Book Creator
Cost: $ 4.99 Why We Like It: You can include images from your device's camera roll and images can be resized and re-positioned, text attributes can be changed and books can have as many pages as needed. Once users are finished with a book it can be opened in iBooks (iOS), Google Play Books (Android), or any number of other apps such as Dropbox, Evernote and others. It can also be sent over email or saved to iTunes (iOS). How It Benefits Students: Students will be able to use the app to create their own books. They can input pictures and text in order to complete their stories. The ease of use is a bonus- students will be able to be independent while working with this app. Live Link: https://bookcreator.com/ |
My Story Book Maker
Cost: $6.99 Why We Like It: My Story combines drawing, stickers, photos, voice, and text to promote literacy, language development and creativity in storybook format. Students stories, art, coloring, photos, ideas, and voice recordings are saved. How It Benefits Students: Students can use this app to showcase their learning. They can use it to write stories, or showcase their learning from a different subject area using a visual/written means of expression. This type of app supports student use and is colorful and easy to use. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/my-story-school-ebook-maker/id449232368?mt=8 |
Pictello
Cost: $27.99 Why We Like It: Pictello is a great app which is easy for students to learn and use to create their own books. There is the capability to have the app read the student's text back to them. It also will give suggestions as to which words students are trying to spell. It is easy to edit a book once they have started it, as well as upload own photos. It is costly, so it may be an app that you only use on one iPad. How It Benefits Students: Students will be able to create their own stories and save them to PDF or video files. The video files will have the text from the book being read back, or students can record themselves reading their stories. Pictello facilitates student use as it auto saves their work as they go. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pictello/id397858008?mt=8 |
ComicBook!
Cost: $3.99 and some in app purchases Why We Like It: There are 105 layouts, and multiple text tools built into this app. Students can insert their own pictures from ‘photos’ into their comics. There are built-in saving and sharing options which include saving to PDF. There are parental controls as well as a Quick Start guide. How It Benefits Students: The suggested age range says is 9+ but if you teach the skills needed to use this app it can also be used for younger students with monitoring and support. Many students enjoy illustrating comics by hand and this is a great way to engage some learners who may struggle with writing long stories. Students will be able to show the elements of a story while publishing a comic of their own. For students with written output struggles this may be a way to engage them and for these students to be successful in demonstrating their ability to write a story without a ton of writing. This app will provide students with an alternative, engaging way to showcase their learning. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/comicbook/id436114747?mt=8 |
Comic Life 3
Cost: $6.99 one time charge Why We Like It: Comic Life 3 is an interactive comic making app. Students are able to create stories, add pictures and add speech bubbles to their work. It is a way to illustrate a story they may be making and an alternative way to represent their learning. How It Benefits Students: Students can use Comic Life 3 to illustrate a story they are working on. They could also start to use CL3 in order to choose characters and decide on a story line. Many students enjoy illustrating comics by hand, and this is a great way to engage some learners who may struggle with writing long stories. Students will be able to show the elements of a story while publishing a comic of their own. For students with written output struggles this may be a way to engage them and for these students to be successful in demonstrating their ability to write a story without a ton of writing. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/comic-life-3/id891378056?mt=8 |
Toon Do
Cost: Free, Web based. Why We Like It: It is an alternative to the app-based comic strips. TOONDO is free and can be used through a teacher email address for sign up. It is easy to use. Teachers can use the program too and can create short comic strips to give instructions or to teach a concept. How It Benefits Students: Teachers can use ToonDO to create short comic strips that may give instructions or to teach a concept. Students can use it to show the elements of a story while publishing a comic of their own. For students with written output struggles, this may be a way to engage them and for these students to be successful in demonstrating their ability to write a story without a ton of writing. Students can use a terminal in a classroom or use the computer lab with this comic creator. If you do not have access to mobile devices this is a great program to use to get started. Live Link: http://www.toondoo.com/ |
Chatterpix Cost: Free Why We Like It: It is a free, interactive app. It is useful for many different curriculum areas. Students can craft a piece of writing as though they were the object that they are going to use to speak. They can then record themselves speaking and have their object, animal etc., speak the words. How It Benefits Students: Simply take any photo, draw a line to make a mouth and record your voice. Then share your Pix with friends and family as silly greetings, playful messages, creative cards or even fancy book reports. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/chatterpix-kids-by-duck-duck-moose/id734046126?mt=8 |
Green Screen by Do Ink
Cost: $3.99 Why We Like It: It is a versatile app that can be cross-curricular. It can be used for photos and videos. It is inexpensive for an app that is so versatile. You don’t need to buy a green screen, you simply need the app and a green background. This background can be fabric or green paper. How It Benefits Students: Students and teachers can both benefit from the use of this app. For student use, they can create videos where they have superimposed various backgrounds without having to create these backgrounds by hand. They can use these backgrounds and record a video of a play they have created and written. They could create newscasts that they could then share with the school during an assembly. Teachers can use the green screen to take student photos on different backgrounds. They can then use text features to record student goals. These can then be uploaded to student e-portfolios. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/green-screen-by-do-ink/id730091131?mt=8 |
iMovie
Cost: Free Why We Like It: Students are able to create movie trailers. These can be introductions to stories that they have written or book summaries. It is an alternative way for students to show their learning. There are pre-set templates which support student use. iMovie is free and comes pre-loaded onto most newer iPads. How It Benefits Students: iMovie is easy to use. Students can experiment with the different templates in an easy to use setting. There is the opportunity for them to record videos and upload them into the templates. iMovie can be used in place of book reports or book reviews. It can be used as an interactive way for students to showcase a story they have written. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8 |
Microsoft Word
Cost: On the iPad it is free to download. On a School District 72 computer it is provided at no extra cost. For a personal computer it is $ 79.00 per year. Overall Goals: Students will use Microsoft Word to practice Writing skills and to become comfortable with a keyboard. They will also use Microsoft Word to write, edit and then publish their Writing. How It Benefits Students: Students will have an opportunity to use the keyboard, as well as have spelling checked and they will be able to practice saving their work to their device, or printing a good copy when they are done. Why We Like It: Using Microsoft Word with students in primary grades is important as they will be learning skills they will need later on. They will have a no-pressure opportunity to practice their writing as they can save their work and come back to it. They will have an opportunity to practice typing skills that will transfer to use in the computer lab as well. How We Use It: Students will first brainstorm or write in journals. They will take a piece of writing they have previously written and they will type it into Microsoft Word. They will then have an opportunity to edit their work, share it with a friend and then print it. When using a Community of Learners model of Writing, students will be able to type their own work which will get shared on their sharing day with the class. They will take ownership of their learning and responsibility for their work. They can ask for feedback and then go back to their saved work and edit it based around the suggestions given rather than starting over. Live Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/store/b/word?&OCID=AID718530_SEM_yOQDLWpp |
Explain Everything
Cost: $13.99 Why we like it & student use: Students can use Explain Everything to narrate a drawing, a Math question or a picture. It is a great tool to be used for assessment. As there is a cost, you may want to have this on only a couple of iPads in your classroom. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/explain-everything-classic/id431493086?mt=8 |
Pic Collage
Cost: Free Why We Like It & student use: Students will be able to use this app for a collection of photos that can showcase their learning. They can use this app with photos, add some text and then they can save their work as a picture file. For example, this would be a good opportunity for non-fiction writers to compile photos of animal characteristics if they were going to do a Science/Writing project. Live Link: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pic-collage-photo-editor/id448639966?mt=8 |
Osmo:
Cost: Wonder Kit $189.00 (includes six games and one base) Pizza game $59.00 Additional base $39.00 The game apps are free Curriculum Connections: Math computation concepts (counting, addition, subtraction and multiplication); vocabulary and spelling; spacial and visual thinking and reasoning; sequential thinking and coding; fine motor skills and creativity (drawing skills); following directions and money concepts Games That Are Are Included:
Why We Like It: This fits with our basic teaching belief in the value of hands-on manipulatives. We were challenged to believe in a mobile device-based program but as this mixes the hands-on manipulatives with technology, it fits well with our beliefs. Students are able to be engaged in Math, Reading, Writing, and coding concepts through game play. They don't even know that they are 'playing' and yet they all want to be the ones able to use the programs. How We Use It: Students can work independently or with a partner to play learning games. They sit at the carpet (as the i Pad cannot have a case) and they are responsible for setting up and putting away materials. They are currently welcome to play during centers and as we purchase more bases and game add on's they will be able to use these different games as stations during Math, Writing and centers. |