Public Library Books on iPad through Overdrive

A great FREE resource exists through the Overdrive app.  Grab your public library card number, create a password and start reading new and classics on your iPad.

In addition to ebooks, audio books and videos are available for check out!

Here's how:

Haiku Deck On Web For Book Publication

I searched for a web tool that students could write a book about Canada and would, according to a middle school teacher,

• Drag and drop pictures or easy to insert pictures from web or upload
• Easy to add text
• Embed on blogger
• Log In with Gmail or easy to create an account
• Chromebook or laptop/desktop

I tried Google Drive tools and couldn't get into the template gallery according to an error message.

I tried widbook.com and it was a social site that I didn't think students needed to mess around with.

I tried storybird.com and it was also a lengthy sign up process and constituted social networking.

The above products, while great in their own right, didn't meet most of the criteria that the teacher was looking for.

I decided to look at Haiku Deck for creating an online book.  We have used Haiku Deck for a number of other creation projects and I believe this tool will work for creating a book. View short book.

Illustrating A Book On an iPad or Online

A teacher recently sent me this:
I was wondering if you knew of any apps for students to create scenes?  Students have written stories in Jenny's class and we were thinking they could illustrate a story/plot outline of five scenes (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution).  I threw out a couple examples, one using Google drawing and another using a free Photoshop type program that I have installed in my lab (Serif), but was wondering if you knew of another program for iPad or web-based.

iPad Options:

• Book Creator for iPad: Illustrate pictures or add photos--combine with text or having the pictures standing alone creates a great book

• Draw-n-Show: an amazing free drawing tool.  Create multiple pictures, take screen shots, and place the pictures into Haiku Deck, Explain Everything, or iMovie

• Penultimate: An incredible free drawing tool that integrates with Evernote.  Learn how to be effective in Evernote.
• DrawPad:  Easy, free.

Web Options:

• Google Draw: if you are a GAFE, this may be THE option.  It's located in your Google Drive. Create a Google Doc, a page for each drawing, and insert a drawing on each page.
• Draw.io: Looks like Google Docs, connects with Google Docs! Insert picture and annotate it.  Drag and drop numerous figures and add to them. Search images and drop them into your drawings.
• Draw Island:  Free, numerous drawing options, download images, no username needed

Impact On Students

• Creativity: Students connect the words from their stories with images.  They create the images completely on their own.
• Critical Thinking: Students must determine the level of clarification that their drawing will relate to their writings.  Some students may work to make the drawings completely clear, others may decide to make the drawings more abstract and left to interpretation. 

Book Reports iPad Style

Hearing that "Book Reports" or "Book Reviews" from students to a class and or a teacher, provided inspiration for thinking about iPad apps that could be great support for a book review.

Reading books is still an important part of a student's learning process.  Use these seven options for students reviewing books.  Many of these options allow for students to produce a product to the camera roll.  Sharing it is as easy as sending it to the students' Google Drive.  See the presentation.


PixNTell Example


Doodle Cast Pro Example

The Hub

Our library media specialist, Joe, has really transformed the atmosphere.  While we don't have music playing all the time, one students was overheard saying, "I came in because of the song, now I see a book." Check out the set up.