Want a New Way to Apply PhotoPeach?

PhotoPeach seems almost identical to Animoto in terms of creation and sharing.  They additionally offer educator packages for entire classes and schools that allow all the students work to be in one central location for the community to view.

We all know how to use this type of tool for creating a video but I just read a new idea for using this tool for instructional purposes.  PhotoPeach has an option to select quiz in the educator's package.  The captions you add are questions and multiple choice answers complete with a timer!  For a step by step instructions with screen shots, please visit a Dropbox link on Lori's Latest Links.

To see an example of the quiz format, please click on the following link:  Life Feast: Creating QUIZZES with Photopeach.  This example is of particular interest to me because it was created to practice English grammar by Ana Maria Menezes, an EFL teacher in Brazil.  

Application?

I was thinking of using it as an "All About Me" type of project.  Many of my students have very interesting heritages that would be fun to share.  For those of you that have classrooms, you could send a fun and interactive "All About..." to introduce yourselves to your new students and their families on your blog.

In addition to the grammar example, I could use the video as a type of pre- and post assessment for determining background knowledge in the content areas or for vocabulary development.  I'm not sure of the logistics yet.  I wonder if there is a way to have students respond with clickers to collect data.  I have no idea if that can even be done with iPads but after this week, I am thinking probably not!

If you have any other ideas, I would love you to share them!

   

Are You Looking for a Cool Way to Create a Word Web? Try Popplet!

One of the easiest instructional strategies for ELLs is to incorporate semantic maps.  This strategy has become rather common place so the Popplet app adds a refreshing novelty.  Popplet is usually a paid app on Apple devices but I have heard it is offered for free sometimes or you can access it on the website for free.  The free version is limited to 5 creations but you are able to share or export your popplets and save them as pdf or jpeg files.  The following video describes how to use the features of the app.  



I created a popplet on nonfiction text features to try it out.  Since the site would not let me embed the popplet I created, I decided to take a screen shot.  My awesome sister-n-law taught me how.  Thank you, Elena!!!!  

I exported the popplet as a pdf file but I don't know how to upload it in that format.  I was hoping to enlarge it so that it could be more easily seen but this seems to be the best I can do.  If anyone knows a better way, please feel free to share!

It is really easy so I plan to have my students create their own.  Some ideas for application are:

1. Building vocabulary
2. Synonyms
3. Story mapping
4. Main idea and supporting details

Can you think of anymore?

VOKI

This is NOT my Voki, I was all set to embed the Voki I had previously created.  However, now that type of avatar is for Voki Education use which is only free for a short amount of time...aggravating. So, I decided to try to take a screen shot of it at least.  The following are directions I found online to do so:




<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EoTpIYLBtKs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

but all I get is this code, it didn't work...grrr...

Anyhow, the tool still has some other avatars that are still free but in the process of looking for one, I lost my original pretty avatar...double grrr...

I am disenchanted with this tool at the moment but I will share some cool ideas for using it since that was my original intent.  

ELL Ideas for Application

1. To model fluency by creating a good and bad example and then having students discuss which example was easier to understand and why.
2. Students can record themselves reading for a similar activity or for self reflection
3. For giving rules for using capital letters and examples
4. To tell homophone jokes
5. To practice writing sentences from dictation
6. Students to make their own Vokis to demonstrate their knowledge of helping verbs
7. To present their findings on culture studies
8. To create Vokis that illustrate different heteronyms
9. To create a Voki that summarizes their news articles

Resources

Life Feast Blog

Voki Lesson plans