Book Trailers for Readers

(Video from www.booktrailersforreaders.com)

Book Trailers for Readers (www.booktrailersforreaders.com) is a great way to get students excited about their reading. This website displays book trailers created by students, which got me thinking. What apps on the iPad could help in the creation of a movie trailer? Here's what I came up with.....

If your students need to watch a sample movie trailer to learn how the pros do it...use the iTunes Movie Trailer app (FREE). I would be careful just letting students go free on this app, but instead, choose a few student-friendly movie trailers to watch. As you watch the trailers, have students fill out this organizer (Movie Trailer Analysis Organizer).

(Resource found at http://sblc.registereastconn.org/BookMovieTrailerAnalysizingWorksheet.pdf)

After you have analyzed a few movie trailers together as a group, they are ready to create on themselves. Here are some resources to help with the planning process:

Book Trailer Planning Document

Book Storyboard Template

Here is a movie that explains why storyboards are important in movie making. It talks about the different types of shots for each scene and that your pictures aren't elaborate, stick figures work just fine too.

List of apps to help create storyboards:
iBrainstorm
Strip Designer
Popplet
Story Me
iBrainstorm

Now that your students have their storyboards created, they are ready to make their movie trailer. Here is a list of apps that students can use to create a movie trailer:
iMovie App and Directions on how to use
Lego Movie Maker
Puppet Pals
Toontastic

And the last piece...assessing student work. 
Book Trailer Rubric

World Education Games

If you haven't heard of World Education Games yet, you need to check it out! http://www.worldeducationgames.com/

This year will be our fourth year participating in the World Math Day and the second year with World Spelling Day. Here's why you might want to look into celebrating this day:

1. Students play against other students from ALL OVER THE WORLD!
2. Students work on their computational fluency while competing against other students.
3. Good to celebrate once in awhile for all the hard work our students do. 
4. Students love to watch the Mathometer get bigger and bigger. 
5. Awards are given to students when competition is completed (certificates).
6. We decorate our computer lab with different themes and have a celebration. This year we are having an Irish theme....spreading "LUCK" to our students.
7. Our school sets a goal of how many problems our students can answer during competition, they have fun seeing how close we are!

Here are links to the apps for World Education Games:

World Math Day

World Spelling Day

Good Luck! We are looking for any schools that would like to challenge our school during the World Math and Spelling Day. It would be fun to Skype and talk back and forth, the students would LOVE that!

Student Motivation

Let's talk about student motivation for a bit. Sometimes we need to encourage our students with things that spark their interest or are motivational. I put together a list of apps that students might find motivating as a reward (ex. earning minutes on ipad for behavior, completing homework, being a good classroom citizen, etc.), here's what I came up with:

Draw A Stickman App (fun quick app...thanks Glenna!)


Cut the Rope (this app is great for working on problem solving strategies)


Analogy (just that analogies...I like playing this app)


Drawing Pad (this app looks like a fun way for students to be creative)


Weird But True (fun way to learn interesting and unusual facts)


Cross Fingers (another great problem solving app)


BrainPOP Featured Movie (students can watch the free featured movie)


Book Creator For Ipad (haven't used this app, but looks like promising)