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Wednesday, November 4, 2015

6 Storytelling Apps That Get English Language Learners Talking

Educations Apps  - Here are a few digital storytelling tools to help get your ELLs talking.


Kid in Story Book MakerKid in Story Book Maker
(Elementary)
Kids use green screen-like technology to put photos of themselves (or others) into a story template, then add text and voice recording. In-app templates focus on social stories, like visiting a new place, getting a haircut, or holidays. For ELLs, the templates offer a useful foundation for building social language skills. Plus, the app’s voice recording feature offers low-stakes speaking practice since kids can record themselves talking, then can listen and re-record as many times as they want.

Tell About ThisTell About This
(Elementary)
This versatile pre-writing or publishing tool is easy for young storytellers to use. Dozens of photos sorted into categories including culture, people, family and fun, serve as inspiration for prompts. Kids can tell stories using the in-app recording feature. Teachers can also create custom prompts with their own images and voice. Giving ELLs a safe space to tell stories about their lives and experiences validates their unique contributions to the class community.



Shadow Puppet EDUShadowPuppet Edu
(Elementary/Middle)
Students can create impressive video slideshows using research resources built right into the app. They can capture screengrabs from an interactive map, safely search for images from the Web and access image archives from trusted sources like the Library of Congress. Kids put the slides in order, add text, music and narration, and then export the final project as a video file. Shadow Puppet Edu supports ELLs in developing academic vocabulary in both collaborative groups and independently. Students can use it to review new concepts, present research, track progress, explain their thinking and more.

(Also see: 5 Best Apps for English Language Learners)

ToontasticToontastic
(Elementary/Middle)
This all-time favorite app teaches kids how to organize and present story ideas through cartoons. It employs a “Story Arc” with five sequential scenes to guide story structure (setup, conflict, challenge, climax and resolution). Kids move characters around each scene as they record narration and dialogue. For ELLs, Toontastic can be an invaluable tool for building writing skills or practicing story analysis. Students can storyboard a piece of original writing or a story they read in class, and then bring it to life with fun settings and quirky characters.

Voice ThreadVoiceThread
(Elementary/Middle/High)
Students or teachers can create and share media projects that incorporate video, image, voice, or even drawings. Once posted, projects can be open to text, voice or video comments from a select group or from all VoiceThread members. It’s a natural fit for a range of student presentations and projects such as explaining research or retelling a story with original artwork. Alternately, teachers can create a VoiceThread to solicit student commentary. For ELLs who sometimes are hesitant to speak up in class, VoiceThread gives them a chance to thoughtfully craft their presentations or comments and contribute their ideas with confidence.
(Also see: 5 Best Android Camera Apps)

Expain EverythingExplain Everything
(Middle/High)
This formidable tool is like a superhero version of PowerPoint. Users can import photos, PDF files, movies and more from many sources to use in a presentation. Students can learn how to present information using multiple forms of expression (images, text, video and audio) through digital technology. Students can edit the audio in their presentations, which gives ELLs a chance to self-assess and revise before presenting to their peers and teacher. Plus, allowing students to create multimedia presentations can take some of the focus off the speaking task, and can give creative, tech-savvy students a chance to shine.

Source: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/08/31/6-storytelling-apps-that-get-english-language-learners-talking/

1 comment:

  1. Hi,

    Very good app for good learning to english. Storytelling apps is very helpful to talking in english. Mobile apps | Web Design - Digital Pursuit

    ReplyDelete