Starting AppInventor in the Classroom
Dale Jones @spookingdorf [email protected] Conference June 2011
Scope Starting with AppInventor Create a (very) simple app Consider howthis could be developed in the
classroom
Why Apps? Inspiring Computing, incorporating ICT Challenge – to analyse needs, create and refine
a solution Creating something that works Solving problems, Developing thinking
“Solving problems creatively by using ICT to explore ideas and try alternatives”“Consider systematically the information needed to solve a problem”“Solve problems…”“Use ICT to make things happen by planning, testing and modifying…”
What to use? iPhone SDK
See iOS Dev Center Android SDK
Eg Eclipse AppInventor Windows Phone SDK
Making it real Authentic context Technical knowledge (of the dev environment) Technical know-how (to make the dev
environment do the right things) Creative flair
Use stimulus cards?
Systems Life Cycle
Check out the Ideas Cards for starting points
Feasibility/Analysis
DesignScreen layout
Navigation
Corporate identity
Interface
Storage
Inputs
Outputs
Assets
Appearance
Sound
Vibration
SoundMovement
TouchPosition
ButtonsImage map
Sounds
Text
Images
Movies
Splash ScreensCredits
Data flow and navigation
Design Tools
Storyboards Screen mock-ups
(some good iPhone templates at modoku.com)
Make It!
Our brief (though curiously unreliable) market research suggests that there is an opening for an app that changes the colour of text and its background at the press of a button. Please develop an app that will do this.
Using AppInventor Get a Google Account
Works on Google Apps for Education too Start AppInventor at
http://appinventor.googlelabs.com and log in. 3 parts to AppInventor:
Designer – where assets are compiled Blocks editor, where you tell things what to do Emulator, a virtual mobile device
(or connect a real one)
Using Appinventor Start the designer and create a new project. Assemble assets according to your design
plan Drag and drop AppInventor components
Give them appropriate names (eg btnBlkOnRed) Upload other assets (images, sounds) and name
them Tell assets what to do in the Blocks Editor See what it looks like in the Emulator (or on
the device)
Using AppInventor – Drumkit Assemble assets in the designer
Upload pictures, sounds Insert buttons in a table arrangement
Tell assets what to do in the Blocks Editor When button is clicked, play the sound
Test in the Emulator Add other buttons Use a vertical arrangement to add a splash
screen
Using AppInventor – DrawKitteh
Introduces use of the Canvas element to enable on-screen drawing.
See tutorial at http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/learn/tutorials/paintpot/paintpot-part1.html
Using AppInventor - sharing Download and publish elsewhere Use the barcode Download to phone
Some Tutorial Sources (there are others)
http://appinventor.googlelabs.com/learn/ http://android.jwtyler.com/
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