Archive | October, 2012

Working Together – Collaborate on Whiteboards

31 Oct

 

Connect to other students who have the Whiteboard Lite app open on their iPads

Whiteboard Lite is an app that has changed the way students work in my classroom.  With a simple tap of a button, two iPads on the same wireless network can turn their screens into one.  I have students solve math problems together, each writing in a different color, talking out each step as they show their work.

My room is full of math partners who connect their iPads as they discuss problem solving strategies and stay engaged in their work.

If your school has one wireless network, you can even connect iPads across campus.

Check out my  lesson plan using Whiteboard Lite in my classroom!

Student Created Podcasts

29 Oct

I love using Khan Academy and Math Train to support lessons, but ScreenChomp has taken my use of podcasts to a new level. It’s important that students in my classroom feel successful and this app turns them into superstars.
ScreenChomp allows users to record their writing and voice as they work through a problem on the screen. It captures the action taking place as students write on ScreenChomp’s whiteboard as well as the sound of the student speaking while they write.

Students in my classroom work independently and in peers to record the steps they take to solve a math problem. Not only is this a great form of assessment (students can email you a link to their video) but it makes students feel like they have a become a master of a skill. Use ScreenChomp to achieve higher level thinking in your classroom.

Check out my lesson plan using ScreenChomp in the classroom!

Check out my guide -> Screencasting Teacher Tools: Tasks, Procedures, Checklists and Rubric

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Film Your Own Persuasive PSAs

26 Oct

20121026-114347.jpgPublic service announcements are a great way to turn a traditional persuasive essay writing piece into a multimedia presentation. There are lots of ways I like to use the iPad camera in my classroom and this is one of them!

Check out my lesson plan on creating public service announcements in your classroom!

 

Create Your Own Textbook

24 Oct

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iBooks Author is a fantastic way to get students involved in their own learning. If you’re dedicated to providing engaging lessons for your students then creating interactive textbooks needs to go on your to do list.

iBooks Author has a short learning curve, and here are just some of the things you can do:

  • I use text from various Internet sources and alter it so the reading level is appropriate for my students
  • Google Image search is perfect for finding high resolution pictures to add to your Gallery
  • If you’re not a fan of YouTube, Vimeo is a great resource for high resolution videos
  • You can even add review questions to the end of each chapter

20121021-184439.jpgI often have my students locate content for their interactive textbooks – it empowers them and requires higher order thinking skills like creating and analyzing.

Check out my lesson plan on creating interactive textbooks with your students!

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Here’s another lesson plan on using interactive textbooks in your classroom!

 

Atlas Apps

22 Oct

Social Studies textbooks are one way to teach geography but I prefer having my students explore an atlas hands on. Zoom in and tap for more info as you virtually travel the globe with Atlas for iPad Free, World Travel Atlas Free, and My World Atlas – Free.

Check out my lesson plan using these apps in the classroom!

 

iPad QR Scavenger Hunt

19 Oct

I’ve said it before – I love using QR codes in my classroom!

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There are a lot of reasons:

  • Takes students directly to a website you have chosen
  • Eliminates frustration of typing in long web addresses (perfect for students in an inclusion class, occupational therapy, etc.)
  • Saves time!

I make QR codes using free QR code generators like Qurify and distribute them to my students as a scavenger hunt. I’ll have questions ready for each website so students are focused as they conduct Internet research. You can post these QR codes around the classroom, create QR stations, or simply give them to your students with their scavenger hunt activity sheet.

Check out my lesson plan on using QR Scavenger Hunts in the classroom!

Here’s another lesson plan using QR Scavenger Hunts in the classroom!

One more lesson plan using QR Scavenger Hunts in the classroom!

Here’s a bundle of QR code scavenger hunt lesson plans!

Bluster Literacy Practice

17 Oct

One of my favorite apps for literacy skills practice is Bluster. McGraw-Hill has lots of app but this one is free (these prices often change so download it sooner than later).

It is set up for independent and partner practice and prompts the player to choose between Grades 2 – 4. I find the skills practices can be tough for my fifth graders so in my classroom we refer to these “grades” as “levels.”

Practice skills like: rhyming words, prefixes and suffixes, synonyms, word roots, homophones, and adjectives

Check out my lesson plan using Bluster in the classroom!

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Idioms on iPads

15 Oct

Pushing students to the next level in ELA often involves an understanding of idioms.

English Idioms Illustrated and Idioms Lite are two great apps that can help bring idioms (age old sayings) into modern times.

The free version provides illustrations for idioms starting with A and B – you’ll need to upgrade to access the rest

This app acts like a database of idioms, easy to search and navigate

Check out my lesson plan for using these apps in the classroom!

Graphic Organizers: Idea Sketch

11 Oct

Graphic organizers work in all subject areas and students can create their own using the Idea Sketch iPad app.  I love it for creating story maps, brainstorming and taking notes.

Check out my lesson using Idea Sketch in the classroom!

One more common core aligned lesson plan using graphic organizer apps!

Here’s another common core aligned lesson plan using graphic organizers in the classroom!

Countdown to November: Election Apps

9 Oct

If you are discussing the upcoming Presidential Election in your classroom there are lots of apps that can provide a knowledge base for your students.  They contain electoral maps, polling data, and up to date information of the campaigns.

Here are a few iPad apps to choose from: NBC Politics     CNN     USA Today

Whether you are discussing the math around the electoral college or debating social issues, these apps can support your instruction.

Check out my lesson plan using these election apps in the classroom!

Fluency and Presentation Practice: Teleprompter

4 Oct
We’ve all watched news anchors deliver top stories and presidential candidates give speeches, but have you ever used a teleprompter?
iPrompt is a free app that turns your iPad into a teleprompter! Add text that you’ve written yourself or copy and paste a famous speech from the web. Customize the size of the text and the speed it moves on the screen.
Whether you want your students to practice a speech or to practice their reading fluency, this app isn’t just cool it’s an effective teaching tool.
Check out my lesson plan on using iPrompt Pro in the classroom!

QR Codes on the Big Screen

2 Oct

I’ve been using QR codes in my classroom for scavenger hunts and as a tool for research. If you haven’t viewed my presentation on making your own QR codes and using them in the classroom, check it out here.

If I want all of my students to visit one website (especially one with a combination of characters that might be hard to type in) I’ll project the QR code onto my board and have all students scan it straight from their seats. This eliminates the printing, copying and distributing of papers and makes for a quick, easy scan for all students.

Try projecting this QR code and scanning it yourself!

Check out my lesson plan on using QR Codes in the classroom!

Here’s another lesson plan using QR Codes in the classroom!

Here’s a bundle of QR code scavenger hunt lesson plans!

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