ToonTastic!

How can I access Toontastic?

ToonTastic is an App that can be downloaded to an iPad for FREE! Currently, it is just for iPad, but that may be changing. Here is the link: ToonTastic App

What is the purpose of Toontastic?

ToonTastic is an app that allows users to design their own stories with pictures, animations, voice, and sound effects. Also, they are able to save multiple stories and share them. This app also has many different story elements and is clearly laid out for the user to follow. This is a great way for students to show their creativity with their own stories. 

How do I use Toontastic? 

Toontastic is very user friendly. When you first open the app, you will be directed to the story arc page. This page has different sections with different parts of the story as shown below. You will click on the first section and follow the steps I have provided below. You will complete these steps for all of the sections. 

1. Choose a setting. This can either be a preset setting or you can make a custom one. After this is chosen, tap the arrow in the top right corner.
2. Now it is time to choose characters. Again, these can either be chosen from the preset ones, or you can create your own. 
3. Now it is time to record and animate the pictures. You will talk through the story while you click and move the characters around. Remember, this first box is only the setup and not the whole story. 
4. On the next screen you will choose the emotion. This is the music that will play in the background of that scene. 
5. Repeat all of these steps for each box of the story arch. 

How can I use this in my classroom?

One way to utilize Toontastic in your classroom is by doing a lesson on elements of a story. In 2nd grade, students begin to learn about the structure of the story including how the beginning sets up the story and the ending concludes it. Toontastic would be a great way to introduce this to students. On their story arc, there are sections for setup, conflict, challenge, climax, and resolution. When having students create a story, they are able to see how the different parts of the story flow and work together. 

Although we usually see Toontastic used in reading and writing, it can also be integrated into other subject areas as well. In a math class, at any grade level, students could use this app to talk about a story problem. Students would be able to write their problem as a background, and then use the slides to talk through it. They could also use the characters as a fun and engaging aspect. The students would probably not use the slides how they are intended (setting, conflict, etc) but they could use different slides to talk about each part of the problem. Students would be able to show their work on the background and also be able to talk through it. This could be used as a way to assess if students are understanding the whole problem and not just getting an answer. 

~Elise 

Meet Elise!

Hello! 

My name is Elise Maeder and I am excited to be a part of this technology team this semester! I am an Elementary Education student at Iowa State University. Along with my major, I am getting endorsed in math and reading, also I am getting a minor in learning technologies. When I am not doing homework or study for an exam, I love being active and spending time outside! I hope you find our blog entertaining and helpful!

If you have any questions please let me know! 

Hello from Brogan!

Hi everyone,

Most of you probably know me by now as this is my second semester here at the elementary school as an intern. For those of you who don't (or may have forgotten), my name is Brogan Sales and I am in my third year at Iowa State. I am majoring in Elementary Education, minoring in the Learning Technologies, and endorsing in Math and Reading. Unfortunately my time here in Story isn't long due to the fact I will be student teaching in the Fall of 2016 and hope to return to my hometown, Sioux City, to complete my student teaching journey. I have already learned so much from my position here in your school and look forward to to learning more and working with all of you for the remainder of this semester. In my free time (what little I have) I enjoy being outside hiking, fishing, or golfing. I also enjoy relaxing, playing games, and watching movies with friends and family. 

Feel free to contact me with whatever questions you may have. :)

-Brogan

What's the Story With "Our Story": iPad App for Creating Stories

 As a teacher, it is important we have a variety of high-quality, student-centered, educational apps at our finger tips (literally). In my personal experience, it seems the older I get, the more children are enthralled with technology. They love using it, they are excited to use, and most the time they can use it better than I can. ;)
      Today, I wanted to share an app with you that I have come across called, Our Story. I am going to break my review of it into 5 main topics: accessibility, compatibility, purpose of the app, how to use the app, and possible uses for the classroom. 

Accessibility
     The Our Story app can be downloaded for FREE (music to our ears) from the iTunes app store. Usually we don't have much of a budget for apps in the classroom, so when an app is free it automatically make it THAT much better!

Compatibility 
     This app is compatible with iPads and as of right now, it needs iOS 6.0 or later. This is great news for those of us who have access to iPads, not so great news for those of us who don't! If you have chrome books or other laptops available, I would recommend finding a similar alternative. I have tried but so far haven't had any luck.

Purpose 
     The purpose of this app is to provide students with a new, or alternative way, to express their ideas and get their thoughts published. Our Story is a different way of creating or building a story, rather than the 'old-fashion' way of writing on paper using a pencil. It allows students to be as creative, imaginative, and unique as they wish as they create digital stories. 

How to Use
      I will start with a disclaimer: Our Story is EXTREMELY easy to use! I spent twenty minutes creating my own story over a trip I took this summer and in that twenty minutes I had thirteen pages, six of them accompanied with voice recordings and the rest with typed sentences. Honestly, the most time consuming part is deciding which pictures to use! 

1. Choose your pictures
      The first step in creating a digital story in Our Story is selecting your images. You can choose to import them from your camera roll, or you can snap new pictures from the app. As you select your pictures, you organize them in the order you like along the bottom of the screen. 

2. Insert text or voice

     The second step is adding wording to your image. To do this you simply click on the picture you wish to annotate. From there you can simply tap to add your desired text or you can select the mic icon if you wish to record your voice to add to the picture. Once you are satisfied with that picture

3. Publish your work!

      Our Story makes it easy to publish your work, just hit the green button with an arrow at the top of the page! You can share it in a Dropbox, email, or on iTunes. 

Classroom Ideas

     To wrap up my post for this week, I want to share just a couple ideas I had for using this app in your classroom. 

Click HERE to visit the Our Story site in iTunes

1. Weekly newsletter

     With different modifications I believe this could be suitable for any grade level but I vision in working best in a fourth or fifth grade room (primary grades would need more teacher involvement). My thought is to have a couple designated students each week to be in charge of the classroom's weekly letter (rotating the students each week so everyone has a turn). The students would have to take pictures throughout the week of the different activities done in class and then compile them in Our Story to add written descriptions or audio explaining the different activities that happened. 

      I think parents would love this variance of a newsletter because it would give them the chance to see their child's classroom, through their child's eyes rather than the teachers. It would also be beneficial to students because it would be an extended writing assignment that gives them an extra special responsibility in the classroom their assigned week. It would allow them to collaborate in a partnership or small group, give them the feeling of ownership and responsibility, and the opportunity to display their work with a larger audience.

2. Personal Dictionary

    Again, this is an idea that could work at any grade level. Instead of the traditional, here is a word now write a definition. Students could use Our Story to create digital dictionaries. They would have to find an image that helped them remember the word and then write their definition or record themselves say the definition. I believe this would be a great alternative from pencil and paper because it could be more geared towards each learning styles. You can reach the visual learners with the images and the auditory learners with the recording. If students prefer to see the written words they can choose that option as well. 

I would love to hear what ideas you have for integrating Our Story into your classroom; please share your ideas in the comments below! :)

Hip-hopping Monday

                                                  
Flocabulary is a great resource on the web for education brain breaks with hip-hop videos. This resource could be used by both the teacher and the students. The songs and videos are for ages K-12 in subjects including Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Life Skills, Vocabulary, and Current events. Some videos are not available without setting up an account (either a 14 day free trial or it costs for access to all videos), but there are many options without setting up an account. Check out this video about the five elements of a story. Go to the link up above to check out more of the free videos and if you like you you may look into an account.

Hi, I am Amanda!

Hey there!

My name is Amanda. I am a new tech intern for the elementary school starting in the Spring of 2016. I am currently in my third year of college with student teaching in the Spring of 2017, which will come faster than I would think. I am an Elementary Education major with endorsements in Reading and Mathematics, and a Learning Technologies Minor. I also work at Child Serve and grade Math 196 papers through Iowa State University. When I am not busy with school and work, I like to hang out with my family and friends, especially watching movies, baking, and doing something outside, such as walking and fishing. This semester is already going fast, and I cannot wait to keep learning along side all of you.

Happy Monday! More blogs soon to come. :)