You've finished a unit and it's time for students to demonstrate their understanding with a project or presentation. There was a time when book reports and poster board presentations would suffice. That time has passed. Now there are a myriad of options for creating presentations online, from slideshows to animated comic strips with voiceovers. Not only are these types of projects far more dynamic and fun than a book report, but they help kids practice skills they will need in college and beyond; skills that include navigating various programs and designing multi-layered presentations.
Here are some tools you can use in the classroom to create and publish kids' projects:
These are just a few of the many tools available to create visual, well-developed presentations that demonstrate what students learned throughout the unit. What are some sites or apps you use?
Here are some tools you can use in the classroom to create and publish kids' projects:
- Creaza: An app that allows you to create digital stories through cartoons, movies, slide shows, and radio talks.
- Wordle: Create a "word cloud" that emphasizes important parts of a text, newly learned vocabulary, themes of a unit, and more. Each Wordle can stand alone or be incorporated into a larger project.
- Popplet: Visually capture, sort, and connect ideas. The end result is a visual "semantic map" that represents what the student learned throughout the unit of study.
- VoiceThread: Adds audio to a presentation. Seamlessly integrates with various programs, such as Blackboard, Sakai, Angel, Canvas, Desire2Learn, BrainHoney, and Moodle.
- KerPoof: Create an interactive story with dinosaurs. In addition to stories, kids can make pictures, movies, cards, and drawings.
These are just a few of the many tools available to create visual, well-developed presentations that demonstrate what students learned throughout the unit. What are some sites or apps you use?