Using your iPhone to record memories of Veterans. Michael Morpurgo brings the emotion and humanity of war to young readers, and TechChef4U leads you to the best EdTech apps.
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“In the Pacific Theater of WWII, the 2nd Marine Division also saw action on Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands from November 20 to December 4, 1943, where the Division was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation. The 2nd MarDiv fought in the battle for Saipan in the Mariana Islands Campaign from June 15 to July 24, 1944. The Division participated in the capture of Tinian Island from July 24 to August 10, 1944. There last combat action of WWII was to act as floating reserve for the Battle of Okinawa from April 1-10, 1945. A detachment from Division Headquarters and the 8th Marine Regiment went ashore to reinforce June 1-30, 1945. At the end of the war, elements of the 2nd Marine Division were part of the occupation of Nagasaki, Japan. They arrived just twenty-five days after the dropping of the nuclear bomb.”
From The Military Vet Shop Website
I give you this information because I was just blessed with an opportunity to sit down with my father-in-law and record him talking about his time on Saipan.
I have been an advocate for getting students to podcast for years. Having sat down to record his memories, I have found myself with a brand new passion for using podcasting as a preservation tool, as well as an educational tool. My recording was done on my iPhone using the iRigRecorder, available for free in the IOS app store.(It’s also available for Android). You can also use Evernote to record and annotate. Voddio provides both a video and audio solution, also allowing you to write out a script for your video. My point is, there are probably dozens more recording apps of varying effectiveness that will allow you to just take out the device that you ALWAYS have with you and simply capture the moment for preservation. We always think of grabbing those pictures and videos, but there is something to be said for just capturing the spoken word. Give it a try! If you happen to capture any wonderful memories of other veterans, from any war, that you would like to share, feel free to drop me me a comment on the website at NetcastStudio and we can make arrangements.
As a listener of CTRLALTDELIVER, Audible has a great offer for you to try out their service for 30 days. Check out the offer at Audibletrial
This weeks, Audible Pick and KidLit Pick is War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.
In 1914, a beautiful foal with a distinctive cross on his nose is sold to the Army and thrust into the midst of the war on the Western front. But his heart aches for Albert, the farmer’s son he left behind. Will he ever see his true master again?
The story is captivating. From my 5 year old on up, eyes were riveted to the movie version of War Horse. They were enthralled by a documentary on the Stage Play in London. We are hoping to be able to take them when the tour comes to Atlanta in the fall.
With all of that being said, it is just the tip of the literary iceberg that is Michael Morpurgo. Having written over a 100 books, one only has to glance at the titles and descriptions to see what a great author this could be to introduce your reluctant male readers to. Farm Boy is the sequel to War Horse. An Elephant in the Garden deals with what happens to animals in a zoo when a city is being bombed. Private Peaceful brings home the impact of WWI on a young boy.It has also been adapted for the stage and will run for a limited 16 performances in September in London. It will also be followed by a movie version with Richard Griffiths (Mr. Dursley in the Harry Potter Movies.) Michael Morpurgo describes himself as “oldish, married with three children, and a grandfather six times over”, but he is so much more. He is the former Children’s Laureate. Along with his wife, Michael created a charity called Farms for City Children to allow urban children the experience of farm life. Since its creation, over 85, 000 children have enjoyed time on their three farms. As I dig more and more into researching him, I am amazed by the depth and the wealth of wonder that he inspires, both in his writing and in his life. I will need to do an entire episode on Michael Morpurgo. Check out his website at Michael Morpurgo dot com.
This week’s EdTech spotlight falls on Lisa Johnson
She is an Instructional Technology Specialist for NEISD and have started a blog and podcast series devoted to creating iPad lessons and resources for teachers. That’s NE Independent School District for San Antonio, Texas. Her website TechChef4U.com, is a treasure of wonderful posts leading you to excellent apps and Web 2.0 sites that will enhance your edtech toolbox. You can also listen to her podcast, Appy Hour, where she discusses EdTech Apps. They have recently released a TechChef4 U app that organizes educational apps by subject and by age.
Follow her on Twitter and be sure to check out the IOS app!
