Father’s Day is approaching. What a great time to inspire young people to create and learn with some cool web tools and apps by encouraging them to express their appreciation for an important father figure or male role model. Not only do students learn how to edit and design with technology; more importantly, they also experience the joy of using technology to uplift others. Using technology to create and uplift others are missions students accomplish in my new book, Hacking Digital Learning with Edtech Missions. Below is a slideshow and infographic filled with ideas and resources to get your students started with their digital gifts. Find additional resources in my article, Children Celebrating Their Parents: Activities & Tons of Resources.
IDEAS AND RESOURCES
[Student Project: Problem Solution Videos]
Get your students to express their appreciation with the following ideas and resources:
- Create a digital story expressing how much they value their fathers/male role models.
- Students can jot down 6 or more ways their fathers/male mentors impress them. Then the student creates a story visualizing these skills and traits.
- Children can create a superhero story starring dad similar to the book, You Can Do Anything Daddy, by Michael Rex.
- Students can jot down 6 or more ways their fathers/male mentors impress them. Then the student creates a story visualizing these skills and traits.
- Children can create a superhero story starring dad similar to the book, You Can Do Anything Daddy, by Michael Rex.
- Try any of these free digital storytelling web tools/apps:
- Buncee– Web tool and iOS app to create digital storybooks and digital greetings with animations, stickers, personal images, clipart, YouTube videos and more.
- Book Creator– iOS and Android app to create digital books and include personal images, audio, video, and more. Several templates are available to make it easier and quicker to create a book.
- UTellStory– Create a digital story or slideshow with photos, video, voice, music and words.
- Friendstrip and ComicsHead are two iOS/Android apps for creating digital comic strips. The students can upload personal drawings or images of their fathers to add to each frame.
- Puppet Pals and Toontastic are iOS apps for creating short videos with fun characters that students animate.
- Buncee– Web tool and iOS app to create digital storybooks and digital greetings with animations, stickers, personal images, clipart, YouTube videos and more.
- Book Creator– iOS and Android app to create digital books and include personal images, audio, video, and more. Several templates are available to make it easier and quicker to create a book.
- UTellStory– Create a digital story or slideshow with photos, video, voice, music and words.
- Friendstrip and ComicsHead are two iOS/Android apps for creating digital comic strips. The students can upload personal drawings or images of their fathers to add to each frame.
- Puppet Pals and Toontastic are iOS apps for creating short videos with fun characters that students animate.
- Create coupon books with adventures and quality-time planned for dad, such as visiting a park, geocaching, playing video/board games, etc. These coupons can also include chores, etc. Find a Google Draw template to edit here and a coupon generator here.
- Produce a music video starring themselves singing dad’s favorite song to play whenever he needs a laugh or is having a bad day.
- Try Funimate (iOS/Android), Video Star (iOS), Touchcast (iOS), and Musical.ly (iOS/Android).
- Try Funimate (iOS/Android), Video Star (iOS), Touchcast (iOS), and Musical.ly (iOS/Android).
- Design word clouds with adjectives or poems about dad and use an online gift maker like Zazzle and Custom Ink to print these on a coffee mug, t-shirt, or tie. Discover web tools for creating word clouds here.
- Make a digital scrapbook or animated photo slideshow displaying wonderful memories with their dads.
- Try Kizoa (web), Photopeach (web), Buncee, UTellStory, or Magisto.
- Try Kizoa (web), Photopeach (web), Buncee, UTellStory, or Magisto.
- One of the quickest and simplest ways to make a photo slideshow or collage is with Google photos. It’s how I made this one of Savvy for her daddy, Jake. I use the Photofy app to add stickers over the collage. You can also use Pic-Collage.
- You could also use the Walmart photo app to design a collage to print and frame. You can do this for less than $5, including the frame.
- Research shows how relaxing and calming coloring is for adults. With that in mind, children can design an adult coloring book for dad with his favorite things or of their favorite places and activities. Try Crayola’s collection of apps with one for adding faces, Really Color, and Colorscape iOS App.
- Send personalized digital greetings with Buncee, Chatterpix Kids app, Ink Cards, Animoto, Canva, Magisto, Pic-Collage, 123Greetings, or Red Stamp.
Challenge– Get your students to express appreciation for a father figure or role model.
cross posted at teacherrebootcamp.com
Shelly Terrell is an education consultant, technology trainer, and author. Read more at teacherrebootcamp.com.
