Having recuperated from an exhausting but exhilarating NJEA Convention last week, it’s time to get back on track with my daily posts … I still do owe this blog an update on Day 2 of the convention including a summary of my hands-on showcase, “FLIPpin’ SWEET! Student Created Video in the Classroom” not to mention thoughts about the afternoon panel I was on entitled “Teacher Leader Pioneers.” But alas, I digress…

Good morning all!

Kelley Tenkely’s amazing blog, iLearnTechnology, is one of my favorite sources for great technology sites, tips and resources. Her recent post, “Picture Book Maker,” is a great example why. The wonderful tool she shares epitomizes the kind of resources I love to write about: easy to use, feature-rich, cross-curricular, suitable for a wide range of ages, and totally free!

Picture Book Maker is a super-simple, super-flexible, super-easy tool for creating … picture books! The interface is intuitive, it loads fast, and there are many, many different story elements that can be brought into each book. It would probably help for a teacher (and students!) to go through the tool in advance to see what elements they want to include, to make sure they have what they need. From there, simple storyboarding in advance should be all that’s needed to develop a high quality, PRINTABLE, finished book! Check THIS out:

Yes! Folding instructions! How cool is that! (I would be incapable of making these folds but I’m sure YOU could!) You can also send the finished book to an email address of your choosing.

I really, really like this site. Sign-up isn’t required, the interface is highly intuitive, the finished product is first-class, there are no intrusive ads, and it’s totally free! What’s not to like?

Hope this helps!

-kj-