the .gif using the insert video command. The file now inserts with a video play bar that must be activated to trigger the animation.  It will play only once, unless reactivated.

These .gif animations always import with a white background, so a white slide is optimal for display purposes.

Less obvious, however is the fact that you can also 'harvest' still images from the .gif for your educational resources.  Note all the layers that make up this .gif appear as layers in the Layers Window of Photoshop. If you want a specific non-animated 'still image' for your educational resource, you can turn off (make invisible) all the layers you don't want, while keeping the one layer/image that you do want turned on (make visible). Visibility is depicted as an eye icon in the small box to the left of the layer. 

SUMMARY: 

Open the Layers Window (Under Window on the Menu bar).

Turn on the eye icon for the layer/image you desire

Turn off the eye icon for all the other layers/images that you do not wish to use. Use the 'save as' command (under File) to save that single selected image as a new file on your desktop.  

If you have dropped out the background in Photoshop, be sure to save the file as a .png to preserve background transparency.

With respect to the latter, if you wish to overlap/superimpose your  emoji image on another image in your PowerPoint resource, you must make the emoji background transparent. You can drop out the white background of the Emoji in Photoshop (use the magic wand tool to select the white background, then delete the selected background) OR you can eliminate the background in Powerpoint (using the make background transparent tool). General instructions for making the background transparent are available in a previous blog post.

 Emoji mage with white background         Checkered background indicates transparency           Final resource

The Final Word: 

Emoji Me is a fabulous program for folks interested in creating engaging educational resources!

…’til the next post …  

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

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©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

Consider the Emoji Me App

When I was between jobs, I used the 'down time' to learn how to use a robust graphics program called Adobe Illustrator. I wanted  to create illustrations of children that could be used to 'populate' my Animated Step-by-Steps®. 

Although it is certainly more labor intensive to create illustrations 'from scratch', there is something very satisfying about creating your own 'little people' and not having to rely on clip art.  

Child Created Using Illustrator                                           Child Created Using Emoji Me App      

The satisfaction of creating your own characters can also be achieved using an app called Emoji Me. 

I love the Emoji Me app!  It allows you to easily create characters using your iPhone and iPad! The basic program is FREE with the option of making additional in-app purchases to supplement your library of options. 

The program efficiently walks you through the process of creating a face, first selecting boy vs. girl … choose the skin color … choose the hair style and color … select eye shape and color … select eyebrow shape and color … select the mouth … select the nose … now choose the face shape … do you need glasses? … how about a hat or bow? You get the picture … the Emoji Me designers have anticipated just about everything you might need … even freckles are an option! The app allows you to take or import a photo to serve as a visual reference while you are 'building' your emoji. Illustrated is the panel for selecting eye shape and color. While auditioning your selections, the emoji on the left always reflects your current choice. The following illustration shows how a picture of a 'generic girl' was systematically morphed into the emoji of a student in one of my classrooms. 

You can now select and send that emoji to yourself. Import it into a photo imaging program such as Adobe Photoshop  or Photoshop Elements … make the background transparent and presto you have an image suitable for using in your educational resources. 

                                    Export Emoji                                        Make background transparent in Photo Imaging Program

How will you use what you've created?

Consider making an emoji for each student and staff member in your class! Substitute these emoji for the illustrated faces in your ASbySs (i.e. an ASbyS amenable to being personalized - clearly marked on its title page). Simply right click on the original face … select change picture… navigate to where your emoji versions reside and presto you have successfully inserted an emoji version of your student into your Animated Step-by-Step. A previous blog post, Personalizing Animated Step-by-Steps® - Made Easier! provides illustrated instructions. Depicted below is the original cover and the revised personalized cover for the We Eat Healthy Resource.  

The Bloom Where You're Planted Store (TpT) offers numerous titles that can be easily personalized. Depicted below is a bundled resource offering 16 resources at a 20% discount. 

The process of making an emoji collaboratively with your students can also be a wonderful language activity. It provides the perfect opportunity to model Aided Language Stimulation on your Core + Fringe PowerPoint Voice-Output Display. "Now WE NEED to CHOOSE SOME EYES (Body Parts Pop Up Page). Everybody LOOK at Jasper's EYES.  Let's build a sentence about Jasper's EYES. Jasper HAS ...."

The possibilities are limitless … and as always the outcome is just plain fun! 

…’til the next post …  

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph. D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

Teachers Pay Teachers ClassFund

Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) has just added a new component to their site to help teachers raise $$$$ to purchase teacher-made materials for their class. 

For a limited time TpT will match up to $50 in contributions to your ClassFund.

Check it out!  It might must be the perfect fit for your classroom!     https://www.tptclassfund.com

Here's hoping Animated Step-by-Steps® will be included on your wish list. 

The Name Game

The Name Game is a popular song, written and sung by Shirley Ellis (c1964). Over the years, it has been rerecorded several times and has appeared in numerous TV shows, commercials and movies. This is obviously a song with a 'long shelf life'.  

 The Name Game is now a literacy-focused Animated Step-by-Step!  

The Basic Rules: (adapted from Wikipedia)

Using the name Shirley as an example, the song follows this pattern:

Shirley, Shirley, bo-birley,

Bonana-fanna fo-firley

Fee fi mo-mirley

Shirley!

A verse can be created for any name with stress on the first syllable, with X as the name and Y as the name without the first consonant sound (if it begins with a consonant), as follows:

(X), (X), bo-b (Y)

Bonana-fanna fo-f (Y)

Fee fi mo-m (Y)

(X)!

If the name starts with a b, f, or m, that sound simply is not repeated. 

For example: Billy becomes "Billy Billy bo-illy"; 

Fred becomes "bonana fanna fo-red"; Marsha becomes "fee fi mo-arsha"

--------------------------------------

The song gives no indication of what to do with names where the stress falls on a syllable after the first, like Renee, Maria, or Lebron.

Can be Personalized

This resource must be personalized, i.e., you must replace the current place holder photos with photos of your students. Photo faces must have transparent backgrounds.  To replace a photo … right click (control click) on the existing photo face … a dropdown menu will appear … select Change Picture then navigate to where you have stored your student photo faces. Presto … a new photo face appears without disrupting your animation sequence.

Launch Page:

After two examples are provided, a launch page/slide appears. This page allows students to choose a friend to sing about. 

The pen tool (command p when in presentation mode) can be used to mark off students already chosen. Press esc on the keyboard to exit pen tool mode. 

As a Literacy Activity:

When a student is chosen on the launch page, PowerPoint jumps to a slide/page revealing the target child's photo face. The pen tool is then used to write the child's name in the red framed boxes. The pen tool can also be used to delineate the remaining kernel when the initial letter/sound is removed. 

Let's play the 'Name Game'!!!!

…’til the next post …  (new posts every Monday)

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

My Backpack - Literacy Agenda

As is the case with most Animated Step-by-Steps® there are always creative ways to achieve differentiated instruction in 'mixed ability' classrooms.



My Backpack is an Animated Step-by-Step song designed to address a color and a literacy agenda. The song is sung to the tune of Frere Jacques.

I've got a (color) backpack (2X)

Color identification can occur before the color is even mentioned as the printed word red is colored red. 

("What color do you think will be next?" ... red? I think you guessed correctly")

The first click will move a colored backpack on to the page)

What's inside? What's inside?

(the backpack rocks back and forth making a noise to suggest it's filled with objects)

See if you can guess. (2X)

(the zipper tab moves along the zipper track and the backpack opens to reveal white space)

("How many letters in our mystery object? Let's count ... 1...2..,3..,4!")

Here's a hint. (2X)

There are blanks representing the letters of the mystery object; the first letter of the word appears in the first blank. 

("There are four letters and the word starts with /b/")

Children attempt to guess the mystery object based on the number of letters and the first letter hint. 

The PowerPoint pen tool [command-p] can be used to write in additional letters; press esc to exit pen mode) 

The next click reveals the mystery object, e.g. ball, doll, puzzle, sandwich, dinosaur, teddy, lego, cookie. Now knowing the identity of the mystery object, students are encouraged to sound out the missing letters of the mystery word. Write the letters below the blanks to make it easier to compare with the spelling provided on the final animation. 

The final click fills the blanks with letters, providing the correct spelling of the mystery object's name. 

  

Variation 1: 

You might wish to work on specific letter/sound positions, e.g., final letter/sound of word, medial letter/sound of word.

Simply drag the red initial letter 'off page' where it won't be seen when it animates. 

You can then use the pen tool [command-p] to write in the cues you prefer to provide. 

Variation 2:
To make the task easier, provide students with a picture choice board that allows them to select the mystery item based on the cues that are provided. The array includes the target item ... plus a few foils with the same number of letters and the same beginning letter. Yes candle was 'a reach' : )

Above all ... have fun using this resource!

…’til the next post …  (new posts every Monday)

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator

Sally the Camel Vest Display - Enhancing Differentiated Instruction

I recently added a Vest Display resource, Sally the Camel, to the Teachers Pay Teachers site.  This resource is available in two formats: SymbolStix, PCS. 

The Sally the Camel Vest Display Resource includes the digital resources needed to create a song vest display. Files include the scene, the manipulatives, the symbol lines, the song symbol, the time-dependent repetitive line symbol and instructions for the layout. These digital files are printed on legal size paper and are assembled on 14" X 13" base of  black poster board.

In keeping with the lyrics, Sally the camel starts out with 5 attached humps (velcroed to her back) that are removed one-by-one as each verse is sung. Eventually the camel is replaced with an image of a horse. The camel with attached humps are velcroed to a rectangle that slides along a length of fishing line with a rider, personalized with a student photo face ("SO RIDE [SALLY] RIDE   … BOOM … BOOM … BOOM").  Obviously, the camel humps provide a math agenda (counting, subtraction). The resource also includes riders with shirts of different colors … allowing you to build in a color agenda ("SO RIDE [RED SHIRT] RIDE   … BOOM … BOOM … BOOM").  When a 'mystery printed name' is inserted in the name slot, a literacy agenda is also possible (printed name recognition).

Here are two simple variations amenable to differentiated instruction. 

Variation 1:

6 students receive a rider manipulative. Each rider can be differentiated by their colored shirt and their personalized photo face. 

Upon hearing the line, "So ride RED SHIRT ride … Boom … boom … boom", the child with the 'red shirt rider'comes forward to attach his rider to the camel on the vest display. This can be accomplished using an auditory cue, e.g., "red" or it can be addressed using a visual cue (the RED symbol) inserted in the name slot of the symbol line (now it is a color matching task). 

The verse is then re-sung, this time substituting the child's name, e.g., "So ride Yanny ride … Boom … boom … boom" (the camel + rider is then moved across the scene to simulate a camel ride).

Variation 2:

6 students receive their corresponding photo face (that will be attached to the rider on the camel when it is their turn). 

At the outset of each verse, the Facilitator places a mystery printed name in the 'name slot' of the symbol line.  As the name card is constructed as a Dual=Representation symbol (printed word = photo face), the card can be flipped to reveal the photo of the correct person.  

I am sure there are other strategies than can be implemented to promote differentiated instruction. If you have a variation that works for your students … I would love to hear from you. 

Aside:  Sally the Camel is also available as an Animated Step-by-Steps®

(3 formats: Regular, PCS, SymbolStix). 

…’til the next post …  (new posts every Monday)

Visit my website   http://animatedstep-by-steps.com

Follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/@AnimStepbySteps

Follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/AnimatedStepBySteps

Follow me on instagram https://www.instagram.com/animatedstepbysteps/

Follow my blog http://animatedstepbysteps.blogspot.com

Email me canadiangoosse@gmail.com

Visit my digital store http://teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Bloom

©2019 Carol Goossens’, Ph.D.

Augmentative Communication Consultant

Speech-Language Pathologist

Special Educator