Tikatok

‘To spark a child’s imagination and creativity through creating their own stories’

Tikatok is a Web 2.0 tool which allows individuals to enhance their imagination by creating their own story book. It allows individuals to write, illustrate and publish their own stories. Tikatok is a photo story tool which is free to use. This web 2.0 tool is stylish and easy to use for all ages. As Tikatok is a web based application there are no installation software which needs to be bought and downloaded before using. Each individual book has the option of being published either in a hard cover book, soft cover book or as a PDF file. It’s is a great way for children to be able to express their imagination and creativity through creating their own stories.

A brief introduction to Tikatok:

Features

• High impact flash design that appears modern and stylish
• Allows the users to make their own story using three different options such as just adding the illustrations to an already made story, having help with the storyline and adding the illustrations and making the whole book yourself.
• Tells the children’s stories with pictures and illustrations
• Allows the users to order thier own individual books either in hard cover, soft cover or as a PDF file.
• Introduces creative, fun and interesting ways to learn online
• Allows the teachers to make an individual user page for the class which then enables the students to have thier own page
• Allows the children to have their own page which is linked to the teachers user page.
• Easily accessibly for parents as they would have access to the children’s user page.
• Can be used by any individual
• There is the option that the book can be printed by the user if they do not want to pay for the PDF or published book
• Has a FAQ page which is very useful for beginners

Potential, Barriers and Challenges

Potential

• Tikatok has different levels for the users to be able to create their own story books to make their story books such as the child only puts the pictures in an already made story, a basic storyline which the child can modify and add pictures ate their own individual story (with the storyline and pictures).
• Ability to create their own story using uploaded images
• Useful for integrating different lessons
• Can be used with children of all ages
• The ability to allow the children to work individually, in partners, in small groups as a whole class
• It also allows the child to structure the story as you would in the written sense if there is guidance from
  the teacher.

Barriers

• Doesn’t allow the user to upload videos or recorded voice into the stories.
• Doesn’t allow the user to look at previously made books by other individuals
• Unable to edit each other’s stories
• Does not teach the child about making a story and how to include the introduction, plot and conclusion – that has to be done by the parent or teacher

Challenges

• The web page only allows the user to make their own books and add the illustrations. It does not allow the user to look at any previously made books by other users.
• The only way to share the books which are made are by paying for the book to be published or by buying the PDF file.
• It does not teach the children about writing stories and how to create a beginning, middle and ending.
• The school having limited computers

Strategies for beating the challenges

• If the student has been added by the teacher in a group, the teacher  has access to view the student’s stories.
• Allowing the parents to pay for the books or buying the PDF file and putting all of the stories onto a disc.
• Teach the students about the method of creating a story before allowing them to write their own on Tikatok
• Getting the children to work in pairs or small groups

Uses in the Classroom

• Helps to develop the children’s technology skills by using the computer to type their story in, the internet to go to the Tikatok web page to create their story, a scanner to scan their illustrations onto the computer so they can be included into their own story.
• Suitable for children of all ages although you need to be 13 years or older to have your page unless with an adult or teacher group.
• A more engaging and interesting way for children to learn about stories
• Allows the children to take pride in their work when they get it published whether it is in a hard or soft cover or by PDF file
• Incorporating the storyline in with other subjects such as science, mathematics, languages and history

Example of how to incorporate Tikatok into a lesson

1. Begin the topic with talking about what makes a story and what needs to be included such as the beginning, the introduction of the main characters, the middle and the conclusion.
2. Over a few different days get the children to practice writing one part of the story at a time (e.g. on Monday, get the children to practice writing the beginning. On Tuesdsay, the introduction of their characters into the stories they are writing).
3. Once the story has been written in their books, get the chidren to type it into Tikatok.
4. Get the children to find the different illustrations needed for their book either by finding them on the internet or by scanning in their own illustrations.

This lesson can be done in correspondence to any subject by incorporating a theme into each child’s story. For example, the storyline must include what they are learning in science, include a problem in mathematics or the story can be written in a different language (for older children).

Tikatok Feedback from teachers and students

I have been teaching in the Early Childhood/Junior Primary sector for 18 years. I have spent most of this time teaching in the country and am always looking for new ideas to make the lessons fun and interesting for the children. I started using Tikatok in 2009 as a way to integrate story telling and getting the children to create their own stories. The students found Tikatok easy to use and were always very proud to show off thier stories which they had created. Tikatok is great as it has three different ways of creating the stories which help to cater for the children’s different skill levels. The website also allows parents to see the books which the children have created and they have the option of getting thier book made into a hard copy.

https://www.high-endrolex.com/5

Anonymous, 2010

Children’s comments of Tikatok

“I like the already made stories because I get to add my pictures which I draw in class”.

Caitlin, aged 6

“Tikatok is fun. I like getting to write my own story and getting the teacher and my mum to help me type it on the computer”.

Ryan, aged 6

“I really like putting my stories on Tikatok and adding the photos which I want. My mum has ordered two of my books and I like to read them to my younger brother”.

Ashley, age 6

“Tikatok makes stories fun. I like to write stories about dragons and cars”.

Ben, aged 6

“This is fun, I really like making my stories especially ones about fairies and princesses”.

Bella, aged 6

“I get to write about what I want. I like using the computer”.

Matthew, aged 6

“Tikatok is lots of fun because we get to spend time on the computer whilst making our own story. I like to use the stories which have a storyline but I can add my parts’.

Kayleigh, aged 7

“I really enjoy tikatok as I get to put my stories into words. I can’t wait to get my copy of my dinosaur book which I made myself”.

James, aged 7.

Resources

• Tikatok named a Spring 2010 Parents’ Choice Approved Website by the Parents Choice Foundation
• Publishing your child’s blog
• The role of Storytelling in Early Literacy Development
• Story telling tips for Oral Language Development
• Why stories are important
• Lets Read – Reading with young children
• 100 best books

Original Copy by Morgan Joyce (OCT 2010)