Unlock the Educational Power of Comics with Bitstrips

Comics have a way of piquing the interest of even the most disengaged student.  In fact, I have had younger siblings of former students request to create a comic of their own!  In most cases, these siblings are referring to Bitstrips for Schools, a Canadian-based comic engine that users can access on-line for free.  The reason most cited by students for using Bitstrips for Schools is its fun, engaging, and user-friendly environment.  In fact, the Bitstrips for Schools template format allows users to create and customize characters, backgrounds, drawings, and so much more.  View the sample comic below to give you a better idea as to the functionality of Bitstrips for Schools.  

The Bitstrips for Schools feature not evident in the example above is the private virtual classrooms students are able to work in.  Educators will definitely value the safe and secure on-line environment Bitstrips architects have created mainly because teachers control all student permission settings.  Another very useful feature teachers will appreciate is the dashboard homepage which immediately shows the latest student activity.  By including these two features, teachers can monitor student progress in a few mouse clicks.    


A New De-tech-tive 4 Teachers Feature Segment!                                                     Teach-nology

Incorporating technology into classroom activities is a great way for students to learn 21st Century skills.  However, with any form of teaching, it should be based on sound educational practice.  Teach-nology is just that - the pedagogical rationale for the use of technology.  The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers goal for the 'Teach-nology' segment is to not describe every learning outcome, but to outline the key 21st Century skill(s) students will be exposed to by using a specific technology.

Skill	Teach-nology
Communication	- Use written communication to inform, instruct, motivate and persuade. - To extend & confirm meaning of a visual text.
Creativity	- Write effective imaginative texts to explore ideas & information. - Experiment with various writing styles & syntax.
Organization	- Utilize a variety of strategies to generate, develop, and organize ideas such as considering one's audience, gathering & summarizing ideas, etc.

Sample Activities:

Another valuable Bitstrips for Schools feature is its 'Activities' section.  In it, educators will find a wide selection of prepared activities organized by subject and topic.  Below is a sampling of some of the great lesson ideas offered:  

1.  My Report Card - Students create a comic to reflect on their academic progress in a subject area.  Analysis should include what they have done well and what they should improve upon.

2.  Two Sides to Every Story - To demonstrate their working knowledge of point of view, students create a comic describing a situation about how two or more people can interpret the same circumstances differently.  

3.  People We Depend On! - Students create a comic strip describing what may happen if the people they depend on were not so dependable.

4.  Une Activite Dehours! - Using proper French language writing skills, students create a comic describing their favorite outdoor activities.

5.  Your Province - To demonstrate their knowledge about a particular Canadian province, students create a comic interviewing the province's premier. 


How to Get Started:

Bitstrips for Schools has developed a very detailed support page for its users.  You can access it using the hyperlink below: 

Bitstrips for Schools Support Page

Bitstrips for Schools is an excellent web-based educational tool students will love to use as it allows users to express themselves in a fun and engaging way.  If you are interested in 'unlocking the educational power of comics', click here to get started right away!


This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.

Create 3-D Videos with Xtranormal

Xtranormal is a text-to-speech video creation tool that creates animated video clips with three-dimensional, conversing characters.  This storytelling tool allows users to choose from the template, a wide range of actors and sets options.  Once selected, users enter into the timeline a text script with accompanying character actions and video effects to create a dynamic video in minutes.  Please view the video below for a sample of what students can create with Xtranormal, the free on-line version.  

Depending on student needs, access to technology resources and monetary availability, educators can choose from two versions of Xtranormal - a desktop version and a web-based version.  The desktop version requires a software download and a monetary payment upon video export but as a result, it does include many more powerful video features.  The web-based version has both basic and paid account options but it also offers the flexibility of accessing the account from any web browser anywhere.  To help support schools, Xtranormal also provides a paid Educator Account that offers unlimited publishing, full access to the actor/set template, security features and grading options.  The following hyperlink - Xtranormal - has a more detailed comparison of the two options.   


How to Get Started:

Xtranormal has created an excellent 'How To' web page that assists users with the various features of the Online Movie Maker, the Xtranormal Desktop and the Xtranormal for Education account features.  Click on the link below to access this first-rate Xtranormal resources.  

Xtranormal 'How To' Webpage


Sample Activities:

1.  Narration of an Historical Event - As depicted by the video example above, my students used Xtranormal to chronicle an event from the Napoleonic era. 

2.  Improve Language Skills - Because Xtranormal allows users to change the attributes of a character's voice as well as the language a character speaks, a French Immersion colleague of mine has her students create short narrations for the purpose of exposing her students to new vocabulary, accents and expressions.

3.  Creative Writing - Storytelling is a fantastic way for students to express themselves creatively.  Use Xtranormal to teach students how to brainstorm, plan, write and edit a fictional story, mythical tale or space-age fantasy.   


Xtranormal has many, many educational uses that I know your students will enjoy.  Get started with Xtranormal by clicking here!

This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.

Engaging Today's Students with Voki

Student engagement can be an elusive entity for today's educators.  There are many possible causes for learner apathy which range from boredom to socio-economic issues to a lack of ability.  The goal for educators is to find resources that inspire students to actively participate in their learning.  One such resource is Voki - a speaking avatar web tool.  Even the most reluctant learners embrace Voki as it gives them the opportunity to express themselves without the need of standing in front of their peers - a very terrifying experience for some.  From an educational standpoint, Voki provides all students with an equal opportunity to earn the best grade possible!

But who is really best suited to explain the educational benefits of Voki?  The students, of course!  Below are some student testimonials that will further highlight the educational benefits of Voki.

"I liked it because it was an unique and fun way to introduce yourself to your class and your website.  You could also customize your Voki differently than what you look like ... You can have fun!" - Sydney

"It is good for Grade 8 introductions.  Students can find things out about their classmates without the stress of being in front of the class." - Noah

"I think it's a good tool because you can use it to present a project or a speech with it." - Chase

"It's fun to use and it could be helpful in other ways such as sending it to a family member for their birthday, etc." - Keisha

"I like Voki because you get to know more about your classmates.  It's fun, new and a good way to start the year." - Lizzy

"I liked it because we can express our creativity and get to know others." - Shaelyn

"It is good for auditory learners." - Heidi

"If you weren't comfortable with speaking in front of the class, you could use Voki to speak instead." - Sarah


As you can see, Voki is a fun and engaging web tool that motivates students to creatively share their knowledge.  Click here for a detailed explanation on how to get started.  

If you haven't yet, I strongly encourage you to give it a try!


Lynda Hall originally wrote this post for Voki for Education November 2012.

5 Fun & Interactive Grammar Websites for Students

Teaching grammar and vocabulary can be challenging at times for Language Arts teachers as the content is not as exciting as learning about other topics like the combustible chemical reaction of napthalene.  Below are five websites that will provide a more fun and interactive methodology to teaching grammar and improving vocabulary.

Irregular Verb Wheel - This fun and engaging website created by Macmillan Dictionary allows students to practice identifying various verb conjugations.  The goal of the game is to earn as many points as possible by identifying the correct past, present and future tenses of a selected verb from the wheel within the allotted time.  The learning focus for this game is commonly used irregular verbs that are often incorrectly applied in our daily oral and written expression.   

Free Rice - is a free, online game that allows users to help with world hunger while improving one's grammar and vocabulary skills.  For each correct answer from the multiple choice format, 10 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program.  Also, students are further challenged to expand their vocabulary because with each correct response, the next question is chosen from the next upper level of terms.  Recently, Free Rice has expanded its gaming repertoire to include other subject areas such as art, chemistry, foreign languages, math and geography.

Grammar Bytes! - is another free website that enables students to practice a wide range of grammar skills including sentence structure, usage and punctuation.  The website includes a glossary of terms, interactive activities, printable handouts, presentations including YouTube videos, and a quick summary of tips and rules.  The best aspect of the Grammar Bytes website is that students must demonstrate their working knowledge by correcting sentence errors, not just memorizing the rules of grammar.

Grammar Ninja - is a fun and engaging game that students can use to practice the identification of the various parts of speech.  There are three levels of difficulty: Beginner Ninja, Skilled Ninja and Master Ninja.  Instant feedback is a key feature of this website because if a student answers incorrectly, the words explode.  

Interactives: Spelling Bee - is a great website for students to practice their spelling.  Students are read either a story or a sentence and then are to spell the missing words.  Words can be repeated or a definition can be supplied if a student is having trouble.  At the end of the activity, results are calculated to determine a student's mastery of the vocabulary.  All grade levels are available as well.   


This post originally appeared on The De-tech-tive 4 Teachers.