Honestly, I did not discover Scratch, nor do I know much about it. However I have a handful of students that LOVE using it to create presentations for class. The site is actually an early introduction to programming, but students can use it to create animations for various assignments. I have never required scratch, but when my students have used the site I have been blown away by the results.
Powtoon is a simple tool students can use to create videos and presentations. Many of the sites features are available with the free account. Students can choose from themes or create their own cartoon videos. They get the chance to manipulate characters, add images and speech, and experiment with different graphic organizers of information. I have used Powtoon myself as well, when creating introduction videos. It is a nice way to meet students on their level. I have also found that students are fantastic at maneuvering the site- they always find a new way to add creative flair to their projects. The site also allows you to switch your productions back and forth from a video format to a slideshow format. This was a big help for back to school night; I was able to use the fun upbeat video I showed my students to the parents and could slow down and elaborate on some points.
PlayPostit is an awesome tool to use in the classroom, especially if you are a fan of the flipped classroom model. It is a simple concept. The site allows you to add open ended questions, reflections, and multiple choice questions in to Youtube videos. As you students watch the video, they will not be able to fast forward, but instead will have to watch a video while answering questions about the content. You can create stopping points, crop the video, and links throughout the video. The site allows you to use any Youtube video as well. I have used PlayPostit many times, especially for homework assignments and when we are working on inference skills. My favorite assignment involved the famous story Motel of the Mysteries. I assigned my students a "bulb (as playpostit calls them) that contained questions meant to challenge their thinking and make inferences during the video. At the end of the video, and this make more sense if you know the story, my students then had a chance to reflect on how their ideas had changed.
*Sidenote: Though I don't use these videos personally as a summative assessment, it is possible. All student responses are recorded and can be graded. A simple and fun tool, Blabberize allows students to turn images in to awesome talking videos. Students simply upload an image, cut out a mouth, and record their voices. The site then takes the audio and creates a talking image video. Not much can be done with the videos short of them being hosted on the Blabberize site, but they are super simple to make. Even if students are unable to access a device with a microphone, they can call in and record their audio. My students used this site to take on the persona of a Greek god or goddess for a short assignment. Instead of having the students complete a worksheet to learn the gods, they had the chance to create awesome videos and share their stories with each other.
BrainPop is an awesome tool. The site is full of videos that you can share with students or watch during whole group instruction. They offer fantastic introductions to complicated topics. The site also offers some interactive tools as well as printable worksheets. I have used Brainpop in various ways in my classroom, but I've found its best use is in differentiation. The videos are engaging but simple, and are accessible to many of my struggling learners. When I had an ESL population in my classroom they were an excellent tool for teaching basic vocabulary as well. Quick and simple, these videos are a subscription service that can benefit various classrooms and students. |
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May 2016
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