Tech Tool of the Week: StoryKit

Those of you who noticed what your 1st-5th graders were doing in computer class last week will be familiar with this week's highlighted technology tool, StoryKit.  StoryKit is a digital storytelling app for iPad.  It allows students to create their own electronic storybooks by writing and illustrating a story, then recording their own voices as they narrate the story.  In computer class during the two weeks after spring break, all students in grades 1-5 created a storybook about what they did during their spring break.  Once they were finished, students uploaded their storybooks to the web and received a private link to their story.  They could then share their storybooks by emailing the link to parents, friends, etc.  Students can also read and listen to their completed storybooks on the iPads.


Please take a look at these examples of stories created by our students to get a sense of what StoryKit storybooks look like!


Colby C., 2nd grade
Hannah F., 4th grade


If you're interested in learning more about StoryKit, here is a short video tutorial that will teach you how to use the app.

Tech Training: Digital Storytelling with iPads

For those who are interested, below is the presentation I made at yesterday's Faculty for Faculty Meeting.  If you were not able to attend the workshop but would like to learn about using iPads for digital storytelling, please let me know -- I am happy to schedule a time to meet with you individually!

Coming soon: a detailed, step-by-step written guide on how to use each of the digital storytelling apps on our iPads.

Tech Tool of the Week: Sonic Pics

The first official Technology Tool of the Week is Sonic Pics, a terrific iPad app used for digital storytelling. Sonic Pics allows students to turn images into a custom slideshow movie. To make a movie, students add one or more images and record their voice as they narrate. Examples of types of images students could use include digital photos, drawings made on the iPad, and screenshots from Safari.

Here are some ideas for ways you could use Sonic Pics in your class:

1. Create multimedia books. Students create illustrations in a drawing app like Drawing Pad, save the illustrations to Photos, and then pull them up in SonicPics to record the words.

2. Document a classroom experience. Load photos of a field trip, science experiment, special visitor, etc. onto the iPad and have students narrate the photos.

3. Assess a learning experience. Load photos of an individual or group working in the classroom, and then have students narrate those photos to explain their process and reflect on their learning.

4. Retell a story. Have students draw pictures to represent the beginning, middle, and end of a story, and then record themselves retelling the story.

5. Generate questions to support inquiry. Load content-related photos on the iPad. Have students select 3-5 images and record their questions. This could also be used to assess the level of thinking and questioning students are engaged in.

6. Create a podcast. Use photos or student-created illustrations or diagrams as your images. Students could create a podcast about something they are learning in class, news about school, book reviews, etc.
7. Create a weather report. Take photos out the window and narrate them with data from any weather app or website. Share it on your class Veracross website.

Currently we are working with the 1st Grade Red and Gold classes on a Sonic Pics project. Students first drew a self-portrait on the iPad (using an art application called Drawing Pad) and wrote their name in Pinyin on the picture. Next, students used Sonic Pics to record their voices as they talked about themselves in Chinese. Students stated their name, age, birthday, and personal characteristics. Below is a sample of a video made by one of our 1st graders. Special thanks to Teresa Shyu for coming up with the great idea for this project!