Buncee Love

My new favorite tech tool is Buncee. If you haven't tried it yet, then you need to jump on board. I love this tool. I've been using it with my students since October of 2017 and have just recently decided to apply to be a Buncee Ambassador. I love it that much!

I began slowly with my students. I first introduced it to my 1st through 4th grade classes by having the students create Halloween Buncees. We were also experimenting with Google Classroom, so I put the link to Buncee in Classroom so students could easily gain access. Because I have the .edu version, I can sync my Google Classroom with Buncee. Win: I didn't have to create classes in Buncee. Here are some samples of our first Buncees:

We kept it simple with just backgrounds and stickers. The next month we made Thanksgiving Buncees, and I also dabbled in the Assignment feature with my 3rd and 4th grade classes. I made a Poetry Summary assignment with an example. Students read a poem and created a Buncee to summarize it. Once finished, they submitted their assignments which I was able to grade within Buncee. I exported the grades to an Excel sheet (just the click of a button in Buncee) which I gave to their ELA teachers. I used the clip and stitch tools in Buncee to create a slide presentation of the assignment and some of the students' work. Click the link to view the presentation: https://bisd.edu.buncee.com/buncee/70e48e516fd142a1920b03fe092b598d . I taught the students how to insert text boxes for this assignment, but some students are so creative and tech savvy that they discovered how to add animation, links, and other multi-media on their own. Proud teacher moment!

For February, we are expressing love through Buncees. My 1st and 2nd grade classes made Valentine Buncees in which they used text boxes, stickers, and animations.

                   

My 3rd and 4th grade classes are showing their love of reading by creating #BookSnaps.

These are still in progress, but students will be posting them to my #BunceeBoard to share their favorite books. A few have already been posted. Check them out!

There are many ways to use Buncee in your library or classroom. I have used it to make signs for library displays, as a venue to give my students voice, and as a creative medium for publishing final products. One librarian friend had her students create Buncees to publish their research. Other lesson ideas are to create a story map, a vocabulary study, or a graphing assignment. What will you create with your first Buncee?

Spooky or not spooky? Should I have to ask?

I just finished reading Followers by Anna Davies. It is the story of a young girl trying to define herself through theater at her private school. Briana Beland is certain she nailed her audition for the school's winter play, Hamlet, and is hoping to get a good part, if not the lead. She is devastated to learn that she did not make the cast at all and is then asked to be the play's social media director. Soon a mysterious Twitter account is leaving cryptic posts and students start dying. (Sounds scary, doesn't it?!) It's a good book, but it is not spooky. Or maybe it is not spooky enough for my tastes. Don't get me wrong. I am not a fan of horror and gore, but I do enjoy a good, spine-tingling spooky novel. I was disappointed, therefore, that my spine did not tingle nor were there any goosebumps or hair raising. The book had a slow start. It felt more like the beginning of a teen romance instead of a thriller. When the mystery finally began to unfold, the drama played out too quickly. I wanted more lurking in the shadows, suspense, and sleuthing. However, this book would make a good introduction for students (grades 6-10) who are interested in the spooky/scary/mystery/thriller genre but are not quite ready to have the hair on the back of their necks stand up.

If your students are looking for a more spine-tingling thriller, here are few I love:

• Down a Dark Hall by Lois Duncan
• Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury
• All the Lovely Bad Ones by Mary Downing Hahn
• Deep and Dark and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn 
• Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn

(Okay, I admit it. I love all of Mary Downing Hahn's ghost stories. She is amazing!)

If you have any spooky title suggestions, I would love to hear from you.