Google Experiment: Say What You See

Prompting is an important part of using Generative AI.  In order to get the best output for you situation, whether it is written output or an image, you need a good prompt. Using descriptive language and observation are important skills that our students need in order to enhance their writing skills as well.  One way to make this learning fun is to try using the Google Experiment, Say What You See.

Say What You See challenges your descriptive abilities and puts your powers of observation to the test.  It is an interactive game that presents you with AI-generated images and tasks you with crafting accurate and detailed descriptions.  The better your description, the closer you'll get to recreating the original image using AI.  It's a fun and engaging way to learn about the nuances of language and how AI interprets visual information.

This-is-sand

Are you looking for something artistic to do?  How about something that is relaxing as well?

This-is-sand lets you create sand art on your computer or other wireless device.  It is a fun, relaxing activity for people of all ages.  

This-is-sand can also be used to help kids learn to click and drag.  In the settings (near the bottom of the home page) toggle off Auto-Flow.  This will require you to click and drag to get the sand to flow.  Students can work on clicking and dragging while moving the sand all across the screen.  

This-is-sand is available online (https://thisissand.com/), in the App Store (https://apple.co/2QFHz7M) and on Google Play (https://bit.ly/2RPk9NX).  

Using Bitmoji in the Classroom

Bitmoji's are all the rage these days.  Almost everyone I know has created a Bitmoji.  These are a fun way to show emotion and can also be a fun way to engage your students.  Bitmoji can be used in a virtual environment and they can be used in printed form for a variety of classroom posters and activities.  Below are a couple links on fun ways to use Bitmoji in the classroom. 

11 Super Creative Ways to Use Bitmojis in Your Classroom  (https://www.weareteachers.com/bitmoji-classroom/)

Make a Bitmoji Scene in Google Slides!  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGKTvlUbXxY)

Although these links focus on how teachers can use Bitmojis, don't forget about your students.  Let them use Bitmoji in a presentation or class project.  They can use Bitmoji to express themselves in a class discussion or in a morning "How Are You Doing?".  Kids love Bitmoji too!

Apps for Complex Needs: Creativity

The Learners with Complex App Wheel (https://www.callscotland.org.uk/common-assets/cm-files/posters/ipad-apps-for-learners-with-complex-additional-support-needs.pdf) from CALL Scotland (https://www.callscotland.org.uk/home/) is divided into 6 large sections, each of which may have smaller sections as well.  The 6 larger sections are:

• Cognition
• Self-Regulation
• Creativity
• Communication
• Emergent Literacy
• Emergent Numeracy

Each section has a minimum of one app that is free.  This week I am going to briefly talk about the free apps in the Creativity section.

Under the Creativity section of the App Wheel, six of the apps are completely free.

     Puppet Pals HD  (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/puppet-pals-hd/id342076546?mt=8): Simply pick out your actors and backdrops, drag them on to the stage, and tap record. Your movements and audio will be recorded in real time for playback later.
     Sock Puppets  (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/sock-puppets/id394504903?mt=8): Create your own lip-synched videos and share them. Add Puppets, props, scenery, and backgrounds and start creating. Hit the record button and the puppets automatically lip-synch to your voice.
     Clips  (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/clips/id1212699939?mt=8): Lets you make fun videos to share with friends and family.
     Finger Paint with Sounds  (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/finger-paint-with-sounds/id586598528?mt=8): Explore touch with color, sounds or music. Finger Paint with Sounds offers a fun alternative to help children with special needs and others to practice their first interactions with a touch screen. Simply choose a colour and draw with music, fun sound effects or no sound at all.
     Quiver - 3D Coloring  (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/quiver-3d-coloring-app/id650645305?mt=8): Combines physical coloring with state of the art augmented reality technology.  Print pictures from the app to color and then use the app to watch them come to life.
     Keezy Drummer  (https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/keezy-drummer/id933630069?mt=8): Simple to use programmable drum machine. The app includes 12 percussion sounds, up to 9 layers of sound at a time, and one or two bars per layer.

TeachingChannel.org

TeachingChannel.org is a website that highlights inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools.  According to the website, "Teaching Channel is a thriving online community where teachers can watch, share, and learn diverse techniques to help every student grow."

They have over 1,200 short videos containing tips and information about classroom teaching strategies and classroom management.  You can watch a 1 minute 35 second video on "Writing in Math" or a 1 minutes 44 second video titled "Say It with Your Hands".  They also have an approximately 1 hour  "New Teacher Survival Guide" video (https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/tch-presents-new-teacher-survival-guide) that contains some great information, even for veteran teachers.  

You can sort through the videos by Subject, Grade or Topic.

   
   

Check out TeachingChannel.org today.

Free Sound Effects

Are you planning a filming assignment for your students? Are you working in class on a project that could use some sound effects?

BBC has recently released just over 16,000 sound effects for FREE. The Sound Effects are BBC copyright, but they may be used for personal, educational or research purposes, as detailed in the RemArc License.

Check out bbcsfx.acropolis.org.uk for the extensive list of sounds and download a few today.  

PicMonkey - Premium Content

Do your students like to include images in their written work?  
Would you like to add fun details, information or images to the assignments you give to your students?  
Are you looking for a new way to create social stories?

PicMonkey might be just the thing you need.  PicMonkey is a photo editor that can add color and pizazz to yours and your students work.  

PicMonkey is available as both a Google App and a Google Extension

The PicMonkey App is a free photo editor.  As a photo editor it has "Collage, Touch Up, Teeth Whiten, Fonts, Effects, Filters, Frames, Stickers & more" according to the website.

The PicMonkey Extension instantly allows you to edit web page images and screenshots.  You can "instantly grab images from any Web page and open them up in PicMonkey for editing."

PicMonkey is simple to use.  Here’s how it works: 

Click the PicMonkey icon when you’re viewing a web page. In one kajillionth of a second, every image on that page and a screenshot of the entire page appears as a tiny thumbnail in a sidebar. Select one to edit, and wah-la!  PicMonkey shows up to do your bidding.

PicMonkey is a free online photo editor that says Booyah! to whatever your creative heart desires. Its lean and fast engine lets you perform basic edits, like crop and rotate, and enhance your images with luscious effects, overlays, fonts, textures, frames and touch up tools.  Ridiculously easy, staggeringly gorgeous.