SMS Generator: "Texting" in class!

Creating fictional text messages using SMS Generator

What is SMS Generator?

     SMS Generator is an online tool (created by Russel Tarr) that allows users to create fictional text messages.  This fun and creative tool does not require a log in and can be easily used immediately upon visiting the site.  The text message generator can be used to create messages between fictional, historical, or real people.  To create a conversation, users click on the gray or green speech bubble and type away.  There is no limit on how long the conversations can be.  Once entered, the text can be edited or rearranged.  The finished conversation can be easily shared through an embed code, URL link, or it can be turned into a QR code.  

Give me an example.

     I was so excited to try this tool out with my 8th graders because they love to text!  Currently my students are reading the play, The Diary of Anne Frank by Francis Goodrich and Albert Hacket.  In order to enrich their reading experience and help them relate to the characters a bit more, I asked them to pretend Anne Frank could text.  They were asked to put themselves in Anne's shoes and "text" another character from the play, using details from what they had read to create a mock conversation.  The directions for their assignment can be located HERE.  Some of my students were very creative and wrote humorous and entertaining conversations.  A few examples are below.     

 

Want more ideas?
      Students could use Classtools SMS Generator to create 21st Century-like conversations between characters in a book, important historical figures, or take part in creative writing.  I could also see this working well for foriegn language classes or ESL students to practice translating or communicating in a new language.  This tool allows students to consider point of view, and to consider what others are thinking. Overall, it's a fun way to make literacy more techie and relatable to students who often do not engage in reading and writing assignments!

Resources
"Create a Text Message Exchange Between Fictional Characters" - Free Technology for Teachers
"SMS Generator" - Seomra Ranga: Resources for the Primary School Teacher 
"Faketext SMS Generator" - World History Teachers Blog

Strip Generator: Comics in the Classroom

Strip Generator: An Online Comic Creation Site

What is Strip Generator?  

     Strip Generator is an interactive comic strip creation tool that allows users to easily drag and drop an array of cartoon characters, objects, symbols, and speech bubbles into comic strip outlines.  This comic strip generator is free to use and offers many options for story lengths.  There are prefabricated strip outlines to choose from, or users can create their own custom outline.  While the characters and objects are black and white, there is an extensive menu to choose from; creativity does not get lost in this tool!  When the comic strip is completed, Strip Generator allows users to print their comics, link to it, or embed it in a blog. 

Give me an example.  

      One way I have used Strip Generator is to represent data from a survey I conducted with my students.  Often times, students have a hard time understanding (or caring about) results from surveys, assessments, or other data related to their learning.  By creating a comic strip, the data becomes more student friendly and visual learners can grasp the numbers/percentages part of data.  Here is an example comic strip I created after I conducted a survey about my students' excitement related to beginning to blog:

Want more ideas?
     Comics created with Strip Generator could be used for writing short stories, summarizing chapters from a novel, or sharing a reflection on what students learned.  A fellow 8th grade English teacher created a reference guide to the characters in A Mid-Summer Night's Dream to help her students keep track of the large cast of characters.  (Thanks Kelly Hanson!)

A Midsummer Night's Dream by hansonk6

This could easily be incorporated in Social Studies classes to visually represent events from history in a more modern way.  Strip Generator would also be an excellent tool for foreign language students or English language learners as it provides an opportunity to interact with word in short sentences or phrases, combined with interesting visual images.   

   
  If you're looking for even more ideas on how to incorporate comics in the classroom, check out S. Hendy's slideshow "Tap Into the World of Comics."  

Want to get started right away?  

     Use this simple video tutorial to get started making your first comic strip using Strip Generator! 

 

Resources:

"Strip Generator - Drag and Drop Comic Creation" - Free Technology for Teachers   

"Get Your Students Stripping:  A Simple Review of Online Comic Creation Websites" - Contemplating Education in the 21st Century

Promoting Another Blog

Promoting Another Techie Teacher Blog

  

What did I just watch? 

     The embedded video you just watched was created using Voki.  Voki is a free web tool that allows users to create speaking avatars.  The final versions of the avatars can be embedded in blogs, wikis, or easily linked in other websites.  The cool thing about Voki is that users can choose from many different avatars, backgrounds, and text-to-speech voices.  If preferred, the user can also record their own voice in place of the computerized version.

Where did you find this?

     I first learned about Voki (and other audio tools for blogs) from the blog Free Technology for Teachers.  FreeTech4Teachers is written and maintained by Richard Byrne.  Because I didn't always feel comfortable learning about and using technology in the classroom, this blog helped make the process much smoother.  This blog is easy to read, has an invaluable number of resources, and he always includes how the technology can be applied to the classroom.  Free Technology for Teachers isn't just geared towards middle school or high school teachers, but there are excellent resources for elementary teachers as well.   

A few more things...

     Another reason I enjoy following Free Technology for Teachers is because Richard Byrne often invites guest bloggers to add to his site.  For example, a really useful post that delves into Voki a bit further was written by a teacher and technology trainer named Shelley Terrell.  In her guest post "Engaging Students With Voki" she provides many different ideas on how to use Voki in educational settings.  

     Additionally, posts on Free Technology for Teachers are short and sweet; they get straight to the point!  There are almost always videos, screen shots, and tutorials on how to use the new technology tools.   Teachers don't often have a lot of free time, so this blog is the perfect solution!

So if you're looking for a cool new technology resource, or you just have some time on your hands, be sure to travel on over to Free Technology for Teachers and click around!

      

Xtranormal Animated Movies

Xtranormal: Creating Animated Videos from Text

What is Xtranormal?

     Xtranormal is a video creation tool that uses text-to-speech technology.  Users can create a video by choosing characters, a background, and then typing the dialogue to be read aloud by the computer program.  Animations and sound effects can be easily dragged and dropped into the text boxes to add to the dialogue.  

The site easily allows for videos to be shared to popular social media sites, provides embed codes and a link directly to your video, and it also is easy to publish your completed videos directly to YouTube from the site.  

There are both free and paid plans available for this video creation tool.  There are even education plans available for teachers and students.  The main difference between the paid and free plans are the number of choices for story settings and characters. 

This post, Xtranormal Intro, is a great resource for learning how to get started with Xtranormal. 

Give me an example.  
      One way I have used Xtranormal in the classroom is by creating videos to introduce my students to new topics and content in a more engaging way.  Here is an example of how I introduced narrative essays.

     
     Students could easily use Xtranormal to create narrative stories, recreate scenes from a novel being read in class, or they could use it for reflective learning to share what they have learned.  One very unexpected, but useful aspect is punctuation affects the way the characters read the lines.  Students will find it useful to use proper grammar and punctuation in order to have the characters correctly say what is intended.  Users will quickly realize if sentences are not punctuated correctly, the meaning can be easily lost.  Yay for hidden literacy lessons! 

Want more ideas?
     Students could use Xtranormal in so many ways! Videos could be created to introduce themselves to the class, present information they learned on a certain subject, explain a concept, learn the importance of dialogue, show character traits of from a characters in a novel, give a summary... the possibilities are endless!  

THIS SITE has even more great ideas on how to incorporate Xtranormal into the classroom; there are even ideas for multiple subject areas.  And because Xtranormal videos can be created with languages other than English, it would be perfect for foreign language learning! 

Resources:

Box of Tricks: Technology and Education - "Xtranormal in the Classroom"

Digital LiteracyNH - "7 Ideas for Using Xtranormal in the Classroom"

Free Technology for Teachers - "Xtra Normal: Type to Create a Movie"
ICTAcross Curriculum 2012 Wiki - "Xtranormal"