Featured Sites Week of: Sep 24, 2017 -
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Book Creator - Red Jumper Limited
Grades
K to 12
15 Favorites
0 Comments
Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator that combine text, images, drawings, audio recordings, video, links, and more. New users can explore the Help Center and...more
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Create beautiful multimedia digital books with Book Creator that combine text, images, drawings, audio recordings, video, links, and more. New users can explore the Help Center and Getting Started resources for tutorials, videos, and step-by-step guidance. The Resources section offers lesson ideas, example books, subject-specific activities, and remixable templates that can be customized for different grade levels and content areas. Teachers can also access toolkits, lesson plans, and classroom implementation guides. Students can create interactive books featuring narration, comics, graphic organizers, embedded media, and collaborative elements. Books can be published and shared online through Book Creator's web reader, making them accessible on a variety of devices. The creation tools include options to add text, images, audio, video, drawings, shapes, links, and backgrounds, while the Inspector panel provides customization options for colors, layouts, and accessibility settings. The free version allows teachers to create one library with up to 40 books. Book Creator works on Chromebooks, PCs, Macs, iPads, and Android tablets through modern web browsers. Teachers need an email address to create an account, while students can often join a teacher's library without providing their own email address. Book Creator supports a wide range of technology integration levels, making it suitable for simple storytelling projects as well as complex multimedia presentations
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): collaboration (139), DAT device agnostic tool (133), digital storytelling (181), ebooks (49), literacy (122), preK (327), reading comprehension (145), writing (309)
In the Classroom
Create books together, as a class, as you move through a unit or topic. Enhance student learning by adding images and ideas your students suggest. Use in a flipped classroom to deliver course information. Assign several student groups a different topic and redefine their learning by having each group create their own multimedia versions as they learn more about the topic. Students can combine their books later as a class book. Make a digital bookshelf of all the versions for all to use. Challenge gifted students to modify the "standard" class text with the additional material they discover, by going deeper and learning about related topics. In lower grades, create teacher-made e-books for your young readers, perhaps adding audio - your own voice reading the text. Find much more information and ideas for using Book Creator in any classroom by exploring the Book Creator Toolkit for Schools and Districts available here.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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ToonyTool - ToonyTool
Grades
2 to 12
5 Favorites
0 Comments
ToonyTool has a simple canvas to quickly create a single-frame comic, a cartoon strip, or an animation. With ToonyTool, you can add a dash of humor to get the message ...more
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ToonyTool has a simple canvas to quickly create a single-frame comic, a cartoon strip, or an animation. With ToonyTool, you can add a dash of humor to get the message across. Start your canvas and choose a single comic, a comic strip, or a video from the tab in the upper left corner. Choose one of their background pictures, or upload one of your own. Create a title or type part of your message in the Meme text bar. Choose a character or two, add a prop, and select speech bubbles to type a message. Everything is easy to move around by just dragging and dropping. At the bottom of the page, find tools to share and edit your comic. Share via print, download, email, or online. There is no registration required.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (67), communication (125), creative writing (126), digital storytelling (181), noregistration (74), summarizing (30)
In the Classroom
There is a multitude of ways to use comics/cartoons in the classroom. For instance, create one-page discussion starters to help students keep up with current political issues. Use comics to show sequencing of events, for example, explain the sequence of a story, a science concept, or current event! When studying about characterization, create a dialog to show (not tell) about a character. Use comic strips for literature responses. Another idea - why not use the comics for conflict resolution or other guidance issues (such as bullying). Sometimes it is easier for students to write it down (or draw the pictures) than use the actual words. Emotional support and autistic support teachers can work with students to create strips about appropriate interpersonal responses and feelings. World language and ENL/ESL teachers can assign students to create dialogue strips as an alternative to traditional written assessments; summarize through a comic. Challenge students who move through other assignments more quickly to create a cartoon for review of a topic studied in class. Make a class book of the comics created throughout the year using Book Creator, reviewed here. Book Creator includes features for students to easily create digital books using their own text, videos, and images.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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WriteReader - WriteReader
Grades
K to 5
4 Favorites
0 Comments
The scientific research behind WriterReader is that one develops and improves reading skills by writing. With WriteReader, kids create their books, including text, pictures, and voice...more
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The scientific research behind WriterReader is that one develops and improves reading skills by writing. With WriteReader, kids create their books, including text, pictures, and voice recordings. Adults/Teachers have space on the page to write comments and make corrections. The interface is so simple that even a young child can use it successfully after some adult guidance. Open the Features tab in the top menu to see an index of all features categorized by Literacy Development, Easy Book Creation, Publishing and Sharing, and Teacher & Student Management, each with several links to explore. Click the Resources Center tab on the top menu to select Lesson Plans, Templates, Writing Prompts, Videos, and more. The basic plan offers 40 books and all the essential features. Register using your email or Google account. After logging in, use the menu bars in the upper-right corner to find Guides, which include a Parent Letter, a Quick Start Guide, a Template, and a few other get-started items.
To create student accounts, you can enter students manually, or students can join the class using a class code. WriteReader has upgraded its page templates to support older students. US English, UK English, Dansk (Danish), and Svenska (Swedish) are available. There is also an introductory video on the landing page that will help everyone get started. This video resides on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable. WriteReader has added new premium features, including Read Aloud, Voice Search, Book Templates, and more. For these, you must pay.
tag(s): digital storytelling (181), literacy (122), multilingual (81), reading strategies (87), science of reading (36), writing (309)
In the Classroom
WriteReader is so simple that very young students can use it successfully after a demonstration on a whiteboard or projector. While creating their books, students will be able to add images and multiple pages, delete pages, include voice-over, use color on pages, view one page at a time or the entire book, and toggle between letter names/sounds and no audio. Use this tool to design simple projects using student drawings to tell the story. Have students draw and annotate stories about their summer at the beginning of the year and share them with classmates. Students of any age love to draw, so why not have them draw their impression of what the message to the reader was after hearing a story, and then explain it in writing? Nonreaders and ENL/ESL students, in particular, will benefit from hearing letter sounds as they begin writing in their new language.Edge Features:
Includes an education-only area for teachers and students
Parent permission advised before posting student work created using this tool
Includes social features, such as "friends," comments, ratings by others
Requires registration/log-in (WITH email)
Multiple users can collaborate on the same project
Includes teacher tools for registering and/or monitoring students
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Cartoons for the Classroom - The Association for American Editorial Cartoonists
Grades
6 to 12
7 Favorites
0 Comments
Cartoons for the Classroom offers over 400 one-page downloadable lessons featuring two or three political cartoons related to current events and several questions for discussion that...more
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Cartoons for the Classroom offers over 400 one-page downloadable lessons featuring two or three political cartoons related to current events and several questions for discussion that relate to those cartoons. Alternatively, download the cartoons alone along with space to "draw" your own conclusions. Also find an evaluation form for you and your students use. Click "Home" on the top left of the list to go to the home page and "Interactive Lessons - Updated Every Monday" (usually a political comment). A picture is worth a thousand words, and editorial cartoonists have been boiling down the foibles of politicians and public figures throughout history. One needs only to know about Thomas Nast and his cartoons of Boss Tweed during the 19th century to know that cartoons have a deep impact on political discourse.
tag(s): comics and cartoons (67), politics (121), satire (7)
In the Classroom
These one-page discussion starters could help students keep up with current political issues, provide an opening or closing activity, or serve as an enrichment activity for students who move through other assignments more quickly. Available either with or without guiding questions, and covering a wide range of relevant and timely topics, they are perfect to keep as a Plan B or for an emergency substitute teacher activity. Elsewhere on the site are links to Weekly News Videos with prompts for discussion, and other information about political cartooning through history; most of these latter links connect to outside sites so be sure and preview carefully. In an art class, create a "political" option during a line drawing unit for current events enthusiasts to draw their own political cartoons. Include these cartoons during a unit on humor and satire in an English/Language Arts class or gifted program.
This resource requires PDF reader software like Adobe Acrobat.
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Witty Comics - WittyComics.com
Grades
K to 12
3 Favorites
0 Comments
Use this tool to design a comic with dialogue between two characters. Use the pre-drawn backgrounds and characters. Add a title for each scene/page and add dialogue between the two...more
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Use this tool to design a comic with dialogue between two characters. Use the pre-drawn backgrounds and characters. Add a title for each scene/page and add dialogue between the two characters. These are quick and easy three page comics. You can create without an account. However, if you want to SAVE, you must register for a free account (email required).
tag(s): comics and cartoons (67), communication (125), summarizing (30)
In the Classroom
Create dialogues that introduce new content topics in your classroom. Students can use this "witty" tool to introduce topics from research or to practice a speech to be given in class. Use comics to create a dialogue discussing misconceptions in the content and a discussion of the actual facts to dispel the misunderstandings. To view more comic creator tools and ideas view this collection. Some suggested comic creators are Canva Comic Strip Templates, reviewed here, ToonyTool, reviewed here, Make Beliefs Comix, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Stick Figure Hamlet - Dan Carroll
Grades
9 to 12
0 Favorites
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Stick Figure Hamlet brings comic visuals and imagery to this classic work of Shakespeare. Each act and scene is represented. Simply start at the beginning to view all cartoons or ...more
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Stick Figure Hamlet brings comic visuals and imagery to this classic work of Shakespeare. Each act and scene is represented. Simply start at the beginning to view all cartoons or choose any act or scene desired. This site is sure to motivate and interest even the most reluctant reader!
tag(s): comics and cartoons (67), hamlet (8), literature (215), shakespeare (99)
In the Classroom
Add Stick Figure Hamlet to your arsenal of tools when reading Shakespeare. Share images from the site throughout your class reading of Hamlet on your interactive whiteboard. Invite students to interpret what is happening in the comics. Challenge students to find omissions in the retelling or to draw their own, better versions. Share the link for students to view at home. The images may be very helpful to visual learners in understanding the content of this work. Browse the TeachersFirst Shakespearean collection for other ideas to use with Hamlet. Use this site as inspiration and have students create their own comics for any piece of literature. Find many ideas at TeachersFirst's Comics Collection.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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