Creating Tech Connections with our Younger Tech-Friends!

On any given day, when you walk into the Lab, our younger tech friends are tinkering in a few fun apps! They are adding backgrounds, manipulating images, adding text and more. They are perfecting mousing skills and keyboarding skills. We 'play' while becoming proficient with our technology. It's not always easy, but this is #MyWorld in #SmallSteps

I think it's important to support reading and math learning and I love doing this by making connections. Some of my favorite books helps here:

"I Like Myself", by Karen Beaumont (illustrations by David Catrow) - This is a wonderful self-esteme book about liking ourself...no matter what. The illustrations are fun and funny and my young friends giggle with each passing page. The connection we'll make is to create an avatar. I like using ABCYa! Make A Face, for this activity! They can create an avatar with funny eyes, nose, mustache, glasses and more. When printed, makes a great display!

"Where the Wild Things Are", by Maurice Sendak - let the 'wild rumpus' begin! A classic! No matter how many times we read this book, reading it again, always brings out our imagination and creativity! Afterwards, we create our own 'Wild Thing' by tinkering in "Build Your Wild Self", by the folks at New York Zoo and Aquarium - choose male or female character, add body, facial expressions, tails, animal legs and arms - too much fun! I like this website as well, as with a click, view the New York Aquarium and Zoo, and get great views of animals, enjoy digital experiences and learn more about animals. This is a win-win for our young friends!

"The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf (Illustrations by Robert Lawson) - easily, my favorite book. My grandmother used to read this book to me. I just couldn't get enough of Ferdinand. When he's under the cork tree smelling the beautiful flowers, we all take in a deep breath ourself. This wonderful tale is now in theaters, making an additional connection for our young friends. Ferdinand's adventures spark a story in all of us. Digital Storytelling takes on new playtime in the Lab. We'll use KidPix, Pixie, and so many more wonderful applications to create our own stories. This then gives us a chance to share our stories.Yet another win-win for everyone!

This is a great way to connect young friends with wonderful stories and technology!

"I Like Myself", by Karen Beaumont (illustrations by David Catrow)

"Where the Wild Things Are", by Maurice Sendak

"The Story of Ferdinand" by Munro Leaf (Illustrations by Robert Lawson)

PokémonGo & Me!

The new craze, PokémonGo, (Pokémon GO by Niantic, Inc. https://appsto.re/us/XnIpbb.i) is really quite something.  It's an augmented reality genius firestorm with a geocaching flare.  I have to admit, I resisted the hoopla until so many of my parent friends were getting into it & seeing their fun posts of game accomplishments was catching. Their kids would tweet humorously about their folks and...well...Ok, I'm in! 

This was the first app I've come across that you sign in with a Google email account (specifically), instead of the typical Facebook, Twitter or generic email account. Once in, I created this keechie avatar and away I go.

A few outages made the experience rough at first, but when an app has hundreds of millions globally downloading and playing, at any given time, it's understandable, I suppose.  

Essentially, the app uses your smartphone's GPS as you walk and try to locate the Pokémon along your path. Clever way to get me moving!  Once a Pokémon is spotted, you swipe your screen to launch a poké ball to capture it. With injuries, plenty of warnings have come out to keep an eye on the landscape for safety, or even more humorously, cautioning not to drive and use the app! Indeed! It's easy to get carried away. There are in-App purchases for a variety things from more poké balls to other what-nots and range from .99¢ to $100s (oh my). 

For the most part, I have had fun but several things swayed me otherwise:  the app uses quite a bit of your data plan and really drains a battery...big eye-roll. The overwhelming negative, for me, was how intrusive it is.  With my gmail account and use of my GPS, it's getting a bit too close for my liking. On the other hand, I'm getting out with family and walking - the other day, over five miles!  Felt great and leveled-up while seeing new sights in our community.  That's the other thing, you're able to see things that you may never of know existed.  The local paper, in an article about the app, said it was drawing people downtown to see and experience the area.  Great job!  Makes me want to check it out for my self.

I give the app 9 out of 10 stars.  Thanks again for getting me moving!

Updated 8/3/2016

Bitmoji = Super Powers!

Oh my...yet another great app...Bitmoji!

(https://appsto.re/us/2_CVZ.i)

This app however adds a new twist...avatars that add a punch....a Super Power punch!  The avatars are easy to create and selecting pictures a snap.  I'm planning on using this avatar to talk about the powers (uh...super powers) of being a good Digital Citizen to my K-5 friends. 

How about this one to just say "No!" To cyber bullying or any other wretched online behavior.  The message to "THINK" before posting also comes to mind!

Or this one to say "Great Job Cyber Citizen!"

Another cool feature is that you can add Bitmoji to your International Keyboard on your phone or tablet, by simply going in to the Settings on the device.  This makes the avatar and pictures accessible now from anywhere.

I'm loving it...

Voki Never Gets Old!

  

My Voki. See it here:

Voki (www.voki.com) never gets old.  For as long as I've had my account, I can still login and just get lost in creating characters, changing their voice type, make the avatar look silly or strange, and so much more. The Voki link above cracks me up!  When it's tense in the Lab, I bring this little fella up and click start. How can you not smile! It's the little things...

Voki is free to single users; however you have to register the account with an email address. These free accounts actually are sufficient for the typical use - offering 60 seconds of audio and a large variety of avatars and edits. If older Students have an email address, it's pretty easy to create the account.  There are fees for Classroom Accounts of about $2.50 a month which offers a few more perks, like 90 seconds of audio and even more options for the avatar, but I would think you'd really have to consistently use this type of program to get the full benefit of the pay-account.

I use a couple of other avatar-creators, but this one just has the right blend of fun and usefulness that gives the otherwise mundane project an extra pep in the step.

Ideas using Voki:
- Book Talks
- Biographies
- "Me" Projects
- You name it!


Happy Tinkering,
Elana Moore

We're making AVATARS this Year!

I've always wanted to make Avatars with the Students, but have never found the right programs...until now.  I found two that work very nicely and will be easy with 2nd through 5th to create their own for projects we have throughout the year.

Photos-Share.com (http://photos-share.com/) gets you started right away.  Select gender, hair, skin color, accessories, clothes, back grounds and more.  Once you have a final product you can either share it through the various social media outlets or download the image to your computer....and it's all FREE!

Pick A Face (http://pickaface.net/create_avatar.html) is another nice and FREE program.  It too gets you started right away.  You select all the ingredients and it is a snap!  The only difference is that you have to create an account to download the image on this one, but I do like the looks of the avatar, so this was a consideration worth making for me.

One thing I appreciate about both programs is that they have window advertisement that is both limited and friendly.....THANK YOU!!!!  I'm glad I can take the Students to these sites and not have to worry...more programs should follow their lead!

Ideas for AVATARS this year:  "Me" Projects....profile pictures in their Schoology accounts, email accounts....add audio for 'Digital Citizenship' projects....and more!


Avatars are people too!
Elana Moore