🌍 ACE Community Monthly Share – September

My class has contributed digital quilt patches for the September Challenge. The activitiy allowed my students to explore AI, the elements' feature, colour and fonts. I hope that this creative activity will be repeated in the future. 

This week, I worked with 8th grade ELA classes in creating book covers for their original short stories. We discussed how the mood and tone of their stories can be shown through the images they used for their covers.  Students used the Generative AI feature in Express and designed some really awesome book covers. It was fantastic to see students be totally creative!  

Oh I had to join in with the quilt challenge after seeing all of these creations!!!

Here is my Irish quilt! I originally had a green background but the island got a bit lost so I switched it up a bit!

These patches make up my favourite catchphrase: "peace, love and hugs!"

For any friends who aren't familiar with Gaelic Games, this bottom right hand corner is a patch of a Gaelic ball and two hurling sticks with a sliotar (small ball) underneath. These respresent the sports I play and coach: Gaelic Football and Camogie - heaps of fun!!

Hello!

The moment I saw this challenge I thought it would be a great way to do a "timeline" quilt. To begin at the beginning of the school year, what is expected of the creator for the class...then, at the midyear point, to show what they have learned, and ending with a cumulative one at the end of the year, showing their year.  It can be further expanded by showcasing something learned each month as well!

Excuse my brain-word-dump!

Students had a blast using Adobe Express and the Make an Action Figure Guided Activity.  Students were smiling and laughing the whole time they were creating.  My favorite moment in the entire class was watching a student checking out the Gallery to see what every one created.  Such a great way to start the school year.

I'm so excited for International Dot Day and that Peter H. Reynolds will be joining Ann to talk about ways kids can make their mark with Adobe Express! Last year I jotted down a few ideas for what I could do with my students. The * means we were able to complete it last year and if it's bold, we plan on doing it this year in my middle school library.

1. Digital Gallery Walls*
Students designed “dots” in Express—drawings, photos, animations, or collages—and curated them into a shared presentation. A virtual art show we linked out to families through my principal's weekly newsletter.

2. Animated Story Dots
I want to use Express’s quick video maker to let kids explain the story behind their dot. One sentence + a picture = a short clip. String them together for a campus-wide Dot Day video for Friday's morning announcements.

3. Interactive Posters
Have students make posters with QR codes that link to their audio reflections or digital stories made in Express. Hallways can become a gallery that talks back.

4. Collaborative Social Graphics
I want to design a campus hashtag and let each grade or class create social-style graphics in Express. Post a cascade of dots across our social media accounts.

5. “Make Your Mark” Campaigns*
We used Express templates to build buttons, stickers, or bookmarks with each student’s design. Simple printouts but with that polished look. My Alphabet Soup Kindness Club turned their creations into actual buttons, stickers or bookmarks to give away to other kids.