As the Lippman students continue their programming with the Ozobot Smart Toy robots, they are creating digital video stories to share their work and their learning. To create their videos, the students are using a video tool available in the Adobe Spark platform. Within the platform, Adobe Spark Video is a tool that can be used for creating movies/videos by adding text, images, and audio to slides. The tool includes access to a library of free music that can be added to the video or added with voice-over narration in the background of the video. In addition to Adobe Spark Video, the Adobe Spark platform includes two other tools - Adobe Spark Post and Adobe Spark Page. Adobe Spark Post can be used for creating graphics for posters, flyers, and social media. Adobe Spark Page can be used for creating digital slide shows, stories and web pages that include pictures, videos, text, and web links. All Adobe Spark tools can be used at no cost in your web browser or via their free mobile iOS app for ipads.
Later this morning, the Lippman students were introduced to Sock Puppets for creating digital stories. Sock Puppets is a free app that allows young children to explore creative storytelling by creating lip-synced puppet shows. Children are able to select from a variety of hand puppet characters as well as themed backgrounds to create their own unique show.
Using tools such as Sock Puppets and Adobe Spark Video to create digital stories and projects provides opportunities for children to further develop their literacy skills (e.g., reading, writing, speaking & listening) and to also build important “twenty-first century skills” for critical thinking, creativity, and communication.
