kids technology

Inspired by Mo Willems' Knuffle Bunny stories and illustrations, I worked with Mrs. Westrope's first graders to app smash DoInk Animation & Drawing app ($4.99) + Book Creator  ($4.99) and make our own Knuffle Bunny books! Keep reading to see how we did it! We began by brainstorming a list of local "hot spots", and each student chose one to feature on his or her page. (Initial choices were Walmart, Chuck E. Cheese, and McDonald's, LOL.) Once each student had a different location, they used the image search feature in Safari to find a good image of each location. They long tapped the image, chose "save image", and saved it to the camera roll of their iPad. We then used the app DoInk Animation to set this image as the background, then draw a Knuffle bunny over the top and make it hop across the page. These turned out super cute, and the kids loved experimenting with the bunny's movements. If you're unfamiliar with this app, you can find a tutor

Click the image to download a PDF.

Click the image to download a PDF.

So, Mrs. Vergara at Bitterroot is an  Osmo Genius! In order to store her Osmo letters, she added magnets to the back. She labeled a cookie sheet, and the kids are able to easily keep track of the letters and find them when they need them. Wahoo! Thanks for the tip. Click the image below to download her template, which she adapted from this site .

Click the image to download a PDF.

Click the image to download a PDF.

We post all training opportunities to our website, so check out BPS TIS periodically! Another great FREE resource for PD is the OPI Learning Hub . Facilitated and self paced courses are available.

You will have a blast celebrating your birthday (or the birthday of someone special in your school) with your students using this Breakout Edu game. I created it with 1st grade standards, but it could be adapted for other grade levels. Students will work together to solve problems and "crack the codes", to reveal a box full of party supplies (noisemakers, party hats, the choice is yours)! Grab the materials and read the instructions at bit.ly/BdayBreakout  To play this game, you will need a "Breakout box" and these four locks: keyed lock, 4 letter lock, 5 letter lock and 3 digit lock.