Creating digital stories in the classroom and using different apps to do so can be beneficil. After creating my own, I can see the importance and will be incorporating them into my future classroom.

While creating my own digital story, it was surprisingly easy to do. Using the app, Adobe Slate it was easy to create my own digital story. I was able insert my own pictures and text, creating a one of a kind story.

The app, Adobe Slate is only one of many apps that can be used to create digital stories. There are many other apps that can be used to create a digital story but I have found this one to be the easiest to use. This app is very user friendly, for all ages.

https://slate.adobe.com/a/erXvZ

The Tech Edge YouTube videos are great resources when exploring new iPad apps for the classroom. The first episode I viewed talks about nutrition and a variety of nutritional apps offered for the iPad.

In this episode, one app in particular is discussed that catches my attention. The app is called Eat & Move o-Matic. This app lets the user select a food item or a beverage and then it shows how long of a certain activity would need to be done in order to work of that food item or beverage. I think that this app could potentially be very beneficial.

In the next episode, it talks about exploring the world through photos.

One app that they talk about it Spear360. In this app the user is able to  “go places” without physically going there. The user is able to access pictures that other uses have uploaded and view them as if they are actually at that location.

In the next episode I watched, they took about cells and viruses.

One of the apps that they discuss is called Icell. In this app the user is able to view different types of cells. This app is basic and can be used with younger students. This would be a great teaching tool to be incorporated into the classroom.

Now that I am a little more familiar with the iMovie app, I was able to create a more advanced movie. Creating a movie over Kansas history and our state flower, I was very easily able to insert pictures, text, as well as voice overs. However, these are not the only features that iMovie has to offer.

The iMovie app is a diverse tool that can be used for many different purposes. Myself, I have created two very different movies using this app. My first movie or trailer created featured my 3D printing classroom, this movie however, features the Kansas sunflower.

I strongly recommend using the iMovie app within education. This app can be used in every content area, there is no limit. This app helps students create short films, allowing the student to use their creativity and imagination. It is a shame that more schools and classrooms are not using this app.

Using the app IMovie, was a learning experience.The app was a little more complicated to use than I had anticipated. However, after exploring the app and finally getting the hang of it, I was able to create a trailer featuring my 3D printing classroom.

When considering my future classroom, I can see how this app would be useful. Having students use their creativity to create their own videos would be beneficial. Thinking back to my high school days and even to some of my college classes, the app iMovie would have been so much easier and faster when creating certain projects. It is a shame that I am just now introducing myself to this app.

The iMovie app can be purchased from the App Store for $4.99. This gives the user full access to everything the app has to offer. In my opinion, the iMovie app would be beneficial to have in all classrooms.

Reviewing Shelly Fryer’s blog, Mobile Learning in 2015 she talks about students discovering s new IPad app. The app that her students are exploring is called News-O-Matic. With this app, students have access to daily nonfiction stories that are based on current events. The students in her classroom read articles that they are actually interested in. They even go a step further by responding to the editor. Fryer says that her students her students are eager to read the news every morning and that is something that she is incredibly excited about!

Even though it may not be ideal to use this particular app in my own art classroom, I can definitely see the advantages of this app. This app has a great way of engaging and entertaining the students. They are excited to read the daily articles and consequently, they are keeping up with the current events. I believe that is something that every teacher can appreciate.

 Using comics in the classroom can be beneficial for your students. Comics can be used in all content areas, they can be used to test the students understanding of the knowledge being learned as well as the retention of that knowledge. When the students are able to apply the knowledgeand create a fun comic, the teacher can assess and determine that the students are retaining information and that they  are being an effective teacher. Creating comics in the classroom is a great way to incorporate fun projects as well as promoting creativity with in your students.

While creating my own comic, I used the free app Make Beliefs. This app was very fun and easy to use. However, when saving the comic, the picture came out blurry. If I were to use comics in my future classroom, I would explore other apps that were also fun and easy to use as well as producing a clear picture of the comic.

The app, Tellagami is fun and interactive. It allows you to create an interactive video and even includes a voice over. Because the app is so simple to use, it would be a perfect way to incorporate technology into the classroom. It would be a fun way to help promote creativiety in the classroom as well. This is an app that students can really run with and create a project that reflects themselves.

While creating my own Tellagami, I was surprised to discover how easy it truly was. As for the app, there are two options, a free version as well as an educational version that is $4.99. Personally I only have the free version, however purchasing the app would be a wise investment. With the free version I was able to create my own tellagami, however the full version would have offered more options.

Working with the app ThingLink, interactive and informative pieces can be created  This app could potentially be used very easily in the classroom setting. In the classroom, when creating projects or presentations, ThingLink is something to keep in mind. This app can be a fun way to help students engage in different projects and actually look forward to creating them or giving presentations.

Personally, I found creating my own ThingLink to be fun and entertaining! Being a fine arts student with an area of concentration in ceramics as well as an art education student, I selected the subject of wheel throwing, something I absolutely love. Using ThingLink, I was able to create a piece that I love as well. In my ThingLink below, I created an interactive piece that includes information about wheel throwing as well as several interactive videos. I also included some pictures of my own work that I have created using the wheel.

As a future art educator, I will not primarily be working with students with special needs. However, every general education teacher will encounter and educate students with special needs at one point or another during their teaching career. Reading blogs from Educational Technology and Mobile Learning, one blog in particular stuck out to me. On June, 11 the website posted a blog title, Great Educational Resources for Teaching Students with Autism. This article was very informative and helpful, I truly enjoyed reading it.

The article first describes the needs of students with autism and their wide range of characteristics. According to the article, students with autism may have difficulty paying attention, problems with learning by observation and imitation, troubles with task and sequencing, and uneven patterns with strengths and weaknesses. To help future educators such as myself, they have shared some very helpful websites and educational resources that are catered to students with autism. These resources vary from lesson plans to teaching tips.

Cindy Autistic Support:

This is a great website that has many different learning resources to help students with autism. The materials on this website are catered for the development of language and communication skills, social skills, and other skills. This material focuses on appropriate behavior and behavior skills.

Autism Support Network:

This website is a great resource that teachers and parents can refer to for guides and coping strategies to use with students with autism.

Autism Teaching Tools:

This website has fantastic information and teaching tips for working with students with autism.

Do2learn:

This website includes thousands of free pages of information on social skills, behavior skills and activities, guidance, communication cars, leanring songs, learning games, and so much more.

TED Talk on Autism:

These TED talks feature different talks about students with autism.

IPad Apps for Autistic Students:

This list of apps include selected apps that are specifically catered for students with autism.

Autism Speaks:

This organization has become the worlds largest organization for autism awareness. It is dedicated to research, prevention, treatment, and cures.

This blog was a great read for someone such as myself who will be pursuing a masters in special education after finishing my art education degree.

Using the app, Word Cloud, is a fun activity that can be incorporated into the classroom. When considering my future art classroom, I can see many different potential uses for this app.

When creating my own Word Cloud, it was a fun activity that even I enjoyed. I believe that it is something that I will be able to use with any age group and they will enjoy the activity as much as I did.