Heidi Waterhouse- Tool #2 StoryBuddy app

This summer, I took a class in digital storytelling. It inspired me to take a new look on how my students are producing their writing. Ever since then I have been looking for just the right tool to produce stories in my classroom. Here's one of my adventures in that direction:

I chose an IPAD app for this tool. I decided that because hopefully at some point I will be able to get more IPADs into my classroom. Storybuddy inspired me because it is bright and happy and has excellent pictures. I have used it with my students during writing to make halloween stories and then they took the IPAD one by one down to the Kindergarten room and read to the younger students. This app would be ideal for younger students when they are just starting to develop story writing. It is bright and colorful!

Features:
-A digital bookshelf so the students can pick and choose the stories later on to read.
-Lots of colors to choose from for fonts
-Pictures to put in to make the story come alive
-A full keyboard similar to typing on a laptop


Here is how I rated it using my tool:
*Student engagement: I would give this app a 4, however be cautious. It would be a 4 for younger students (k-2). Since I work with grades 4-5, this app lacked the ability to be able to be engaging for them. It would be excellent for the younger students!
*Accessibility/Relevance: I would give this between a 2 and 3. The reason why is because it depends on how you integrate subjects in your curriculum. If you integrate multi-subjects into literacy, you would be able to use this across contents.
*Capabilities/customization: Storybuddy would earn a 3 in this category. It would not be a 4 because again this app appears to be more geared towards younger students.
*Safety: This would also be a 3, because the app is not designed for whole classroom use like mobymax etc. It is a one at a time use because it is an iPad app. I have not had the ability to be able to use it with more then one IPAD at once, so I'm not exactly sure how well it would do with a classroom full of IPADs.
*Thinking Skills: Storybuddy would be a 2 for thinking skills. As long as you know how to use the app, it is a very easy to use, lower function app. Again it is geared towards younger students and that may be why it is not a higher order thinking tool.


Here's the link for the rubric: Tool.

I encourage you to give it a try!