Animoto, the web-based service that lets users create professional-looking videos from their own photos, just got an upgrade. Jonathan Wylie of The Education Technology Blog writes about Animoto's recent makeover and its new features which include a cleaner interface and full-size previews of images. Educators can sign up for FREE.

What does digital storytelling look like in a real classroom? What apps do you need? What does the finished product look like? Take a look at a special project created by members of Mr. Mitchell's 5th grade class in North Pole, Alaska. Here, three student partnerships describe in detail how exactly they created stories on their iPads, and then turned them into eBooks. This post is wonderful for its detail and its authenticity. Having students explain their processes is one of the best ways for them to truly understand what they are learning.

There's more out there than just Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Education-Portal.com has amassed a list of 20 Of the Best Search Engines For Students. It's a list that sorted by Academic Search Engines like iSEEK, Meta Search Engines like MetaCrawler, and Media Search Engines like Pixsy. 

Perfect for Special Education Teachers and Speech-Language Teachers, the Preposition Builder uses a friendly drag-and-drop interface to help users find the correct use of prepositions. Students look at a picture and have to decide, for example, if an object is "in", "on", or "under". If the student chooses wrong, the app will show the student how different prepositions will change the image. Currently available for the iPad only.