Foldify App

Overview

It’s a beautiful thing when students can use digital tools to build real world creations. While 3D printing is still a little on the expensive side, the Foldify app does an amazing job allowing students to create their own three dimensional paper masterpieces. Using the app, students can choose different paper templates, paint them digitally, model them in 3D, then print for assembly in the real world. It really is a delightfully fun, creative and rewarding experience.

FoldifyName: Foldify – www.foldifyapp.com
Pricing: $3.99
Compatibility: iOS
Access: No signup required
Privacy: Private

 

A Quick Look

 

In Practice

1. Create. Create. Create.

With a selection of different templates to choose from within the app, there is a huge amount of freedom for students to create. Cars, people, buildings shapes and more. Younger students can create imaginary characters. Older students can use their artistic skills to create real life caricatures. Go with a festive theme and build something for Christmas. Insert real photos into templates to makes cutout classmates. The possibilities are endless.

2. Class collaboration and storytelling

Work together with your class to decide on a particular scene or story that you want to recreate in your classroom. Have each of your students choose what part of the scene/story they want to build and then have them use the Foldify app to create their contribution. This could be done as part of a classroom area of study or even used to present a ‘puppet’ rendition of an event or experience.

3. Get imaginative

Try re-thinking of Foldify as just the starting point of your creative process. Have your students create their own characters or figures and then let them get imaginative, adding to their characters using additional material or, if you want to get very innovative, importing their digital file into other apps or software to modify further.

4. Explore Origami

Use the excitement and enthusiasm for Foldify to start discussing the Japanese art and tradition of origami. With hundreds of printable templates available online you can use the artform to teach about Japanese culture, history and society. A moving and historically significant place to start could be the story of Sadako Sasaki and the thousand paper cranes.

5. Integrate technology (QR codes)

This innovative idea from classroom teacher Monica Burns imports QR codes into the Foldify app to create printable digital resources. This could be done to link a printed object to online learning material, a YouTube video of the creation process or used to link students to relevant class resources.

 

Links and Next Steps

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