There are so many wonderful tools for digital storytelling and presentations that it's both inspiring and overwhelming. Which one should I choose? For what purpose? Grade? Subject area? Skill? In short, am I a kid in a candy store or am I buried under a snowdrift! One thing for sure, helping students to create and present information using these tools takes time and patience until we have all become proficient. I have had the best results when I have worked with class teachers on collaborative projects, which is always my goal as the school librarian. Another factor is the administration of these tools. We have subscriptions to some of the tools, which gives the teacher control over student accounts including the ability to comment on student work, approve and edit, and control the levels of privacy. While these features are extremely useful, I have found the administration very time consuming. Hopefully, in time, I'll get better and faster with it.
I've been experimenting with several tools for for quite a while with varying degrees of success and I am showcasing some of the students' work here plus my own ToonDoo creation, which I learned to use yesterday.
ToonDoo
I can see using ToonDoo for a variety of purposes: to explain library procedures to faculty and students; for students to explain difficult or confusing concepts in a fun, graphic way. For example, different genre of literature, how fiction and non fiction books are organized in the library, copyright and creative commons, and so on. This would be a wonderful assessment tool to see if students fully understand concepts. Plus, I am sure they would enjoy using this format to showcase their research and for any writing assignment in any area of the curriculum. I am thinking about using this tool with my 5th grade students who are currently working on book reviews. First, I want them to write their reviews and then they could present salient points using this graphic format. The 3rd graders could use this tool to explain how the nonfiction books are organized as they have begun a unit on the Dewey Decimal system.
As I reflect on the usefulness of all these tools, the cost of subscriptions, and on the hours I spend on administering them, I am wondering whether to change my approach to be more selective and just focus on one or two tools rather than using several at the same time. The problem is they are all equally exciting!
I've been experimenting with several tools for for quite a while with varying degrees of success and I am showcasing some of the students' work here plus my own ToonDoo creation, which I learned to use yesterday.
ToonDoo
I can see using ToonDoo for a variety of purposes: to explain library procedures to faculty and students; for students to explain difficult or confusing concepts in a fun, graphic way. For example, different genre of literature, how fiction and non fiction books are organized in the library, copyright and creative commons, and so on. This would be a wonderful assessment tool to see if students fully understand concepts. Plus, I am sure they would enjoy using this format to showcase their research and for any writing assignment in any area of the curriculum. I am thinking about using this tool with my 5th grade students who are currently working on book reviews. First, I want them to write their reviews and then they could present salient points using this graphic format. The 3rd graders could use this tool to explain how the nonfiction books are organized as they have begun a unit on the Dewey Decimal system.
As I reflect on the usefulness of all these tools, the cost of subscriptions, and on the hours I spend on administering them, I am wondering whether to change my approach to be more selective and just focus on one or two tools rather than using several at the same time. The problem is they are all equally exciting!
Voicethread
I have found this to be a wonderful tool for students to present their research and learn to work collaboratively. Last year, a second grade class made a Voicethread for their research about famous Americans. This year I am working with a 4th grade class who are working in groups to share their research about explorers. I like the way a group of students work together to share their ideas and research and organize the contributions of each member of the team. This tool combines many skills in digital literacy and collaboration.
I have found this to be a wonderful tool for students to present their research and learn to work collaboratively. Last year, a second grade class made a Voicethread for their research about famous Americans. This year I am working with a 4th grade class who are working in groups to share their research about explorers. I like the way a group of students work together to share their ideas and research and organize the contributions of each member of the team. This tool combines many skills in digital literacy and collaboration.
Educational Glogster
I have worked with 4th and 5th graders to create glogs. The students absolutely love this tool and can get totally carried away with it. So, I learned that it's essential to give students a rubric for creating their glogs. Also, it's helpful to explain to students that the design style conveys information to the reader, too, and should reflect the content of the glog. For example, neon peace signs would not be appropriate for a glog about a Colonial trade. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about citing sources and the ethical use of images, videos, etc.
I have worked with 4th and 5th graders to create glogs. The students absolutely love this tool and can get totally carried away with it. So, I learned that it's essential to give students a rubric for creating their glogs. Also, it's helpful to explain to students that the design style conveys information to the reader, too, and should reflect the content of the glog. For example, neon peace signs would not be appropriate for a glog about a Colonial trade. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about citing sources and the ethical use of images, videos, etc.
5th Grade Periodic Table of the Elements
4th Grade Colonial Trades