I ran across this sweet web app this past week and decided to break it out with my students. It’s a site called MySimpleShow. The simplicity of the program is apparent when you create your project. You could use it to flip your classroom, or use it for students to create their own shows.

Some of the Educational Templates

MySimpleShow just added an educational feature to the site which allows lots of uses in the classroom. There are 12 educational templates offered that can get the Simple Show started. After choosing a template, the short videos guide you through how to navigate and use the site.

It is very easy to create a show with text, graphics, and voiceover. Unfortunately doing a live voiceover is not possible in the free version. I have tried contacting the company for educational pricing or for a free trial for the paid version, however have not heard back from them yet. I am hoping that they reply soon to my request as I know my students would also love to change the background music and customize their shows even more.

What is nice about the app is that it is easy to use. Here is how I used it in my 6th grade classroom:

DAY 1

1. I showed my 6th grade students my example below and then told them that they needed to choose a book they have read either this year in middle school or in elementary school.

After sharing my video. I explained that before they can make the show they first needed to create their content. We created content in a Google slideshow first. Here is a link to the template. I find this helps students organize their thoughts better and not get distracted by a new apps interface. Students turned the template in before the class period was over.

Day 2:

I showed students how to sign up for an account (*they can sign in through their Google accounts). I also led them through the beginning where they just copied and pasted their work from my slide template into the SimpleShow Application. Then students figured the rest out on their own by watching the video tutorial lessons and asking questions while I facilitated. Here is the first student project which was completed:

Student Project:

This program is great as it can quickly create a visual report on what students have learned. It could easily be used after learning a concept to show knowledge within one class period once students get the hang of the program.

The shows can be published either by the user’s own Youtube (as my show was published) or users can choose to publish through the site’s YouTube, which is how my students’ shows were published. (This helps with kid privacy issues).

Good Showing MySimpleShow!

Categories: Apps