Archive | January, 2013

Pic Collage to Make iPad Posters

30 Jan

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You might have used a app like this to create a scrapbook page of family pictures but it can be easily used in the classroom.  Pic Collage is a free app that allows users to take multiple images and place them on a blank canvas or within borders and add text and captions.  Students in my class use pictures that they’ve taken themselves or gathered from Google Image search.  They can save their “posters” to their Camera Roll and email their work.  These make great bulletin board items!

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan for using this app in your classroom!

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iPad MadLibs

30 Jan

Screen shot 2013-01-27 at 3.55.20 PMForget about the way you completed Mad Libs as a child – there’s an app for that!  The official Mad Libs app offers 21 free stories that can be used to reinforce literacy skills.  Have students identify parts of speech and create their own fill in the blank story.

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app in the classroom!

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SnapGuide for How-Tos

28 Jan

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I love learning new things and SnapGuide is a fantastic free app that you must explore! Pinterest is a great place for gathering new ideas, and SnapGuide takes this concept to a whole new level.  SnapGuide is full of how-to guides that show step-by-step instructions on how to complete a variety of tasks.  You and your students can even create your own how-to guides using this free service!

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan for using this app!

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Illustrate a Story

28 Jan

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There are so many great apps to have students practice storytelling and here’s another I love.  Pirate Scribble by Kidoodle is more than just a coloring book.  Students create pictures that correspond to a story that is told in sequence.  It’s a great way to reinforce literacy skills while allowing students the opportunity to be creative.

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using another storytelling app I love!

Here’s another Common Core aligned lesson planusing another storytelling app I love!

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Wordmover for Poem Creation

25 Jan

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This free app acts like the magnetic words you might have on your refrigerator. Created by the National Council of Teachers of English, Wordmover allows students to manipulate words on their screen. Choose from the list they’ve provided and add your own words to create phrases, sentences or poems. I think this app would be perfect for a poetry station or a challenge activity for fast finishers.

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app!

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Rock and Mineral Identifier

23 Jan

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I love hands-on science activities, especially when I can integrate technology into my lesson.  Two fantastic free apps for Earth Science are Mineral Identifier and Common Rocks Reference.  These apps are full of information for students who are identifying rocks and minerals.  If you’re school doesn’t have access to hands-on materials this app can work as a substitution.

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app!

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Interactive US Electoral Map

21 Jan
photo 3If you want your students to grasp the political history of the US check out The States.  This free app includes electoral data from every US election.  A colorful, crisp map displays the distribution of electoral votes while providing information on the candidates in each presidential election.  It doesn’t have to be November to bring the history ofpolitics alive for your students!
Check out a bundle of my Common Core aligned lesson plans for teaching American History using iPads in your classroom!

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Working Together: iPad Apps that Facilitate Student Collaboration

19 Jan

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If you weren’t one of the 300+ attendees of my live webinar, you can still check out my presentation:

View on SlideShare

Download the Presentation

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Picture Perfect Behavior

18 Jan

photo-30There are lots of ways to create a classroom culture that rewards positive behavior. I love using the camera on my iPad to record “Picture Perfect” behavior.

When I’m ready to start a lesson I want my students sitting up straight, with a pencil on their desk, and their iPads flipped over to prevent any distractions. Whether my iPad is tethered to my projector or I’m using AirPlay to project without wires, I tell students that I’m looking for a “Picture Perfect” student who I can show off to the class. I’ll scan the room with my camera open and snap a few pictures to show off to the class. This management trick takes less than a minute to execute but ensures that all students are focused and on task for a lesson.

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Math History Timeline

16 Jan

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There are lots of great free timeline apps for the iPad and I’ve shared some already (American Revolution and Titanic).  IBM’s Mind of Modern Mathematics is a fantastic interactive timeline with illustrations, primary source documents and information on important moments in the history of math.  It includes biographies of famous mathematicians and vintage videos on math concepts.

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app!

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Organize Your iPad Cart

14 Jan

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A lot of teachers have asked about the best way to organize their iPad cart.  I am lucky to work in a 1:1 school with a cart of iPads that stay in my classroom.

I label student iPads with numbers and names to make access and organization quick and easy.  The labels stay on the iPad case and I’m careful not to block the speakers or any other buttons.  I cover the paper labels in packaging tape to increase their longevity.  When I call students to remove or return their iPads from the cart I’ll often say, “All odd numbers,” “Even numbers only” or something that reinforces math skills at the same time.  I also put labels at the bottom of each slot so that the students can tell just by looking down into the cart exactly where each iPad belongs.

Here’s a reference chart I place on my iPad cartto show off the work going on in my classroom!

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iPad Document Camera

11 Jan

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So many teachers in one iPad classrooms love using Educreations as a SMARTBoard simulator. Another fantastic presentation tool is Stage: Interactive Whiteboard and Document Camera.

This app works as a document camera and allows you to switch from a whiteboard, picture background, and camera while leaving text on the screen. It also has a laser pointer feature that allows the user to point out details on the screen without leaving a mark on the image.

20130111-082401.jpgI’ve heard of teachers creating a document camera using an iPad in place of an ELMO projector, and there are products that do just this for you. I’ve used Stage Interactive in whole class instruction and small groups but I can definitely see the benefits of having an iPad on a stand when using this app.

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Ready to Research: Recording Citations

9 Jan

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The iPad is a fantastic tool for completing research, publishing, and sharing your work. There are two free apps from PERRLA that make it easy to record citations whether you’re using MLA or APA style references.  This app is perfect for elementary students completing a biography project or high schoolers writing a term paper.

Check out my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan using this app in the classroom!

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Replace Your Dry Erase Board with a Portable WhiteBoard

7 Jan

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My students spend a lot of time working in differentiated groups. That means that I’m constantly circulating to make sure that everyone is on task.  Sometimes I need to quickly review a skill for a group. Instead of carrying a small dry erase board (and turning my fingers different colors from messy Expo markers) I take my iPad from group to group and draw on the screen.

Using a whiteboard app like Educreations, I can work through a math problem or draw the arc of a story.  In a small group using Educreations I’ll take snapshots of student work to annotate, just like I would grab a fantastic example and place it in under my Elmo projector for the whole class to see. This is a great tool for a one iPad classroom!

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iPad Project: Resume Builder

4 Jan

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My students aren’t quite ready to write their own resumes but there is still a place for this app in my classroom.

A great way to replace or extend a biography project is to create a resume of the person you are studying.  Have students use the Pocket Mobile Resume app to demonstrate their knowledge of a historical figure’s personal information, experience and education, while choosing contemporaries to act as references and identify the skills and strengths of this person.  Try it out in your classroom!

Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app in the classroom!

Here’s another Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app in the classroom!

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Understoodit: Formative Assessment Tool

2 Jan
UPDATE 5/13: Understoodit is closing but here’s another similar option – PollEverywhere

photo-4If you are looking for a new formative assessment tool check out Understoodit.  Whether your students are on iPads or have access to the web from desktops, Understoodit is a fantastic free assessment tool that is perfect for collecting data when presenting new information to students.  As you speak, students press one of two buttons on a website unique to your class: “Confused” or “Understood” You’ll receive real-time data on how well your class understands your presentation.

At first I was hesitant to try Understooit with my fifth graders, since it seemed so perfect for university professors and high school teachers, but it worked great with my group.  I don’t normally teach by lecture so I had students first try it out while watching a BrainPop video.  This way it was easy for me to know when to pause and initiate a discussion when they were confused.  I’m gathering formative data and can alter my instruction by the minute!

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