App of the Week: Storybird

Well, this week's app isn't an app exactly. It is a really amazing website that will work perfectly on your iPads or your computers. If you need a refresher on how to add a website link to your iPad, just let me know!

 This is a really awesome resource to encourage creative writing in your classrooms. I am so excited about this, and I think you will be as well.

Your first step is to visit www.storybird.com and create a free teacher account. Once you have done this, you can add your students.  I will even do this step for you if you want to use this with your students.  Whatever I can do to help, just let me know!

When your students log in, they will choose to create a story.  The get to choose from some awesome  artwork.

 

I clicked on the boy by the tree, which opened up a  set of images to work with.

From here, the students can choose to use these images to create either a poem or a book.  The story set I was using in the picture below was called "Running in the Park."

They can even invite other students to collaborate with them.  Once they finish, they can publish their stories to the Storybird gallery.

You will be able to see your students' work from your teacher page.

This is a really awesome resource for creative and descriptive writing!  You might even have your students lay out their artwork first, use their MSS graphic organizers to pre-write, and then go back and add their text.  I hope some of you will try it and let me know how you like it!

Eagle Watching

Our students here at Mitchell have been watching the Eagle's nest at Berry College in Rome, GA. Click here for the live feed. Mrs. Roberts' 3rd graders created these drawings to show what they've seen.

App of the Week: Gabit

Mrs. Bishop asked me for help finding an app her students could use to present Black History Biographies.  She wanted the students to create an avatar of their historical figures and record their voices speaking as the figure.  I did a little research and found an app that is great!
  
Gabit is an iPhone app.  It will work on the iPad, just make sure when you search in the app store, you change from "iPad" to "iPhone" or it won't display.  This is a great fresh way to use your iPods! 

 It is extremely customizable, so your kids can change all the details of the avatar to make them look like a real person, and they can also change the background to an appropriate setting. 

 They then record their voices, and can even adjust the pitch of their voice. 

Then their videos can be shared or saved. 

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/gabit-talking-cartoon-creator/id439739186?mt=8

Please let me know if you use this app with your students so I can share!