A friend recently pondered why so many kids create parodies of pop songs and public figures on YouTube. “Are kids losing the ability to appreciate other people’s work?” she wondered.<\/p>\n
Fairly or unfairly, these words echoed in my head:<\/p>\n
Kids should be seen, not heard.
\nKids should consume, not create.<\/p>\n
Teachers, as much as any group, see the joy students get when they invent their own painting, rap, or app. Yet, there are few frameworks or tests that connect student outcomes with making.<\/p>\n
On Common Sense’s Graphite<\/a>, our free platform that serves up the best apps, websites, and games for learning, our educator editorial team places huge emphasis on creating and making. This mentality is evident in our rating rubric, which stresses items like student empowerment and the ability for students to create learning artifacts. We also celebrate the spirit of invention on Common Sense’s Graphite by:<\/p>\n 1) Surfacing products and Top Picks lists that promote media making. And here are 7 of our Top Picks lists of apps, websites, and games to help your young makers thrive:<\/strong><\/p>\n 1) Best Tech Creation Tools<\/strong><\/a> 2) Websites and Apps for Making Videos and Animation<\/strong><\/a> 3) Mind Mapping and Brainstorming Apps and Websites<\/a><\/strong> 4) STEAM Apps, Games, and Websites<\/a><\/strong> 5) Game Making Tools for Schools<\/a><\/strong>
\n2) Offering blog posts on topics like Maker Faire and ways to use media-making tools.
\n3) Encouraging teachers to add Field Notes (teacher reviews) with specific examples of how they’ve incorporated media production into their teaching.<\/p>\n
\nStudents love to make their own creations — no matter what the topic. These terrific tools give them the right tools to narrate, animate, and dictate. Experiment with different formats to address a variety of subjects and topics.<\/p>\n
\nTeachers know that video making is a tried and true way to get kids engaged in building, demonstrating, and sharing knowledge. These apps and sites have user-friendly tools and features that make it fun to get kids\u2019 productions edited and polished.<\/p>\n
\nThese picks give teachers and students ways — both alone or in groups —\u00a0to generate and organize ideas that refine and reinvent the traditional graphic organizer. These tools are particularly good for students who have challenges organizing their thoughts.<\/p>\n
\nWhen their forces combine, science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) are a super group of essential subjects that lead to long-lasting learning. Mix and match these picks to help students cultivate design sense and inventiveness.<\/p>\n
\nBy making games, students can show what they know. Game development is\u00a0fun and challenging, energizing classrooms and getting students thinking in new, exciting ways. These picks are great options for entry-level creators and they ease kids into building.<\/p>\n