Group 4 Tools: ZooBurst

Digital tool: ZooBurst for interactive digital

storybooks

Image retrieved from http://www.teachnet.ie/blog/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?id=350

ZooBurst is an online tool that allows both teachers and students to collaboratively or individually create their own digital pop-up book. The beauty of ZooBurst is that it is really simple to navigate and extremely engaging. Text can be added into a large text box and images can be added from their library or uploaded by the user. As I am specialising in Early Childhood Education I immediately saw how this tool could be applied in the Early Childhood setting and the many outcomes that could be achieved.

ZooBurst benefits

• ·         Encourages creative writing skills

• ·         Encourages creative thinking through the use of visual and text.

• ·         Could be embedded across all KLA’s

• ·         Could be implemented as a both a collaborative or individual activity

• ·         Enhances navigation and ICT skills

• ·         Enhances visual literacy skills

• ·         Authors of their own books (ownership)

• ·         Can be printed

• ·         Self-satisfaction/sense of achievement

Practical classroom application

• Students could write creative stories about topics that interest them.
• Students could create factual stories about topics that interest them.
• Artwork or excursion photos can be uploaded and made into a 3D story
• could be used in collaborative groups or individually, allowing for draft, editing and review over several lessons before final presentation to peers
• Could be used as a documentation wall (a story about what the kids did that day or exciting things that happened).
• Stories could be created and left up on the whiteboard for parents and guests to read.
• Students could physically create their own pop-up book.

All these suggestions lead to positive cross curricula integration and believe this tool would be great in an early childhood setting.

To help me analyse and reflect on ZooBurst I have created a PMI thinking tool which I have embedded below.

ZooBurst PMI

PLUS	Minus	Interestitng
·         Fun and engaging Easy to use Information literacy  Multimedia skills ·        Creative thinking Writing skills  ·        Communication skills ·        Visual literacy skill       Drama skills       Media skills Language skills Publishing Skills Presentation skills Oral Fluency Technology skills ·          ·         Interactive ·         Collaborative             Authors of their own book (gives students ownership of their learning)	·         Images are limited, limiting creativity ·         High scaffoding needed ·         Time consuming	·         Great for early childhood children and lower primary ·         Safe protected safe ·         Great for teachers to create a book for storytime reflecting something that may have happened that day or topics that interst the students ·         Studnets can collaborativly or individually create and present their book to the rest of the class

 Below I have created my own digital pop-up book called 'Song Bird' using ZooBurst. I really loved creating this book for my own enjoyment and will definitly use this tool for myself and my stundents in my future practice as an educator. It's a pretty silly story but I hope you enjoy reading it : )








Many tools on the World Wide Web are available that can be used for educational reasons. Other great online tools online are:

• Digital tool: Animation and Simulation
• Digital Tool: Google Earth
• Digital Tool: Google Maps
• Digital Tool: Google Documents for collaboration
• Digital tool: online timelines
• Digital tool: MuseumBox