Technology Tidbits
Three Great Items Worth Exploring
Biblionasium was selected as one of the 2013 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians. It is a social reading site for students in grades K - 8. Students can create bookshelves of books, share suggestions with others in their community, search for books that fall under a certain criteria, etc. It is a safe site designed for educational purposes and access to different parts (such as who a student can connect with, if anyone) is controlled by parents and teachers. Reading challenges can be created for students. Also, teachers can scan student accounts and easily print reports detailing their reading habits. The video above quickly explains some of the many features of this engaging website. It is the perfect way to encourage students to read and discuss books in an engaging and appealing way.
Toontastic was selected as a 2013 Best App for Teaching and Learning by the American Association of School Librarians. With Toontastic, students can create stories and animate them using the characters provided or using characters they create. One neat feature of Toontastic is the storyboard that walks students through all necessary story elements. Students create a setting, confilict, challenge, climax, and resolution as they build their story. It is a fun way to teach story elements as well as a great way to narrate anything. The Toontastic app is installed on our iPads.