Digital Storytelling

The students put forth a remarkable effort to be creative!   We had lots of fun using ChatterPix and Puppet Pals to present information.

ChatterPix Kids is a free app that allows children to upload or draw a picture and then record sound.

The directions were simple - choose a background, draw a line for a moving mouth, and start speaking! The kids quickly took to the assignment and before we knew it, we had a classroom filled with silly talking iPads!  Although our objective was to have fun, an app like chatterbox could easily be used for book reports, history presentations, and many more academic projects!

Click play to check out some of our creative videos:

The class also focused on the iPad App, Puppet Pals, today.  Puppet Pals is one of my favorite Apps! In Puppet Pals, children can create simple animated movies with a choice of characters and settings.  Students can even turn their own photos into characters in their story!  Students use their own voice to record the conversations between characters.  Because of its versatile nature, children can use this app for pure fun and enjoyment, as well as a great educational tool for school.

The App itself is free; however, in order to purchase more stock characters, customized characters, and additional settings you would need to purchase the 'Director's Pass' for $4.99.  I think it is well worth the price!

I loved watching the children's videos.  Your children are so creative and imaginative! Here are a few samples of videos from the class!

Next week we will continue to focus on digital storytelling using a variety of Apps.  There are so many amazing Apps in this category - it is difficult to choose only a few!  

Welcome!

Welcome to Digital Kids: Innovate and Create! Our first class kicked off yesterday and we had a spectacular time!  I am really looking forward to many exciting classes to follow!

         

Much of yesterday was spent talking about class expectations, meeting each other, assigning iPads, and learning about what we will be doing in the weeks ahead.  We were able to jump into a few apps in the remaining time…and easily two of my favorites!

The first, and one of the most versatile apps on the iPad, was Drawing Pad.

Students used the digital markers, paint, crayons, and color pencils to design beautiful pieces of art.  They even had a little fun with the digital stickers and stamps! I really like how some of the students added their own photos to personalize their pictures.  

Some examples from the class:

 The second App we explored was another of my favorites, PicCollage.

PicCollage is a fantastic app for creating a collage of a family vacation, a poster on a particular subject, or a flyer for your team's end-of-the-season party.  Students used photos from the classroom and of themselves - supplemented with stickers, text, and backgrounds to create gorgeous designs.  

On a side note, over the next few weeks you will see that 'sharing' with an audience is an important objective weaved into our curriculum (thank you for providing an email address!).   I know that digital technology often worries parents (myself included!) because of the interactive nature of it.  In this class, students will learn how to share information safely with friends and family, and to take precautions when participating amongst a global audience. We want to students to feel comfortable using digital technology; however, first and foremost, they must be safe, protected, and making a positive contribution to our digital world.  I encourage you to keep up the conversation at home, as well.