Toontastic- a fun learning tool

Toontastic is a great app to encourage learners to create their own animated adventure using their own recorded voice and adding music for effect. The app presents a storyboard with scenes for Setup, Conflict, Challenge, Climax and Resolution. Captions help the storyteller to understand each scene of the story they are creating and the action and progress through the story. For example, the first scene, Set up, is noted as 'Introduce the characters and story setting'. When Setup is chosen, the scene background can be created with available choices or the child can draw their own background.

Characters are added, again from existing protagonists or by drawing their own. The characters in each scene can be moved and animated to act out the story as the learner tells and records it. The 'microphone records the narrators voice and the character's actions. Background music can also be chosen for each scene and helps the learner to think through the mood of each scene. Arrows lead the storyteller on to the next scene.

Once all the scenes have been created, a story title can be included along with the learner's name as director. The animated story can be played for everyone on the iPad or shared online with ToonTube.

This is a interactive way for learners to create and share their narratives, and will encourage them to continue.

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