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Storybird

12/15/2016

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I've been wanting to have the girls try Storybird for awhile and today was the day. I've used this site for a few years and have taught a creative writing class built around it. The reason I like it so much is that it spurs creativity and reverses the usual writing process. Usually when writing, the story is thought up first and then illustrated. This site pools collections from professional illustrators together and users select which illustrations they will use...and then craft their story from it. I love this idea and the illustrations are beautiful.

Part of the fun of working with these girls is trying new things and seeing how they'll do. I try not to give too many directions or parameters and I watch closely what their thought process is. We read a book I had written using this tool just to get them thinking. They then got started choosing their artwork and adding some text. Some got started right away, others struggled.

One girl kept asking me, "What do I write?" Staring at a blank page is hard for any of us. Part of the magic of today was watching them get going, glance at their neighbor's ideas, take the plunge and start to write. When it came time to wrap things up, most wanted to keep going. They were genuinely proud of their efforts and we high-fived on being published authors.

Here are their books. Not bad for a first draft in an hour's time!
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Stop Motion

12/1/2016

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Today was all about Stop Motion! I'm pretty sure this was a new concept for the girls. They've taken heaps of photos and videos using a device of some sort, but this is different.
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To provide context, we discussed animation and how it used to be made using many different drawings, strewn together to depict motion. We then took photos and pieced them together to make movies. We made still things–solid things–move.
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One of my goals with these girls is to foster their creative and innovative spirits. They are extremely bright and have many who care for them. I want to build on all of that and give them even more opportunity to think in ways they may not do very often. I brought a few piles of small objects (cubes, Jenga bricks, and Brain Flakes). I gave them a very short how-to on the Stop Motion app and showed them a few examples. Then I stood back while they tried, adjusted, and tried again. 
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Stop Motion takes patience, steadiness, and perseverance. It doesn't come together after just one try. One girl became frustrated, even bored, and asked to do something else. I encouraged her to keep trying and then she wouldn't stop. She got into it and changed the effects of her Jenga tower structure, background, and took great pride in her work.

That's what it's about.

Here are a few examples, made by them with very little help from me. I offered encouragement and later did a few minor technical edits before publishing. This work is theirs.

​Watch all their videos here (they are super short and you can see their thought process evolve).
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    EdTechDidi

    In Nepali, didi means older sister and is often used to describe one who works for you, one you respect, one who walks beside you on your journey. I work hard to bring teachers, parents, and students the best educational technology tools out there that educate, engage, and empower. Enjoy!

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