I hope everyone is having a much needed relaxing winter break. We as educators are often guilty of working during our breaks. The students need the break and so do you!
So what is it?
Elementari.io is a web based digital story creation tool. It’s free and works on any Internet enabled device. As with most Web 2.0 tools, it does have paid features as well. For this blog, I am just going to concentrate on the free features. With the free account, you can write as many stories as you want, though you are limited to the images and sounds you can use.
To begin using this tool, you must create a free account using an active email address and a password you create. If you have a google account, you can use the same credentials you use to access your gmail to create your account. This will also work if you have Twitter or Facebook account.
**Now, given that you need an e-mail account, if you teach elementary school kids you may want to create a class account using a generic email since there are federal regulations about students under 13 having e-mail addresses. (They can’t give out personal information without their parent’s consent)**
How does it work?
Once you have made a free account, you are then able to start creating your story. The interface for the tool is strictly a click and drag interface. You click on the item you want and you drag it your page. You can insert text, images, sounds( including your own voiceover), animation, shapes and widgets.
In terms of accessibility, this is a mixed bag. It actually received a score of 7/16 points when I assessed it. It is not keyboard accessible, though it will work with finger, stylus or mouse. Does not work with screen readers at all, though the voice over feature could help students with understanding the content. If you want to see how it fared, check out Elementario’s score card.
Classroom implications
- Create stories together, as a class, as you move through a unit or topic.
- Enhance student learning by adding images and ideas your students suggest.
- Have students create their own stories by rewriting classic stories with a modern twist. (ex. How would Romeo and Juliet look now)
- Have students create their own stories and have their peers review and give constructive feedback.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!