Book Creator Global Collaborator

Students will:

• Be able to use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing.
• Be able to collaborate with peers.

Vocabulary Words:

1. Import: To import means to bring in something from a different source.

2. Text: Text is the written words found in books or other writings.

To prepare for this lesson:

• Create a teacher’s account with Book Creator. 

• Review the “Getting Started” guide on how to use the app or view this video tutorial to learn how to use the app. 

• Set up a classroom library and student accounts. It is not necessary to use your student's personal information to create accounts. You could, for example, just number the accounts 1-30. Print off the log in card QR codes for easy login.

• Practice on the app and create a brief book using images, text, shapes, and the voice-to-text record option, pen option, and record a narration.  There is a “Getting Started with Book Creator” tutorial book that you will find once logged in. You may use this for guided practice in learning the various features.

• Locate a partner classroom. There is a Facebook Teacher’s Group for Book Creator or use the hashtag #BookCreator on Twitter that can assist you in finding a partner classroom. If electing to collaborate, contact the partner classroom and plan what might be covered in the book. Examples might include common categories such as pets, housing, what a school lunch is like, etc.  

Note: Here is a neat article to read on "50 Ways to Use Book Creator". 

See the Accommodations Page and Charts on the 21things4students website in the Teacher Resources. 

Directions for this activity:

1. Explain to students that they will create a book with a partner classroom. The book will be both fun to write and share with them all about our lives and to also learn all about them.

2. Model how to log in to Book Creator.

3. Model how to use Book Creator. Start with showing them how to get to the “new book” button, and which book type to select.

4. Explain that this is a going to be a book where everyone completes their own pages and then they will be combined into a classroom book.

5. Model how to enter text. Note that using the available text-to-speech option found on the text window will greatly assist young writers in translating their words into text. If the teacher would prefer to have students simply use the word processing features for keyboarding practice, then skip the text-to-speech option. Model how to type a capital letter, how to use the backspace button to delete mistakes, use of one space in between words, and where the basic punctuation marks are found on the keyboard.

6. Model how to use the pen feature to illustrate the page.

7. Optionally, model how to import a picture if images are to be added in. This will add extra time to the lesson and could instead be introduced in a follow-up session where students add to their book.

8. Model how to change the background color, add shapes or change the color and size of the font if desired.

9. Model an entry that is an “All About Me” page. Discuss what they think the other students might be interested in learning about them. It may help to ask them what they might find interesting about their new friends and use that as a platform to determine what to share.  As a class decide what types of information will be shared on the entry.

10. Review how to add a drawing or images as you work. Model how to record a narration of the page.

11. Students may begin working on the “All About Me” entry.

Different options for assessing the students:

• Observations
• Check for understanding
• This rubric could be used as a guide in assessing the ebook.