My introduction to Buncee stemmed from student need. I was working with my students on writing about an animal that they researched and saw on a recent field trip. Then, they were creating a Google Slides presentation to share with peers and families. The rubric we were using included having an introduction sentence, three details, a conclusion, and pictures that matched their text. Most of my students (a class of higher achieving students) had little difficulty navigating through Google Slides, Google Photos, and the camera roll on an iPad.
One of my hardworking students, Sarah, came to me in tears and said that she just couldn’t bounce back and forth from Google Photos, Slides, the camera roll, and asked if she could use something else. I thought back to an app called Buncee that I had heard about during a webinar called “PD in your PJ’s”. At the time, I downloaded it to my iPad with the intention of checking it out later. Even though I had yet to explore it, I offered it to Sarah. I told her that I hadn’t even opened the app yet and she’d have to figure it out on her own and then teach me. She was hesitant, but up for the challenge.
To say I was flabbergasted when she came to me with a huge smile on her face and a multi-page Buncee in her hand would be an understatement. She had not only figured out Buncee, but she had solved her own problem in a beautiful, engaging, and inspiring way using her planning sheet as a guide! Her first Buncee, created in about 15 minutes, had age-appropriate text, gorgeous images, and fun animations!
