15 July, 2016
Book Creator Day
I've
been enjoying (also terrified by) playing around on the Book Creator app. Dave and I created a list of 20 or so ideas for ways to use this
app in the classroom; some of our ideas included wildlife charts for science
classes; “welcome to the school” books with descriptions of different staff and
students in a new student’s class; and “yearbooks” for a classroom which could include
voice-over readings of students’ blurbs as well as descriptions of each photo
when you tap on the photo.
While
I find the app intuitive in that it’s pretty obvious where to click to perform
which functions, I also find it very time-consuming and occasionally
frustrating. Dave and I really wanted to make each of our pages look
professional and well-put-together, but as we have no experience with this app,
we found it hard to create polished pages in a reasonable amount of time. Something
for me to keep in mind if I use this app in class, especially if I have
students who may have mobility or motor-skill challenges that could mean they
work more slowly.
All
in all, Book Creator is a great, very useful app with tons of application for everything
I teach. I posted all our ideas on Showbie but will also add them here; if anyone
is inspired for their classroom, or wants to elaborate on any of these for
their own project, feel free!
Quick, cute little video (not on YouTube so I couldn't just drop in the link):
https://www.schooltube.com/video/ae90898bb70447789ee3/Student%20using%20Book%20Creator%20App
And another good one (Book Creator part starts at about 50 seconds):
23.
Parent-Teacher Made Easy
Have each of your students make a page in Book Creator to talk about their class: their work, the class community, their experiences . . . Use videos,photos, text, read-aloud,and other functions to create a fully accessible experience. Show the complete class book to parents during interviews!
Have each of your students make a page in Book Creator to talk about their class: their work, the class community, their experiences . . . Use videos,photos, text, read-aloud,and other functions to create a fully accessible experience. Show the complete class book to parents during interviews!
22.The
Wild Life
Log sightings of local wildlife. As a class or in small groups, have students identify animals they have seen. Students should record the animal’s name, family, and predators/prey roles on an “Animal Encounter Chart”. They can use the various video, audio,text,and image functions to note each animal’s habits, diet, migration etc, and answer questions such as: What does the animal rely on for food in the wintertime? Does the animal live in this region all year round? Have you ever seen one before? Which creature do you think is the most interesting? Why?
Log sightings of local wildlife. As a class or in small groups, have students identify animals they have seen. Students should record the animal’s name, family, and predators/prey roles on an “Animal Encounter Chart”. They can use the various video, audio,text,and image functions to note each animal’s habits, diet, migration etc, and answer questions such as: What does the animal rely on for food in the wintertime? Does the animal live in this region all year round? Have you ever seen one before? Which creature do you think is the most interesting? Why?
21. But
Miss, I’m Too Nervous!
Some kids hate presenting in front of the class. Show their books instead, as an alternative to standing-in-front-of-the-class presentations, for students with anxiety issues
Some kids hate presenting in front of the class. Show their books instead, as an alternative to standing-in-front-of-the-class presentations, for students with anxiety issues
20.
Welcome To Our School
Students can create a photo-album about the school that can be shared with new students (Primary students or new arrivals during the year). Students collaborate to take photos and videos around the school (inside and outside -- including staff and classmates!) and use the audio recording function in their explanations.
Students can create a photo-album about the school that can be shared with new students (Primary students or new arrivals during the year). Students collaborate to take photos and videos around the school (inside and outside -- including staff and classmates!) and use the audio recording function in their explanations.
19.
Explorations!
Second-language (ie French Immersion) students can learn about a French-speaking country by making a book in Book Creator. Students should use written and/or audio French on each page to describe an image or explain a cultural practise. Or, they might want to video-tape themselves speaking French and include these videos in their books. At the end of the project, students present their books to the class.
Second-language (ie French Immersion) students can learn about a French-speaking country by making a book in Book Creator. Students should use written and/or audio French on each page to describe an image or explain a cultural practise. Or, they might want to video-tape themselves speaking French and include these videos in their books. At the end of the project, students present their books to the class.
18. It
was a dark and stormy night . . .
Elementary-level teachers love sentence starters for student creative writing! Working in pairs, students create a sentence or paragraph based on a sentence starter. This can be text and audio to include all students! Students can illustrate or import photos and videos for their page. When the pages are all finished, the teacher combines them into one Book Creator book.
Elementary-level teachers love sentence starters for student creative writing! Working in pairs, students create a sentence or paragraph based on a sentence starter. This can be text and audio to include all students! Students can illustrate or import photos and videos for their page. When the pages are all finished, the teacher combines them into one Book Creator book.
17.
Parlez-vous des images?
Picture books are wonderful language-learning tools. Students could make their own dual-language picture book, with dual-language audio files and read-aloud functions; alternatively, teachers could make these for student use.
Picture books are wonderful language-learning tools. Students could make their own dual-language picture book, with dual-language audio files and read-aloud functions; alternatively, teachers could make these for student use.
16. Out
and About
Do you go on field trips? Have your students document their experiences with text, video,audio,and photos. These can be presented back in class.
Do you go on field trips? Have your students document their experiences with text, video,audio,and photos. These can be presented back in class.
15. Mad
Scientists
Students can demonstrate their best explosions and potions (ok, and more mundane science stuff) by video-recording themselves at work. They can then use the videos, photos, diagrams, text, and audio to explain their work. Great for Science Fairs, too.
Students can demonstrate their best explosions and potions (ok, and more mundane science stuff) by video-recording themselves at work. They can then use the videos, photos, diagrams, text, and audio to explain their work. Great for Science Fairs, too.
14.
Portfolios
We all love portfolios as ways to keep and showcase work. Why not create Book Creator portfolios? Students could make a page for a select number of their best works, and present it to the class, or their families, at Parent/Teacher. Of course, Book Creator isn’t all about writing; they could show off their work with voice-overs, movies, read-alouds . . .
We all love portfolios as ways to keep and showcase work. Why not create Book Creator portfolios? Students could make a page for a select number of their best works, and present it to the class, or their families, at Parent/Teacher. Of course, Book Creator isn’t all about writing; they could show off their work with voice-overs, movies, read-alouds . . .
13.
Everybody Loves Picture Books (even high-schoolers)
Are your students doing a novel study? Are they (and you) bored of writing essays? Does essay-writing exclude some of your students? Try having them show their work by adapting a novel into a picture book and adding read-aloud and voice-over features.
Are your students doing a novel study? Are they (and you) bored of writing essays? Does essay-writing exclude some of your students? Try having them show their work by adapting a novel into a picture book and adding read-aloud and voice-over features.
12. Then
and Now
Students can make Social Studies “Timeline” projects to show how this region has changed over time. They could use photo-timelines with voice-over and/or audio descriptions of the images -- as well as interviews with local residents.
Students can make Social Studies “Timeline” projects to show how this region has changed over time. They could use photo-timelines with voice-over and/or audio descriptions of the images -- as well as interviews with local residents.
11. Even
more gym class!
Students could carry the iPad and follow along with activity-instructions during an adapted gym class
Students could carry the iPad and follow along with activity-instructions during an adapted gym class
10. More
gym class . . .
Students with mobility issues could demonstrate their knowledge of the techniques/steps of an activity necessary for gym class (a curriculum outcome), using real videos of other students or of pro athletes, and accompany with text and/or audio files
Students with mobility issues could demonstrate their knowledge of the techniques/steps of an activity necessary for gym class (a curriculum outcome), using real videos of other students or of pro athletes, and accompany with text and/or audio files
9. In gym
class . . .
Students can show their athletic creativity by creating and explaining,with Book Creator’s visual and audio features, a new physical activity. Even students who cannot themselves perform the activity could create and present one, with instructions for the other students to follow.
Students can show their athletic creativity by creating and explaining,with Book Creator’s visual and audio features, a new physical activity. Even students who cannot themselves perform the activity could create and present one, with instructions for the other students to follow.
8. Visual
dictionaries
Visual dictionaries are excellent in second-language classrooms,and with Book Creator they could be even better. Images can be accompanied by audio descriptions of the image, as well as audio definitions in both English and French.
Visual dictionaries are excellent in second-language classrooms,and with Book Creator they could be even better. Images can be accompanied by audio descriptions of the image, as well as audio definitions in both English and French.
7. Math
can be fun, too (no, really!)
Students with math fears can learn to love the number-stuff if they can show their work through the format of a fun, interactive story. Images, voice-overs, and even music can help explain the math processes a student is engaged in, or teach new math skills.
Students with math fears can learn to love the number-stuff if they can show their work through the format of a fun, interactive story. Images, voice-overs, and even music can help explain the math processes a student is engaged in, or teach new math skills.
6.
“Social stories”
Some of our students have difficulty with appropriate/expected behaviours in the school environment. A “social story” that explains the appropriate or expected actions helps these students achieve their goals without getting”sidetracked” by behaviour issues. These stories could involve not just images but audio files and written text.
Some of our students have difficulty with appropriate/expected behaviours in the school environment. A “social story” that explains the appropriate or expected actions helps these students achieve their goals without getting”sidetracked” by behaviour issues. These stories could involve not just images but audio files and written text.
5.
Illustrate your writing!
Again for an English or Languages class, students can illustrate and present their own short stories or poems.
Again for an English or Languages class, students can illustrate and present their own short stories or poems.
4. Making
Predictions! for the ends of novels in English/French classes
A way students can show their reading comprehension is to predict the ending of a novel or short story. This could be done, with images and audio files, in Book Creator.
A way students can show their reading comprehension is to predict the ending of a novel or short story. This could be done, with images and audio files, in Book Creator.
3.
Instead of research posters . . .
Posters can get boring, and they don’t work for those with visual or speech impairments (too hard to read or present). Instead, create non-fiction explanatory books. The images can be described with the audio function, and descriptions can also be read aloud by the technology.
Posters can get boring, and they don’t work for those with visual or speech impairments (too hard to read or present). Instead, create non-fiction explanatory books. The images can be described with the audio function, and descriptions can also be read aloud by the technology.
2.
Yearbook for your class
Create an interactive class “Story of Our Year”! Have photos of each student; tapping on the photos gives a read-aloud of the student’s name. Each student can write a comment and use the read-aloud function, and/or record their comment as an audio file.
Create an interactive class “Story of Our Year”! Have photos of each student; tapping on the photos gives a read-aloud of the student’s name. Each student can write a comment and use the read-aloud function, and/or record their comment as an audio file.
1. Visual
schedules for students with special needs
Velcro-strip PECS schedules are cumbersome and hard to move. Try putting the schedule on Book Creator, accompanied by a read-aloud function and possibly a description of the images. This would help students with cognitive delays, organizational issues, and visual impairments.
Velcro-strip PECS schedules are cumbersome and hard to move. Try putting the schedule on Book Creator, accompanied by a read-aloud function and possibly a description of the images. This would help students with cognitive delays, organizational issues, and visual impairments.
You have great ideas to use BookCreator Suzanne! I really like the new school book idea because all students can access this book!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hope you can use some of these in your classes!
ReplyDeleteWow! Looks like you & Dave have made some great progress with your ebook. Look forward to hearing about some of your cool ideas tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see your Book Creator presentation. I love your ideas for making book predictions and a class yearbook. Your Wild Life idea would also work with my little ones when we do our farm field trip this fall. This app ignites so many creative ideas and it's truly Universal Design make them all possible.
ReplyDelete