ChatterPix in the Elementary Classroom

At the 2014 MassCUE conference held at Gillette Stadium in October, I attended a session presented by +Greg Kulowiec  on "Advanced iPad Video Creation." He immediately caught my attention by talking about "app smashing" (the idea of mixing apps to create content!).

Well, one of the apps Greg shared is called ChatterPix, which is an app that "can make anything talk"! ChatterPix is so easy to use, just take a picture, draw a line to create a mouth, decorate the picture & add your voice! Share it through email or upload it to Youtube. It's quick and fun!  (Of course there is one catch:  You only have 30 seconds!)  (There is an app called ChatterPix Kids but the drawback is the inability to 'share' the creation.)



Something I especially liked about this app is that students can create content (across the curriculum) which can be shared globally via Social Media but doesn't necessarily contain their image.

In ELA this week the skill we were practicing was around 'Main Idea and Details'.  Students read various text and completed graphic organizers by identifying the main idea and three supporting details.  Students could then create a ChatterPix to share that information.


There are so many ways to use this app.  Students could:

• share a poem
• tell or retell a story
• tell a story from a different point of view
• solve a math problem
• share a science hypothesis
• highlight important information about a state

The possibilities are diverse and endless!

My next challenge will be to "app smash".  Greg shared how students can create content on ChatterPix then upload it to iMovie - thus using more than one app.  I'd like to collect all related student work in one place and have students create an iMovie using their "ChatterPix" creations.

What are some other ways we can incorporate this into the classroom?

Halloween Activities for Kids

Halloween is nigh upon us! The weather in the northeast finally feels like autumn! Ghouls, ghosts and witches are suddenly finding their place on front lawns and porches in our neighborhood.

My students are abuzz over what costumes they are wearing and which parties they are attending.

Here is a perfect time to capitalize on the children's excitement and provide them with some fun and engaging Halloween activities that are educational too!

Halloween Math Activities:
Spooky Sequences: Skip counting by 2's (by Oswego.org)
Spooky Sequences: Find the missing 3-digit number in the sequence.
Spooky Sequences: Count backwards by 10!
Spooky Sequences: Find the missing SQUARE Number!
Ghost Blasters: Find the ghosts with EVEN numbers.
Ghost Blasters: Find the ghosts that are MULTIPLES of ten

Language Arts Activities:
Creepy Crossword: Online Crossword Puzzle (for older children-no word bank)
Spooky Night Mad Lib: Fill in the blanks to create a silly story.
Halloween Joke Bookmarks:  Print and share these halloween joke bookmarks for kids.
The Magic Pumpkin by HilaryWilliamson - This online story is about a boy and a magic pumpkin.
FrightBytes Halloween: Halloween stories that you can change the ending. (Some pictures may be scary for young children).

Coloring Pages:

Crayola Halloween Coloring Pages: Print out and color on your own!
The Color.com Halloween Pages: Choose a page to color online, print or share with a friend via email!

Virtual Pumpkin Carving: Practice Symmetry
Jack-O-Lantern Creator: Choose from different sets of eyes, noses, and mouths to make your own pumpkin.
Virtual Pumpkin Carving: Try your hand at designing your own pumpkin - you can print this out by taking a screen shot.
Pick A Pumpkin: Choose from 4 pumpkins and carve your own design at this Bloompetals site.



Halloween Tips:
Many sites remind parents about safety on Halloween night like this one, Fire Engineering which quotes the National Fire Protection Association.

Scary Movie Tips: This video from Common Sense Media talks about effects scary movies have on young children, young teens and older teens. (The video is not appropriate for young children).

Just for Fun:
Your local Bass Pro Shops are offering Halloween activities during the weeks previous to Halloween 2011. Check it out HERE!

DLTK'S Halloween Crafts Bat, Frankenstein, Ghost, Pumpkins and other fun crafts at this wonderful site!

Halloween Songs on Youtube: Some fun and funny songs with sound effects too for kids! See below!



Other Resources:  Cybraryman's Halloween Page


Please feel free to add your favorite Halloween sites in the comment section! Happy Halloween!

Media Frenzy!

The newest assignment in the 30 Day Teacher Blog Challenge is adding different media to your blog. Although I am new to the blogging scene, I have often inserted different media types into my classroom website. Items ranging from student created VoiceThreads and Xtranormal Videos, homemade Youtube Videos and Animoto and PhotoPeach Slide Shows have become regular visitors to our classroom website. (By clicking on the links you will see how these sites have been used in a fourth grade class.)

I'm sure that many people have embedded the media mentioned above. So I decided I would try to find something different to embed. Recently I discovered Blabberize . I also decided that I would try it in combination with my Avatar assignment. The 'Welcome Message' at the beginning of my blog was created using Blabberize and Build Your Wild Self. (Sometimes it takes a while for Blabberize to load - I was having trouble replaying my creation - hope it works for you.)

Also, via the Techie Lab Teacher Blog Post I was introduced to this site and have decided I'd like to try this with my class as a way to get feedback on certain topics. So I thought before I use it with my students perhaps you could answer this question for me with Answer Garden : What is your favorite media type to embed in your blog?



What is your favorite media type to embed?... at AnswerGarden.ch.

Since posting this last night - I decided to try and find some different media...thinking about easy Web2.0 tools my students could use. I found this: Dvolver Moviemaker....its very simple and not real looking, but it's easy to use. I made this in about 3 minutes with some prompting.  (I have removed my Dvolver. I found that it would play as soon as the page was opened up.  There was no pause button or no way to stop it from playing.  I felt this conflicted with the embedded Blabber at the top).