UDL allows for students to use alternative ways to "write" stories and explain what they know. Using technology to write digital stories, using pictures or voice to text functionality, allows students with reading and writing difficulties to tell their stories. Plus it's more fun!
Here are some web and iPad apps that I have used, or at least played with:
Web apps:
Meograph – Uses a timeline and maps to
create a 4 dimensional story.
Storybird – The site provides beautiful
artistic images submitted by artists which you can use to illustrate and spark
ideas for a story. Free for up to 35
students.
Scratch – A simple programming tool that uses blocks that snap together to form scripts (programs) that let you move characters around a stage, import sounds, use speech bubbles or voice recordings to create a story or project, even video games, while learning basic programming lingo. Free.
Simple Booklet – Lets you create digital books by inserting photos, images, videos, and adding text. You can format the pages like you do a word document. Can be shared with anyone via the internet. Teacher account is $10/yr for 30 students.
Click the arrow to change the page, or go to this link:
http://simplebooklet.com/kenya for a larger view
StoryboardThat lets you customize cartoon characters by changing physical attributes and then use speech bubbles to create dialog. Can upload or create vector images with paid versions. Up to 15 blocks for paid versions, or 6 for free version.
More Web Apps:
Powtoons Allows you to create animated
slideshows by dragging and dropping characters, props and text plus record your
voice to narrate the story.
GoAnimate – Another cartoon creation
tool which you choose from a cast of characters, scenes, sound effects, and
allows recording of speech starting at $99 per year, based on # students.
VoiceThread – A presentation tool that
allows you to collaborate, create and share digital stories using imported
drawings or presentation slides.
Bitstrips – A comic strip creation tool that allows you to create fully customized characters and add dialog bubbles to create a story.
iPad apps:
Toontastic – Allows you to create animated
cartoons on the iPad. $9.99 for school addition, contains all the in-app
additions from the free version.
Pictello – An iPad app that lets you
import images and text or voice to create a digital talking story. $18.99
Educreations A presentation or storytelling app, allows you to narrate while drawing or inserting images. This app is free.
iMovie Trailer – Allows you to create
a movie trailer type of story using photos taken with your iPad or imported
images. Add text and music and create a dramatic “preview” story. iMovie is an
app on iPad or Mac.
BookCreator (iPad) Lets you create iBooks for your iPad by
importing pictures, video, sound, and use text, handwriting or voice recording. Can export and share as well.
30hands – Is an iPad app that lets you
easily create narrated stories and presentations using photos, images, and
drawings and recording your voice to tell a story.
Do Ink Animation – An iPad app that allows you to create animation paths using your finger, draw your own illustrations or use stock illustrations in the app.
Ray, R. (2013). A midsummer night's dream. StoryboardThat.com. [Storyboard]. Retrieved from: http://www.storyboardthat.com/userboards/rebeccaray/a-midsummer-nights-dream
Sources:
Hughes, A. (2013) Causes of the civil war. Meograph.
[Slideshow]. Retrieved from: http://www.meograph.com/ahughes17/15303/causes-of-the-civil-warRay, R. (2013). A midsummer night's dream. StoryboardThat.com. [Storyboard]. Retrieved from: http://www.storyboardthat.com/userboards/rebeccaray/a-midsummer-nights-dream
Medeiros, C., Koren, N. and Peb08. (2013). Pass it on,
Halloween tale remix. Scratch Community. [Scratch programming project].
Retrieved from: http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/13875740/
Rueppel, L. (2011). Becasue of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea .
[Youtube video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hLAuVHAo8M
