English Festival, Celebrating Literature: Book Trailers using Slideful

English Festival participants enjoying professional storyteller, Pam Holcomb.

Annually, my seventh graders participate in our county English Festival. Junior High students from all of the schools in our county are invited to read quality literature, then join together at our local university branch to discuss issues, play games, write compositions and poetry, and create technology projects based on the books they have read. The list of this year's books includes:

Bulu: African Wonder Dog by Dick Houston
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Jump into the Sky by Shelley Pearsall
Counting by 7's by Holly Goldberg Sloan
Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis
Blink Once by Cylin Busby

As a teacher whose students participate in the festival, I am required to "teach" one session, or workshop. By session I am referring to the activities that students choose to complete. There are sessions for writing stories and poetry, sessions for playing games, sessions for drama and music, and an internet session. Approximately 20 students are enrolled in each 50 minute session. I chose to host the internet session and am permitted to develop the activity as I see fit as long as it involves the literature the students read. This is the second year that I have hosted the internet session; last year I had my participants create a newspaper for their favorite book on the list using ReadWriteThink's Printing Press.

This year my participants created a book trailer for their favorite book on the list. Using the free website Slideful.com and following my instructional sheet Book Trailer 101, the junior high students were able to create interactive video book trailers to entice viewers to read their favorite book.

Of course, I did several dry runs before asking students to complete the activity on their own. Here is my first attempt at creating a book trailer using Slideful.



The best thing about Slideful is that there is no registration necessary. Without registering, users can still compile a video of ten images, each containing text, in a single work session (you can not save projects to work on later). This is the only website that I've found that allows non-registered users to COMPLETE a project! If you do choose to register, there is no cost, and you then can increase the number of slides in your videos as well as save your videos to work on at another time.

While I worked on my own video, I compiled my instruction sheet, a step-by-step set of directions that were kid-friendly. The directions needed to be simple enough for students to be able to follow without minimal teacher intervention, yet detailed enough to permit students to complete a successful project in under 50 minutes. When I felt I had accomplished this task, I handed the sheet to two of my seventh grade boys (English Festival participants but not taking my internet session) and said, "Please, do this."

Step 12 on the original directions contained a specific Padlet page.

And they did!



As did all of my English Festival participants. You can view all of the trailers at this blog link.

The festival was once again a great success. I heard tremendously positive feedback from my students who attended and from those from other schools who were in my session. We teachers who took part will be meeting within a few weeks to begin selecting the books for next year's festival, and I will begin searching for a "new" internet/literature project.

Any suggestions for junior high book titles or 50 minute technology projects? I'm all ears!

Animoto: a GREAT Teacher Tool!

One of the best technology "things" that I've stumbled upon in the past few years is a video processing site called Animoto. If you have not seen this website I encourage you to hop on over and check it out. It allows the user to create 30 second video slideshows featuring original photos and/or downloaded pics from the internet. Paid subscription accounts are also available, but Animoto does a great service for educators. Teachers can apply for FREEBIE educational accounts for themselves and their students that allow them to develop videos of longer length. Education accounts are similar to a paid account with a few very minor exception. The one drawback to the educational account is that it expires at the end of six months. Teachers can renew their accounts and their student accounts but it is a bit of a process. My suggestion to Animoto is that they increase the length of the account to one year, or at the least nine months.

One of the first videos that I created is this brief one that I used with my fifth grade class last year as we were delving into Newbery Literature. I have a great poster that features all of the Newbery award winning books from the inception of the award through 2012, but I wanted a video to capture the attention of my fivers. They loved music and singing and all things technology. Animoto was the perfect tool for me to whip up a quick video to accompany my lessons. This was playing when they entered the room. They LOVED it! If I recall I think I played it four or five times before I could go on with the lesson.




Animoto is exceptionally easy to use. Animoto provides an instructional video but I chose to skip it since I found the site quite intuitive. Additionally, there are several good tutorials on YouTube for anyone who likes step-by-step instructions. Just use any internet search engine to locate them or go directly to YouTube to search.

Animoto's interface is user friendly and works similarly to a typical word processing program. To begin a project you select a template. Depending on the type of account you have will depend on the kind of template that you may select. Free accounts have far fewer choices and fewer privileges, however, stunning videos can still be created. The next step requires the selection of photos, either from Animoto's vast onsite collection or by uploading your own. Snippets of videos can even be added if there is enough time available in your project (this is where it is advantageous to have an education account). Each template has a pre-selected audio file. This, too, can be changed. You may select from Animoto's list of musical pieces (a rather limited database) or once again, your own. Finally, you can tweak your video using a few special effects, the variety and number vary with the type of account you are using, and then produce it.

Your video can be shared on social media site, such as FaceBook, with the click of a button or embedded in blogs and websites with HTML code. Individual video links can even be shared via email by copying and pasting the web address. Education and paid account users can even download their videos for playback on PC's and handheld devices.

The following three Animoto videos were completed as an assignment by sixth graders. The class had been reading realistic/historical fiction centered on the Holocaust. We had spent time learning and researching actual historical evidence (newsreel videos, history texts, personal memoirs, et al.) and comparing this with the fictional text in The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen. My sixers could select from several methods of presenting what they learned: an Animoto video, a powerpoint presentation, or a Social Media book response (something I developed and is available for purchase in my TpT Store and Teacher's Notebook Shop). This assignment was very open-ended. I really was interested in seeing what my kiddos would do without strict parameters. I had spent the year developing these types of projects with them, giving specific directions and instructions. They had made Animoto videos before, had watched me use and demonstrate PowerPoint, and the Social Media book responses were patterned after Pinterest, FaceBook, and Muzy, all sites I used with them on a weekly basis.






Make your own slideshow with music at Animoto.

Needless to say, I was quite pleased with what they had produced. The only complaint I have is that some took an improper shortcut to their image citations, simply stating they got their images from Google, even after I had talked and talked about this over and over, off and on, all year... get my frustration? I would've required those who had taken this shortcut to make corrections, but their accounts had expired on Sunday, May 5th... thus my suggestion to Animoto as I mentioned above.

If you are interested in using Animoto with your students you might be interested in seeing a few of the items that I use with my sixers as I first begin teaching them about making videos. The first project that they do is making a book trailer, patterned after a Hollywood film trailer. You can download the instruction sheet HERE and the assessment tool to accompany the project HERE or by clicking on the individual graphics. These items might provide some help for you as you begin developing video projects with your students.

Do any of you use Animoto? What are some ways that you use it with your class? Do you use any other video websites? I'd love to hear from you!

Happy Teaching,
Angela
The Teacher's Desk 6

Yet again... Pinterest and a FREEBIE!!!

I am crazy about Pinterest!!! It's gotten to the point that both my fifth and sixth graders will ask if the idea I am sharing with them came from Pinterest. I'm crazy to the extent that I've begun creating some "worksheets" featuring Pinterest boards.

Here's one I just finished that is a book report. It's actually part of a set of Social Media Book Reports that I'm offering in my TpT Store and Teacher's Notebook Shop. The complete set of book reports contains not only the Pinterest design, but also designs for an iPod, Facebook, and Muzy. My sixers have really liked doing these reports. They are just as crazy about social media as I am, maybe more... NAH!

You can download the Pinterest FREEBIE HERE or by clicking on the graphic.

Here are just a few things I've been pinning this week. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that...

Happy Pinteresting,
Happy Teaching,
Angela
The Teacher's Desk 6

Wild about Word Clouds

I just had to blog about word clouds. I am WILD about them! 

I discovered them several years ago and have used them in my classroom, both for decoration and for instruction, ever since. If you're not familiar with what a word cloud is take a trip over to Projects by Jen. She's best known for her Guess the Wordle daily word cloud. Each day she posts a brand new word cloud for students all over the world to puzzle out.

My fivers LOVE this! It's the way we begin each Language Arts class. In addition, Jen has loads of tips and tricks for using and working with word clouds, including additional add-on programs to get REALLY creative with them.

There are many websites at which you can make word clouds. Each has its pro's and con's. I recommend trying them all to find the one perfect for you. Here is a listing of some of the more popular cloud generators on the internet:

• Wordle http://www.wordle.net
• Tagxedo http://www.tagxedo.com/
• ABCya (kids) http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
• Word It Out! http://worditout.com/
• Tag Crowd http://tagcrowd.com/

One of my favorite ways of using word clouds is at the beginning of the school year. During the first week of school, I always assign my sixers to write a single paragraph autobiography. I teach mini-lessons about paragraph formation, the six traits of writing, editing, writing process, word processing, etc. Once they have completed their paragraph, including saving it on a flash drive, they upload it to http://www.wordle.net, the word cloud generator that I prefer. The ensuing word clouds are printed, framed, and displayed outside out classroom. Additionally, I take a digital photo of each word cloud and compile them into a video that I run for Open House, parent conferences, and any time throughout the year that we have something special going on in the building.


This year I had my fivers complete Word Cloud Book Reports. What fun they had! Plus there was some great thinking going on: decisions about what words to include, what not to include, colors and fonts that helped convey a particular meaning. The finished product made for an attractive hallway display that sparked a lot of comments from parents and visitors. If you're interested in doing this project with your class, it is available in my TpT Store. The link is listed below the graphic. In the packet are directions, websites, suggestions, and two planning sheets.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Teachers-Desk-6

Happy Teaching,
Angela
The Teacher's Desk 6

Spring into a Good Book ... Again!

A few weeks ago I blogged about an item that I was working on: Spring into a Good Book and shared a FREEBIE from it. Today, I just had to share a couple of photos of our finished display. It's just in time for our Spring Open House this Sunday. Our visitors will be greeted by our mini-book reports as they climb to the second floor.

It's still not too late for you and your students to Spring into a Good Book! 

Download the FREEBIE (flower) HERE. The complete packet (four springtime patterns) is available in my TpT Store HERE.

The students and teachers enjoyed this so much that they came to me with ideas for our next book report wall display: something warm and beach-y they said with beach balls, sun umbrellas, surboards, and flipflops!  This sounds like a great Spring Break project... ONE WEEK and counting!

Happy Teaching,

Angela

The Teacher's Desk 6

teachersdesk@yahoo.com

Spring into a Good Book... UPDATE

On Feb. 27, 2013, I blogged about Pinterest and how it has given me SOOOO many new ideas to add to my teaching repertoire and caused me to spend SOOOO much time online! I also mentioned a new product that I was working on, Spring Into a Good Book, a seasonal book report/display inspired by a Pinterest project and offered a FREEBIE sample of one of the patterns.

I had to do a quickie post and share what one of my teaching partners did with my product. She added another Pinterest idea, a three dimensional water lily patterned after Monet's masterpiece, and came up with the cutest display item! A big thumbs up to Mrs. Cobb and her fourth graders for making "Spring into a Good Book" so awesome!

The third graders have finished their butterflies, and the fifth graders are working on their flowers. I've got to get my sixers going on their kites! We're the last ones to do our part of the display.

Happy Teaching,
Angela
The Teacher's Desk 6
teachersdesk@yahoo.com

NOVEL Responses to Novels

I've been a Language Arts teacher for a LONG time! I've seen many changes in teaching methods, philosophies, best practices, Common Core, etc., etc., etc. Some of the old becomes new again, and some of the new becomes quite old. What hasn't changed is that a good teaching activity is still a good teaching activity! 

I've been sorting through The Desk lately and have come across many good activities that I've been using since my early days. One file I found was titled NOVEL RESPONSES (one of the first ideas I posted on my original website in 1996). In it are numerous ideas for having students respond to the novels that they read. I still use most of these in either my fifth or sixth grade classes. I'll be sharing many of these novel responses in the coming days.

Here's a sampling with which to begin:

• Write a letter to one of the characters in the novel. Ask him/her questions as well as tell about yourself. Pay particular attention to letter format.
• Create a newspaper page for one of the novels. Summarize the plot in one of your articles. Cover the weather in another. Include an editorial and a collection of ads that would be pertinent to the novel.
• Summarize the plot by creating a cartoon version of the novel. Use about six to eight frames.
• Rewrite a chapter or section of your novel from another character's point of view.
• Pretend you are a newspaper reporter whose job is to interview one of the characters. Write your interview.
• You have become a character in one of the novels. Describe your experience during a conflict.
• Write a poem about one of the novels. Touch on the characters, setting, plot, and theme.
• Rewrite a portion of the novel as a play.
• Choose a familiar melody, such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and change the lyrics so they pertain to the novel.
• Develop a mini matrix for your novel... more about this activity in a later blog post
• Create a mini story wheel for your novel... more about this activity in a later blog post
• Create a story chain for your novel that consists of at least ten links... more about this activity in a later blog post
• Compare and contrast one of your novels with another that you have read for class this year or last. Remember to include how the novels are alike AND how they are different. Create a Venn diagram to show your findings.
• Redesign the front and back cover of your novel. Include the pertinent information as well as a blurb on the back.
• Develop an award for your novel. Explain the criteria for the award and why this particular book was selected to receive it. A good place to start this project is by reading about the Newbery and Caldecott awards. Notice, too, the other awards particular books have been given.
• Create a triorama for your novel that depicts the most important scene. Write a summary of this scene, explaining its role in the storyline.
• Design a story map for your novel. Include important information such as characters, setting, and the plot. Write a brief explanation of your map.

As I read through the list, it dawned on me that even though these ideas had been posted almost 20 years ago, most of them align nicely with the current Common Core State Standards. Sounds like another project for me to work on!

Happy Teaching,

Angela

The Teacher's Desk 6

teachersdesk@yahoo.com

Pinterest... How did I survive without you?

I am wild about Pinterest! If I don't get my daily fix I go into withdrawl.

Well... not literally, but close!

Just take a look at my boards. I've only been truly active on them since Thanksgiving and already they are loaded with great ideas. http://pinterest.com/teachersdesk/

I am not alone in my addiction either. My second floor colleagues at St. John School are also addicted to Pinterest. As a result, it's not unusual to see Pinterest ideas hanging in our hallway, in our rooms, being worked on by students- you get the picture.

Recently on Pinterest, I found a terrific art idea for my sixth graders based on famous glass-blowing artist, Dale Chilhuly's glass chandeliers. While his are crafted of glass, ours are crafted of plastic water bottles and Sharpie markers. The originals that he and his artisans create are beautiful; however, the ones that my sixers designed and fashioned are GORGEOUS... all thanks to Pinterest! Take a peek. What do you think? If you want to know more about this project, it is pinned on my Just For Fun Pinterest Board.

This isn't the only great Pinterest idea that can be seen in our hallway. At Christmas I found a clever idea on Pinterest for promoting reading and decorating the hallway. It was a cut-out of a Christmas light to which a brief book review was attached. All of the students in our hallway, grs. 3-6 each fashioned a light and wrote a book review of a recently read book. The lights were printed on brightly colored paper, cut-out, then strung together on green yarn. The "string of lights" were illuminated with the sign READING BRIGHTENS OUR LIVES. It was a hit!

I especially liked that we were promoting reading. I went in search of more ideas like this on Pinterest and struck it lucky. During mid-January through this week, grs. 3-6 promoted reading once again when they invited everyone to WARM-UP TO A GOOD BOOK. This Pinterest idea featured a large mug of cocoa on which was attached a brief book report. TOO CUTE! Both of these ideas can be found on my Pinterest Language Arts board.

These two ideas inspired me to create my own book promotion display for the upcoming season of Spring. Titled SPRING INTO A GOOD BOOK, students can write on a small label about a book they have recently read and attach it to a spring shaped background. These book reports can then be displayed for all to read and perhaps find a book to SPRING into! Here's a FREEBIE sample of this activity. It contains one spring shape, a flower, and the book report labels along with directions for assembly. You can download the FREEBIE HERE or by clicking the link below the graphic. The full version has four shapes to choose from (flower, frog, butterfly, and kite) and is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. Our St. John students will be working on their shape report over the next several days. Our display should be ready by early next week, just in time to usher in Spring- I can't wait!

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6Q14Z2f7SoAWWl5bVpQcFozb3M/edit?usp=sharing

Happy Teaching,

Angela

The Teacher's Desk6

teachersdesk@yahoo.com