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Choice is very important in my classroom. By giving gifted students choice, I honor them as learners. When they make their own choices, they are more apt to move through the process willingly and motivated to create a good product.
This week was the final week of our first nine week grading period. Each quarter I require a book talk. My students are avid readers and enjoy the opportunity to share with their classmates about their reading. The rubric includes use of technology as well as basic book talk points, such as plot, characters, setting, and theme. Within the rubric is choice about the technology used.
Powtoon was the favorite this week. It’s not mine, but my students love all the animated characters. They even sing along with the ending, “Created using Powtoon!” I cannot tell you much about how to use Powtoon. My students figure it out, though. It is kid-friendly, especially those kids who spend a lot of time playing computer games.
Tobie’s Powtoon about The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.
Emily presents A Handful of Stars on Powtoon. Notice the hand with blueberries.
Powtoon is free. There is a premium version that I don’t pay for. My students adapt well. When Emily couldn’t find two girl figures for her characters, she used a boy and labeled his head with the character’s name. She also figured out how to layer images to create an image she wanted, a hand full of blueberries. I love how Powtoon allows for creativity of design and makes the students feel like animators. They were all proud of their Powtoons.
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Reflections on the Teche 
Margaret,
Digital literacy = new possibilities….and “choice” is essential. As Franki & Bill remind us in Digital Reading: What’s Essential, it’s this choice that leads to strong conversations around authenticity and purpose. I really need to play more with tools like PowToons (another I’ve been wanting to play more with is Bit Strips – Mary Lee Hahn really likes this one). Maybe this exploration is something I could tie into the #gncelebration this month. Hmmm….
Thanks for hosting, as always.
Cathy
Margaret, I enjoy watching your students grow as digital learners. Powtoon looks interesting and I will share that with the teachers I work with. Today, I wanted to revisit Lunapic, an tool with a myriad of possibilities, and the slideshow capability of iPhoto. Providing learners with choice leads them to finding their voice in writing and creating.