Microsoft SWAY

Microsoft SWAY is an Office 365 app that is designed to help computer users to express ideas using an interactive, web-based canvas. Sway's design engine can be used to quickly and easily produce professional, interactive, and visually appealing designs from images, text, documents, videos, maps, and more.

The idea is that SWAY can be used to creatively tell a story using a range of media. It is a fantastic resource that we have been developing the use of in School both by children and staff. Children in both Year 5 and 6 have produced some fantastic SWAYs this term. In Year 5, the children had the opportunity to create persuasive texts designed to entice travelers to board the Titanic: this was linked to their work on Kaspar Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo. Year 6 used SWAY to create non-chronological reports about animals from the Amazon linked to their ‘Journey through the Jumanji Jungle’ this half term. They then had the opportunity to present their SWAY texts in front of an audience.

The excellent thing about SWAY as opposed to something like PowerPoint is that information can be presented in a much more interesting way. The information can be vertical, horizontal or can be ‘stacked’ like a pack of cards. A full range of media can be easily inserted meaning that presentations can be really brought to life.

In the Junior School, we were keen to find a way to showcase the learning journey in each year group: we believe that SWAY is the perfect platform for this. It is virtual and exciting.

The children have enjoyed using SWAY so much that a group of Year 6 children have created the first of a monthly publication: Year 6 Monthly. The first edition can be found here: https://sway.office.com/BrzP3WrYUjOcRgGj?ref=Link&loc=play

Happy #swaying