Back To School Ideas

It's Back To School Time! Teachers often begin with a variety of "getting to know you" activities. Here is a list of ideas to integrate technology early this fall and use the 21st Century skill of "CREATE" with your students.

1. Pixie 2 (drawing software)
Students can use the drawing tools, stickers and stamps to create a self-portrait to share. Pixie 2 has built in templates that could help focus this, including "I Like", "I Dislike", "My Family", and "I Am Good At". A voice-over can easily be added to the picture using the record button in the Option menu!

2. Comic Life Deluxe (software)
Students can create comics introducing themselves. There is a nice "All About Me" template on the wiki:
http://comic-life.wikispaces.com/Templates

3. Wordle (free!) www.wordle.net
Students can create a word cloud using words that describe them or words that are important to them. If the students leave their names out, you can play "Guess Who?" with the Wordles.

4. Voki (free version w/ads or paid subscription)
http://www.voki.com/
Students create an avatar. Voki allows their voice to be recorded, making the avatar talk. Students can also type their text to be spoken. Then, the Voki can be embedded on other websites or blogs or accessed with a URL.

5. Blabberize (free! teacher should register, kids can make blabbers under that account) www.blabberize.com
Students take a digital picture of themselves (or anything!) and make the mouth move as it talks! You are given a URL to see it or a code to embed it in a blog or on a website!

+1 More!
6. Glogster (free! Teacher needs to register class) www.glogster.com
Students can create fabulous "All About Me" posters here. Use their fantastic graphics and backgrounds. Then add text, upload digital photos, embed URL's, videos and sound files. Glogs can be shared in many ways when complete!