Fotobabble+Ideas



Add your ideas to the list, explaining how to use [|Fotobabble] in the classroom to support instruction, provide for differentiation, and/or design web-based activities for students.

Fotobabble in the Classroom (YOUR terrific ideas):

 * 1) The first thing that comes to my mind for using a photobabble is in an upper elementary classroom. I see it as a great tool **for students who have a terrible fear of public speaking** and need to present a project. It still fits the criteria and allows the student to still do the work and present the assignment in a similar way. For a primary elementary class the first thing that comes to mind is **having guests record special messages, read stories, or talk about a specific topic.** I think that students ages 5-7 would absolutely love seeing the picture, hearing the voice, and the incorporation of technology. **-Erika Sauder**
 * 2) I would use fotobabble as a **follow-up for a field trip.** We could take photos on a field trip and students could pick their favorite. They could record a description of what happened during that part of the field trip. They could also use a fotobabble album to **make an expository essay** of sorts. They could use the photos to show each step of a process and students could record directions of each step. **-Kitty Hess**
 * 3) The students could put up a **very important picture of an event and then talk about what happened in that event.** This could be for any subject. **- Kalina Glover**
 * 4) My idea for using fotobabble in the classroom would be having students **share what kinds of pets they have,** if you are doing a unit on pets or animals. If you had another classroom from a different country that you were in communications with you could have students share about pets in their country and home and compare it to the other classroom. **- Kayla Gottfried**
 * 5) An idea for using fotobabble would be to have students **pick a character from a book and then make a fotobabble as if they were that person.** Find a picture of your character and then record your voice either describing that character or impersonating them. **- Annie Watkins**
 * 6) **Kelsey** and I are hoping to use fotobabble for **book descriptions in an online library for a class project.** **- Jane**
 * 7) One idea I had was to have my students **create characters for a creative writing assignment.** They could create a charter on the computer and take a snapshot of it, use a picture they found, maybe in a magazine, and scanned it in one the computer, or use an actual photo for the fictional character. They could then record themselves using a voice the character would have to describe some aspect of this character. I would want my students to also practice by writing their script out before recording. **- Rosanne Howes**
 * 8) I would like to use fotobabble in the classroom by having the class **read a small book that doesn’t have pictures and then use the internet to find a picture that represents the book** to them. I would then like to them to give a brief explanation of how this picture relates to the book. Then have the students look at other students in order to see what others think. It is an excellent way to see each other’s work and use technology. <span style="color: #008000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**- Monica Tupper**
 * 9) I would use Fotobabble to **encourage students to do well on oral reading fluency.** I would have them write or read paragraphs, then read the paragraph as they record. They could share the Fotobbable with their parents. This could also keep parents more involved in the classroom. **- Jennifer Tyler**
 * 10) I think I could use fotobabbles as a way students can **convey important aspects of their culture.** They can choose a picture that best represents their culture and explain why. **- Beth**
 * 11) Fotobabble seems ideal for **penpal situations,** like the one we saw, or interviews, especially of people outside school. If kids had access to a digital camera at home, could be used to share parts of home culture with school. For photography, art or creative writing projects (poetry, e.g.), students could choose the picture and then give voice to it. **- Tanya**
 * 12) There are great opportunities using fotobabble as an **intro for students to create mini-bios.** The limited amount of time that fotobabble offers forces the user to be **very practiced or rehearsed in order to say all the things that they might want to say.** This could be a very worthwhile activity for students to write, read, and rehearse their short bio introductions. They can use the photo of their choice to describe themselves or their interests. The photo gives them something to talk about if they cannot come up with any supplementary information. The speaking portion gives the students even more practice speaking/saying what they mean. They can work on forming their words and sentences in a format that is academic and comprehensible. **- Chris Bonn**
 * 13) Fotobable ideas: Sending messages to other classrooms, such as an invite; Teach a concept with a visual image.; Practice a vocabulary word with a visual; Students create one with a summary on a book read; Students share about their favorite book with picture of them holding it; Students share their opinion or perspective on a topic being studied; Group projects can use it as an introduction to topic ideas covered. **- Justine**
 * 14) Students can record short stories they have written behind their Fotobabble pictures on a teacher or classroom's website. **-Amy Neeld**
 * 15) I imagine using fotobabble in conjunction with a classroom website to communicate with parents. My blog isn't geared toward students, but is meant to function to keep parents/guardians informed. So many times parents are only contacted to communicate problems and negative issues with their students. In a somewhat Reggio Emilia vein, I'd like to sometimes photograph students while they work on projects. Once a month or so, I might post a photo of each child working and have the student record a message to their family/guardian about what they were or have been doing. The fotobabbles would then be posted in a page on the blog. **- Erin M.**
 * 16) Students could use it in mathematics to tell fraction stories. They could take pictures of various examples of fractions and explain how they are represented. Or they could illustrate and explain a sequence of fractions, for example a whole, half, fourth, etc. Students could use Fotobabble to explain art projects or final products of work. They could also critique other artwork. **- Iosha**
 * 17) One idea for Fotobabble is to have students demonstrate a math problem, and its solution and explain how they solved the problem. Then other students can look at at thier leisure at home when doing homework. Another idea is to share project updates with another class across America that is doing the same project. Most fourth graders learn state history, so Oregon students could link with a class from Texas, or anywhere, and share thier state histories. **- Meg Chiappisi**
 * 18) I would like to use the fotobabble in my future classroom to allow the students to introduce themselves to me in the beginning of the year. I think it would be a great way for students to tell me a little about themselves, so I can get to know them on a more personal level. I also think it would be a cool tool for creating a research assignment. **- Amy Onishi**
 * 19) **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Add your idea to the list!... **

Fotobabble in Education (ideas collected/quoted from the Internet):

 * 1) **Oral Assessment:** Students record written work to matching photos.
 * 2) **Foreign Language Practice:**Students watch and listen to vocabulary words (a la flash cards);<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">oral assessment for speaking in other languages.
 * 3) **Field Trip Review:** Upload photos from a field trip and have students record narratives, explaining each image.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">A way of **publishing a piece of writing** (selecting a photo that represents the writing).
 * 5) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Students **look at photos posted and use (adjectives/verbs/etc) to brainstorm descriptive words** for what they are seeing.
 * 6) **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Creative writing prompt. **
 * 7) **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Differentiation for students who struggle with typing. **
 * 8) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">**Pre-written language activities** (students record answers rather than write them).
 * 9) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Students could **find pictures related to news stories and then record an audio caption about the story depicted** by the picture. Over time your class could build a collection of audio captioned news images by embedding each of their Fotobabble creations on a class blog or wiki.
 * 10) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">**Teach students to make inferences;** e.g.find the hidden meaning behind the photo, the story.
 * 11) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Use fotobabble in **media literacy,** such as developing slogans, determining how to use a photo to sell a product or concept.
 * 12) **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Select the appropriate jingle/song for the photo shown. **
 * 13) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Teachers can use Fotobabbles to **record the development of students** and show them at an open house.
 * 14) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Students can use Fotobabble to **create a personal experience of learning and exchange them with their peers.**
 * 15) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Students can **share their hobbies** such as sports, music, food, movie etc.
 * 16) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">You could use it as an **informative tool** and upload pictures of animals and include the noises they make, or create a series of photos and include instructions for each one.
 * 17) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">**Art history class:** teacher can record what he wants you to know about an piece on a picture of that piece and then post it online so that you can use it to study.
 * 18) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Fotobabble could also be used in a photography class in which you **upload a photo you took and then you could talk about the meaning it has** so that others can clearly understand what point you are trying to get across.
 * 19) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">**For foreign exchange students,** Fotobabble could help them learn English in the privacy and convenience of their own home.
 * 20) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Do a **mini economy project** and using Fotobabble to **advertise your product** with voice and pictures.
 * 21) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Share **show and tell** in younger classrooms in a different way (photos of vacation, family,etc).
 * 22) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Students could use Fotobabble to **communicate cultural or geographic differences with pen pals** in another location. Students that have never seen snow or dairy farms could view photos of students who live in areas that do have them, and they could learn from the narration provided.
 * 23) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">**Social studies reports:** If students were doing a state report, they could show a photo of their state flag and explain the colors and symbols, the state crop, the state bird, etc. This would be a unique way to complete your report, but a very easy way for a teacher to grade comprehension of the reported items.
 * 24) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">A fun way for students to give a **book report:** students could use a photo of the book cover, draw their own photo relating to the story, or find a photo that relates to the book in some way.
 * 25) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Students could **collect and trade Fotobabble vocabulary with other students** in the class and embed them in a blog or wiki to create their own **visual talking dictionary.**
 * 26) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">How neat would it be to have a **talking, visual word wall**?! This would be helpful for math, science, social studies, history, and regular vocabulary words that students learn.
 * 27) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Upload **student illustrations and record a story** that they have written using their own voice.
 * 28) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">[|Fotobabbles] are an outstanding way to send your young students on an **Internet scavenger hunt.** Along the way, record directions with [|Fotobabble] and embed on your class website, wiki, or blog. Non-readers will be able to listen to, and follow directions for any assignment.
 * 29) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Upload a **picture of a landmark or map** and have students **record fun facts** that they have learned about the place.
 * 30) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">Send **special messages from your class home to parents in the weekly newsletter.** Take a picture of a project that the class has done, or of a fun activity from the week. Students can record a message about upcoming events, fun highlights of the week in learning, and a list of helpers who have signed up for the week.
 * 31) <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 12px;">**R****ecord students leaving a special message to their parent with a special picture made just for them**.

**The Fotobabble ideas collected/quoted from the Internet came from the following sources:**
 * http://timnewby.com/web2insite/2011/01/fotobabble/
 * http://itscindybrock.blogspot.com/2010/03/fotobabble.html
 * https://wiki.itap.purdue.edu/display/INSITE/Fotobabble
 * http://magicineducation.wordpress.com/2011/03/25/fotobabble-talking-photos/
 * http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/06/fotobabble-turn-pictures-into-audio.html
 * http://jacquisharp.blogspot.com/2010/04/fotobabble.html