ChatterPix for Monday Made It

Happy Monday! Happy Snow Day Monday for ME! The snow fell for over 24 hours and our total is somewhere around twelve inches. Another few inches are expected today and Wednesday. This is a biggie. Hope everyone up here in the Northern States is safe and warm. When I heard we weren't going to have school today I used my Sunday time to post for a link up with Tara for Monday Made It. I've got to share my newest, funnest thing!

Have you discovered ChatterPix?  Loooove it! What a great tool for the classroom... and the rest of life, for that matter. With ChatterPix you can make pictures talk! It's easy and fun. Here are various ways I use it, and I've only had it a month.

My first student project was bringing our art, based on Snowmen at Night by the Buehners, to life. After completing our directed drawing of a snowman at night (go to my Pinterest Snow Board to find it) I asked my Kidpeople to say what their snowman does at night. I have a little ELL student who has worked hard at becoming comfortable with English. Getting to make her picture talk was a BIG hit. Notice she combines "big" with "playground" for her own unique word.

   

It really doesn't take long to do even with a whole class of students. To tie in writing with my next student Chatterpix project, I'm going to have them write out their 30 second blurb first, and then read it.

Here is Elephant giving a little lead-in to one of his stories. You could also have a book character summarize what he learned in his story and use it after reading the book.

Here is one of our beanie baby strategy helpers telling us what he reminds us to do. Don't you dare laugh at my weird eagle voice. You should hear the other beanie babies! For the kids, I have no pride... and they are such an eager, and forgiving, audience.

If you don't know about beanie baby reading strategies, you are missing out. My students have remembered strategies for solving unknown words MUCH MORE since I started using beanie babies. I think Look Who's in First Grade has the best beanie resource, which I just noticed is on sale right now. Find it here. 

When we start the human body unit I'll launch it this way. Thanks, Jonathan.

Here is my classroom sign brought to life. Don't know how I'm going to use it yet, but I will... maybe in my first August email that goes out to incoming students.

The maximum recording time for each ChatterPix is 30 seconds, but each of the recordings I've shown you is much less– look what you can do with just a few seconds. Also, when you send a ChatterPix via email it comes out as a talking picture right in the email. The receiver does not need to go to YouTube. To share them here on the blog, though, I needed to upload them first to YouTube and create a link. If anyone knows another way to share on the blog, please let me know.

Best of all the ChatterPix app is FREE. Just download it on to your smart phone or iPad and you're off. The app walks you through each step of the process– easy, peasy.  You can use pictures from your own files or take new photos. You can make ANYthing talk. And you can easily share them via email. Imagine the delight when my classroom parents opened their email and their child's snowman spoke to them. THAT'S a keeper. What an engaging use of technology! 

Now, of course you can use ChatterPix outside of the classroom, too. From sappy to silly, I sent off talking elves, Christmas stockings, snowmen, and even our dog using words for her usual silent pestering, much to the delight moans of my own family. I spread the word among my staff members too, and it has really taken off– I think I've seen everyone's dog talk :) Have fun!!

Scootch on back to Fourth Grade Frolics to check out more DIY teacher projects by clicking on the button at the top.