If you were intrigued by my post on Scratch yesterday, but have committed to being an iPad-only kind of person, I mentioned there was an analogue app.  Now, don't get me wrong, neither Scratch nor DoInk, the subject of this post, are really simple tools.  They are in the realm of object-oriented programming and vector animation, respectively, so I wouldn't recommend them unless you are comfortable stretching your techie boundaries. That said, Scratch's instruction cards make it pretty accessible. DoInk is a bit of a different matter, but I thought I would point it out and maybe over the coming months, those interested can share their experiences.

DoInk ($4.99) is an animation creation app that allows you to create basic flip book-like or more complex compositions.  You can draw your own objects, use a shape menu and import items from an online library.  Let's first look at what is possible with DoInk:



Interested? I think that video does a good job of establishing DoInk as a viable tool when viewed through a Language Lens to use animation to develop vocabulary, concepts, storytelling and exposition skills, and all the social interaction that would be involved when creating a project with a group.

DoInk provides two pretty clear tutorials on how to get started:






I do wish DoInk would come out with the kind of simple step-by step resources provided by Scratch's "Cards," but I DoThink it is worth exploring.  Let me know your thoughts, I'll be trying it out with some kids to target their classroom vocabulary lists.