Getting to Know Each Other with Tellagami

As school inches closer and closer I have been researching how to use the new iPad cart with my first graders.  Our school is going to have creation apps on the iPads so the students can demonstrate their learning.

In looking at many different apps used in classrooms with iPads, the Tellagami app quickly caught my eye.  With this app the students create an character and then record their voice explaining a topic.  The students have a few different choices for clothing, hair, and backgrounds.  Also you can import your own photo to be the background.  This app is very quick and easy to use...plus it is a free app!

I have seen so many great educational ideas for the Tellagami app.  I have seen some examples of this app being used in many grades to increase reading fluency or just as an opportunity for students to explain what they have learned about a topic.  I have a few different ideas on how I could use this app to give the students an opportunity to get to know each other and build our classroom community at the beginning of school.  One idea for this app would be for students to tell the class a little bit about themselves.  They could tell us some of their favorite things.  Here is an example that Ruthie made to introduce herself to her new class.

Another way we could use this app would be for the students to tell everyone a little bit about what they hope to learn this year at school.  This is an example of what Ruthie hopes to learn in second grade.

As you can see, this app was an immediate hit with my niece.  She wanted to make another gami. I know this app will be a hit with my new class too!

Technology Ideas for the Beginning of the Year

My school is getting an iPad lab this year!  I can not wait to have the opportunity to use the iPads with all my first graders at the same time!  I have been searching the web for great apps and ideas for using this technology in the primary grades.  Here are some of my ideas for incorporating the iPad lab with my students for back to school, community building, and getting to know each other lessons.

All About Me with Popplet

I made this one by drawing some of my favorite things in the Doodle Buddy app.  I then saved those images to my camera roll.  Then I imported my saved images into my popplet.  I'm thinking this is how I will have my students make their own.  I am hoping to have them draw about 5 of their favorite things and then use their drawings in the popplet app.  I know that drawing their favorites will be easier than spelling their favorites at the beginning of the year.

This is another popplet example that my niece Ruthie made when I showed her my example.  She chose to take some photos of her favorites to use in her popplet.  

Telling about our Summer with Tellagami

I have just learned about the Tellagami app and I am in love with it!  I can see so many possibilities for this app with my first graders!  I am thinking I will start the year off with letting them use the app to tell the class a little bit about their summer.  Here is an example I made.