Bring Your Characters to Life with Chatterpix and Morfo

Another snow day in sunny Manitoba.  Might as well make the most of it and write another blog post. I got to try out an awesome app with a class of Grade 2 students this week, and we had so much fun!  Chatterpix and ChatterKid are basically the same app, but there are more sharing options in Chatterpix. To use the app, you upload a photo of, well, anything really.  Then add a mouth and record your message.  When you hit play, it seems as though the character is speaking, as the mouth moves appropriately with your words.  It's a hoot!
The day I was there, the students used Chatterpix to record a reading response.  They had read a story and then illustrated the main character before I showed up.  When I got there, I showed them how to take a picture of their illustration with the camera app on the iPads, and then we uploaded them into the app.  The students drew a line with their finger where they felt the mouth should be and recorded a summary of the story.  That's it!  They caught on so quickly that within a 40 minute class, they were able to make several recordings. One of the best parts is the add-ons after you've recorded.  Add stickers, frames and more.  When you're all done, export as a video to your iPad's camera roll, or send directly as email or to Facebook.

I tried it out at home with our pets, and I started wondering about other possibilities for this app in a classroom setting.  How about a can talking about recycling?  How about an ice cube telling about changes in matter?  So many possibilities!  And lots of fun!  Did I mention that both versions of this app is free?!!

Morfo is the other free app I'd like to share with you today. This app is similar to Chatterpix, but a bit more sophisticated.  I think Grade 2 students would have trouble with it, but probably Grade 4 and up would be able to handle it.  To use this app, you upload or take a photo.  This app requires a certain type of photo, however.  The face must fully be faced forward, and it's best if the mouth is closed, or at least mostly. Once the photo is uploaded, you use your fingers to resize the face shape and match exactly where the eyes, nose and mouth are.  Your next step is to record the voice.  Then hit play.  Now, not only is the mouth moving, but the eyes and head as well.  It's even a bit creepy at times! You can add stickers and there's an in-app purchase of other options.

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Wouldn't it be great to use this app to make historical characters come to life?  I tried one out with Louis Riel (for those of you not in the know, he was a respected Metis leader and one of the founders of Manitoba). You can see above the original photo and how I've changed the eyes and mouth, making the video match the audio.  It would be so fun to do historical projects this way.  Upload them to YouTube and add a QR Code to a paper project! Or add them to your class blog or school website. Oh, I get so excited about this stuff!  Let me know if you have other suggestions for these great apps!