Technology Thursday Linky: Pic Collage... Simple App with Endless Possibilities!

I've had the Pic Collage app on my iPad and iPhone for quite some time now, but it wasn't until I went to the Ed Tech Conference last week that I realized just how it could be used in the classroom.  I went to a session on this app and as I started to play around with it, my thoughts started to explode! 

Pic Collage is a simple app that lets you add photos, text, stickers, web images, YouTube videos, and backgrounds and arrange them in any way you want.  They also have built in layouts for your photos.  So, I started brainstorming and searching for pictures.  Below are examples of ideas for using the app in the classroom. I hope you see something that sparks your creativity!

I've taken a few screen shots to help you use the app...

Click the help icon top center to show you how to use the app.

Click the bottom center button to add text, images, stickers and backgrounds or touch anywhere on the page and the same menu will appear.

When adding text, you can choose the font, color and other options.  After adding text, pinch in or out to increase or decrease the font size.  You can also pull the text on each side to stretch the text box width.

Add photos from several locations.  After adding them, double tap the photos to apply effects, borders, crop them, duplicate them or set one as the background. 

Choose the sticker button from the bottom center button.  There are several sticker sets that are free.  You can double tap a sticker to duplicate it.  This is how I made the Patterns collage shown in the examples

Choose a background by clicking the bottom center button.  You can choose one from the menu or click the search button on the left to find backgrounds on the web.  The possibilities are endless!

Touch the layout button on the bottom left corner if you'd rather choose a layout other than free style.

When finished, choose the bottom right button to save your collage.  It will automatically save to your picture library or you can save it in other locations.

I hope this post has inspired you to make some creative collages with your students or even just for yourself!  I'm linking up with Juliet at Teaching Trio for Tech Thursday!  Check out her posts as well.

Happy Creating!
 

Do you Kahoot!?

Kahoot is one of my favs and I absolutely LOVE it!  So what is Kahoot?  It is a fun and engaging classroom response system set up as a game between students.

This game created on the Kahoot platform consists of multiple choice questions on any topic.  Use computers or mobile devices to create and play.  Create your own questions or search the public Kahoots for one that is all ready to go.  You can even copy a public Kahoot and edit the questions to your liking. 

So, how do you begin?  Start by visiting the site https://getkahoot.com/ and create a free account.

Click New Kahoot to create your own or Public Kahoots to search for one on your topic. Walk through the steps to add, edit, delete or reorder questions.  Once you've created a Kahoot you are ready to play.  Connect to a projector with your computer or mobile device and click play on your Kahoot.  

Students connect through a different website.  Have them use https://kahoot.it/.  On our iPads, I added this site to the Home Screen so it is easily accessible.  Students will see your Pin for the game on your screen and add it to their site to join the game.  They will add their name on the next screen.

Your screen...

 

Their screen...

 Once you begin the game, your projected screen will show the question....

Students will read the question on the screen and the answer choices.  They will choose the answer on their device.  It will look like this...

As the play continues, students earn points for correct answers and the top 5 students are shown after each question.  At the end of the game, you can download reports that show lots of desegregated data.  

I created a Kahoot on money for a 2nd grade class.  Feel free to take a look and use this Kahoot in your class!  

Click {HERE} to access this Kahoot. 

Have fun playing!

Five for Friday Linky Party

I'm linking up today with Doodle Bugs Teaching for a Five for Friday linky where I post 5 random things for today or this week.  So here are my 5...

We've had quite a few snow days in the past 3 weeks, which is unusual for the southeast area of Virginia where I live.  Last night we didn't get much, but it was mostly sleet and ice and it's really cold this morning.  So strange since the temps were in the 60s on Wednesday.  Our sup called last night to let us know we'd have a 2 hour delay, but this morning they canceled school for the day.  Here's what it looked like outside my front door this morning.  I know it doesn't look like much for our northern friends, but our back country roads are all ice.  Better safe than sorry...

So today I get an unexpected day at home!  Yippee!  I actually have lots to catch up on.  First on my list is the yearbook.  I am WAY behind in getting the yearbook finished for one of my schools, so today is a blessing to work on it.  I decided on a detective/mystery theme this year.  Here are the front and back covers of my yearbook so far...

This week I worked with one of my besties who teaches 2nd grade.  She is currently teaching money and wanted to do something with the iPads.  So, I worked on some QR code task cards.  The students LOVED it!  We put some money on their desks and played the Scoot game.  It was so much fun. 

After we tried it out in her room, I made some additions and improvements and added this to my TpT and TN stores.  I am really pleased with the way it turned out.  Check it out...

 

I'm excited to have been really working on my new Facebook Fan page!  And I already have 64 likes - Woohoo! Be sure to check it out.  I plan to post some Freebies soon!

This week I have also been working with a 6th grade language arts teacher and her classes.  We have been doing a nonfiction project where students have read a nonfiction book, completed research on their topic and created presentations with Prezi.  It has been lots of fun and I'm so excited to see how creative and different all of the student projects are turning out.  We are still working on finishing them, so I'll post a few next week when they are complete.  If you haven't seen Prezi, you have to check it out!

Have an awesome weekend... and hope for warmer weather soon!

It's an Appy Day... ChatterPix Kids

It's an Appy Day and today I want to tell you about a great app - ChatterPix Kids!  One of the best things about it is it's FREE!

Bring your pictures to life with the app ChatterPix Kids!  This is an awesome iPad/iPhone app and has endless possibilities.  Your students will LOVE it.  With this app all you have to do is upload a picture, record your voice and the app will create a movie that looks like the picture is talking!  In the past, I have used this app with photos of famous Americans.  Recently I worked with a first grade class and we used the app for Black History month.  Students used the app to tell about famous black Americans that they had been studying.  We did something a little differently this time and it turned out so adorable.  Take a look at one of our videos below...

This time, instead of uploading a photo students drew pictures of their person.  They are SO cute and it really made all of the difference.  We started with a line drawing of a head.  This will make it easier for young students to draw their person and makes them large enough for a nice scan.  You can find the one I used here.  After students drew their pictures, I scanned them and loaded them on the iPads through Dropbox.

Students also completed research on their famous American.  You can have them complete this page which will help when they record in the app.  After completing the page, they can buddy up and practice reading to their partner.  This is great for fluency! :-)

Below are the steps for using the ChatterPix app. It's so easy your students will be creating videos in no time!

Have fun creating!

Superhero products that will save the day!

TpT is having a huge site-wide sale celebrating Teachers are Heroes!  With the upcoming sale, we want to help you find superhero products that have helped others in the classroom.

I recently received some awesome feedback for my product Walter the Water Drop - A Technology Integrated Water Cycle Unit.  I was so excited to see what Stephanie C. had to say about this unit.  She wrote, "Fabulous!  My students loved Walter.  This was a great and fun way to teach my second graders about the water cycle." This unit will provide you with a story about Walter the Water Drop and 10 technology integrated activities to learn about the water cycle in both printables and templates. 

Browse around the linky for other heroic products, or feel free to grab the graphic and link up your own! Link to a post containing one heroic product and its feedback. Use the graphic if you wish. (No direct links to stores or products, please.) Include the linky button and link it back to this post so others may find great heroic products. - See more at: http://pinkadotselementary.blogspot.com/#sthash.dAOI5AYS.dpuf

Browse around the linky for other heroic products, or feel free to grab the graphic and link up your own! Link to a post containing one heroic product and its feedback. Use the graphic if you wish. (No direct links to stores or products, please.) Include the linky button and link it back to this post so others may find great heroic products. - See more at: http://pinkadotselementary.blogspot.com/#sthash.dAOI5AYS.dpuf

Browse around the linky for other heroic products, or feel free to grab the graphic and link up your own! Link to a post containing one heroic product and its feedback. Use the graphic if you wish. (No direct links to stores or products, please.) Include the linky button and link it back to this post so others may find great heroic products. - See more at: http://pinkadotselementary.blogspot.com/#sthash.dAOI5AYS.dpuf

TpT Heroes Sale

Yep, you heard right... Teachers Pay Teachers is having its first site-wide sale of 2015!

The Teachers are Heroes sale is February 25th and you can get 28% off all the products in my store by using the code Heroes at checkout.  Now is the time to stock up on all those goodies you've been wanting for your classroom. :)  Take a look around my TpT store over the next few days then checkout with your goodies during the sale to save $$$!

I LOVE to read your feedback so make sure you leave some on any products you have purchased and earn points toward purchases at the same time. 

While you are there, take a look at my Snow Much Fun - Winter Literacy Centers and Activities.  You will love the winter themed activities and the Penguin Writing Craftivity that is included. 

Check out what a fellow TpT'er over at First Grade Friendly Froggies wrote about this activity! Thanks Susan! I just know you and your students will love it, too.

Happy Shopping,

Top 10 Tech Tools: #2 Prezi

#2 is Prezi!

Prezi is an awesome modern presentation tool! One of its best aspects is that it is cloud-based which means you can access, edit and present from anywhere you have an Internet connection. An app is also available for mobile devices. Different than most presentation tools, Prezi's interface uses a single "page" or board and a zooming feature that allows the user to visually explain how concepts relate to one another. There are also tons of great professional templates to get you started.

 

I've used this tool with several classes and for various projects.  The students love, love, LOVE it!  It is so easy for them to learn and use. I have used this tool with third graders to create presentations on famous Americans.  Fourth grade students created presentations on famous Virginians in the Virginia Studies standards.  Last spring, 6th grade students created presentations for SOL review on language arts topics.  There are endless ways to use Prezi.  Be sure to check it out for yourself!