I have a naive but nagging question:
What is the real difference between the picture book apps we’re seeing touted for the iPad and the Weston Woods videos that retell picture book stories?
I’ve mentioned my fondness for TOON Books’ comics for emergent readers before herehere and here. They are doing terrific work making comics/graphic fiction that is age-apppropriate and suited to the reading levels of our youngest patrons. Their online work continues to grow, too. The Benny and Penny blog and the online full-text access that reads aloud to students in multiple languages give our students online destinations that meet students where they are.
Today I learned about TOON Books’ online CarTOON Maker, which lets kids create their own one-panel comics featuring characters from the TOON Books list. This could be a great way to help students create dialogue, use computers in elementary fixed schedule as literacy centers, or much more.
Lately online, there’s been a resurgence of these London Blitz-era posters. Rather comforting, I think, on our tough days.
So why not make your own atKeepCalm-O-Matic?
I can’t say it’s going to save your job or improve student learning, but it’s awfully fun on a rainy summer night!
