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What’s Trending? Try a Wordle

26 Nov

Lots of websites display images of popular search terms, tags, or keywords to show what’s trending on their site.  I love using Wordle, an online tool that takes the most popular words from a text and displays them according to how frequently they appear.  You can copy and past text from an article your class is reading or an encyclopedia entry.

After students in my class emailed their essays on deforestation in South America, I copy and pasted the text into Wordle.  Now I can display what’s trending next to a bulletin board of student work!

Wordsalad is an app that let’s you do the same thing straight from your iPad!

Try Wordle using speeches!

Try Wordle using current events!

 

 

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Social Studies Slogans: Make Your Own Memes

14 Nov

I chose this slogan because it contains domain specific vocabulary and demonstrates the courage of George Washington and the faith he had in his troops.

You’ve seen them in emails, on Facebook, even the Today Show features memes that have gone viral.  Students can create their own memes using Haiku Deck on their iPads.

Follow these steps:

  • Create a new presentation and choose a theme
  • Add an image from your camera roll to set as the background
  • Add your slogan and format the text so it works with your image

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!

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Titanic Timeline

5 Nov

National Geographic has a fantastic app that shows the construction of the Titanic over time.  Building Titanic allows you to scroll across a timeline and view the different stages in which the Titanic were built.  This app could be used to discuss timelines or analyze primary source documents (there are lots of photographs spread throughout the app).

Check out my common core aligned lesson using this app in the classroom!

Here’s another common core aligned lesson using timelines in the classroom!

One more common core aligned lesson using primary sources in the classroom!

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Complete Student Work and Reduce Paper

2 Nov

One thing I love about using iPads in my classroom is the ability to reduce paper how much paper we consume.  I fill my class Dropbox with graphic organizers and activity sheets and have my students complete them on their iPads. PaperPort Notes is a great app for importing PDF files from Dropbox and adding text.  My students will annotate the document and email it to me.  I can decide what to print and display after looking at their work. The rest I can leave in my inbox and I know where it is if I need to reference it.

Check out my teacher store for lesson plans with activity sheets that can be completed on iPads!

 

Import PDF files from Dropbox

Use text boxes to answer questions

Have students email their work to you for review


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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!

 

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Fooducate – Health Scan

27 Sep

There are lots of apps that allow you to scan barcodes to compare prices of different products. Fooducate takes this to a new level!

When you scan the barcode of a processed food item, Fooducate connects you to information on “How Healthy” that product is – even assigning it a letter grade.

Students can use this app on a supermarket field trip or to scan items you bring into your classroom.  The Fooducate website also performs the same function. If you’re teaching a unit on healthy eating, or discussing advertising during a persuasive writing unit, Fooducate can integrate technology into your lesson.

Check out my lesson plan using Fooducate in the classroom!

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Behavior Watch: ClassDojo

25 Sep

ClassDojo is a fantastic behavior management tool that monitors students’ positive and negative behavior.  It’s free to sign up and their app makes it easy to keep track of everything! One nice feature of ClassDojo is that you can customize the different behaviors it monitors.

Here is a screenshot of their demo to help you get a sense of how easy it is to keep track of student behavior in your classroom.

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What’s inside my iPad?

18 Sep

Sometimes it’s hard for visitors to my classroom to understand how students use their iPads.

I like to post a reference chart that shows off how technology is used in our classroom.  It’s also helpful for students, who are often asked about our work on iPads.

This list will grow as the school year progresses and works with any technology cart (“What’s inside my netbook?”)

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Getting to Know the iPad AND Each Other

6 Sep

One of the challenges of introducing anything new to students is allowing time for self discovery.  This is especially true when using the iPad in the classroom.  As the new school year approached, I knew that I wanted students working on their iPads on Day One.

In addition to introducing some apps that we will be using this year, I felt that it was important to give them some free time to explore the iPad – if only to eliminate some distractions down the line.

In my first year using the iPad with students, one feature that they loved to “explore” was the camera.  I’ve used the camera with students for various activities throughout the school year but this September I decided to have them filming right away.

Working with partners students first interviewed each other asking questions such as:
What books did you read over the summer?
Did you visit any family members?
What activities got you outdoors this summer?

With their partner students filmed each other answering the questions and played their videos back to rest of their groups.  Students then emailed me their videos and I hope to play these back to them at the end of the year.  (Using the reverse filming option, students can also film themselves independently).

Stay tuned to hear about how the camera can be used to film persuasive commercials, book recommendations, and much more!

Check out my lesson plan using the Camera app in my classroom!

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BrainPop

4 Sep

Whether you’re a subscriber or not, the BrainPop app for the iPad (and the website for PCs) is a fun and interactive learning tool for students of all ages.  The website as well as the BrainPop app, is full of video explanation on a variety of topics as well as quizzes that monitor students’ understanding and retention of what they’ve just learned.  If you do have a subscription, you’ll be prompted to enter your login information when you click on a video that isn’t part of their free content.  For younger learners, check out the BrainPop Jr app and website.

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Show Off Technology – Student Emails

28 Aug

If your students are using technology in your classroom there are many ways to show off their work to visitors.  I make sure that every bulletin board in my classroom clearly demonstrates how technology is used by my students everyday.

Instead of exit slips to check understanding at the end of a lesson, my students email me what they have learned and any questions they still have.

  • Each iPad in my classroom (this works with PCs too) is set up with the same email account.
  • I post a question or quick task on the board.
  • Students answer the question in an email and send it to me.
  • I print out the emails, write a comment on the bottom, and staple it to my bulletin board.

It is clear to any visitor (our principal, superintendent, maybe even Mayor Bloomberg) that students use technology with ease in my classroom.

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I Can’t Live Without… Dropbox

14 Aug

You might have checked out my presentation on using Dropbox with the Noterize app earlier this year.  If you haven’t started using Dropbox I don’t know what to say… I can’t live without it!

What is Dropbox? Dropbox is a free service that let’s you share files over a wireless network. Download the software on one computer and files can be accessed from multiple locations…including an iPad. 
You can drag and drop files to your Dropbox just like you would move a file from one folder to another.
View my Dropbox presentation for step-by-step instructions on how to add new documents straight to your Dropbox.
It would take me all day to list the number of apps that allow you to access your Dropbox: PaperPort Notes, Evernote, Educreations are just a few.  They allow you to import PDF files, pictures and more from your Dropbox into their app.  This allows you to use and modify your own content.
If you have a class set of iPads, you can download the Dropbox app on the student iPads and everyone can link to your Dropbox account – now every student has access to the same material. (Rubrics, reading passages, activity sheets…you name it!)
I attended a great presentation by NYC educator Adam Stone where he discussed setting up a video library for his ASL students using Dropbox. Check out his blog post!

Access your Dropbox in Educreations to import pictures for presentations or to annotate in this “simulated interactive whiteboard” app

The Dropbox app allows you to access a variety of files on you iPad. I set up my students with the app and access to our class account so they can view rubrics, import activity sheets into other apps, and more!

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Gmail to Organize Student Work

7 Aug

I use Gmail for my personal email account and it is great in the classroom too. I have students send work they completed on their iPads (this works with PCs too) to a teacher Gmail account I set up in September.  Each student uses the same student Gmail account to send their work to me (I’ve set up each student’s iPad to send and receive emails from the same account).

So that’s two gmail accounts: 1. My teacher gmail account, 2. One student email address that all of the students use to send their work

If students write their name in the subject line of the email it makes it easy to search through my old emails for all of the work they have sent me that year.  Using Gmail’s search function, I can type in a student’s name and it pulls up all of the work that child has emailed me from the beginning of the school year until now.

1. Type in the students name
2. Press “Search”
3. All of the work they have sent you will appear on screen

I just think about the student who can’t find their Writer’s Notebook in January and are now missing months of their hard work.  This is a great way to store, organize and access student work throughout the school year.

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Math Tutorials

17 Jul

A great resource for math tutorials is MathTrain.  This site has student created tutorials for all age levels that are quick and engaging.  Their website isn’t iPad friendly, but they have an easy to navigate iPad app that organizes their podcasts by topic. Check it out!

Click on “Podcast” for a list of topics

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Internet Research: Fact or Fiction?

11 Jun

Internet research in any classroom can be challenging.  Students want to believe that everything they read is true.   Here are three great sites to demonstrate to students the importance of using critical thinking skills when conducting research online.

All About Explorers

Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie

Save the Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

Check out my bundle of Common Core aligned iPad lesson plans for teaching ELA with iPads in the classroom!

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Summer Reading Log

4 Jun

Scholastic is offering a Summer Challenge for students!  Students can use the Scholastic Summer Challenge website or their Reading Timer app to keep track of their reading all summer.  The app allows students to set a timer for their reading and log their minutes each day.  For parents, the app includes tips, book lists, and articles.

I’m encouraging my students with access to the Internet this summer (even at the public library) to set up an account and keep track of their summer reading!

Check out my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan bundle for teaching ELA in the classroom! (Here’s bundle #2 and bundle #3!)



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Vimeo for Videos

31 May

A fantastic alternative to YouTube is Vimeo.  Unlike YouTube, Vimeo’s website isn’t block by Websense on most networks and its HD quality videos look beautiful on all screens, including the iPad.  In addition to its search function, the Vimeo iPad app allows users to shoot, edit and upload their own videos.

I’ve used HD videos from Vimeo when creating interactive textbooks for the iPad.  This time lapse video of the Canadian Rockies is a great example of the quality of clips available on the site.

Here’s a Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app!

Check out this Common Core lesson plan on using interactive textbooks in your classroom!

*This website isn’t censored so make sure you search and preview before sharing with students

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Reader View – Internet Browsing

19 May

My students conduct Internet research on a variety of topics throughout the year.  Many sites give the option of a “Reader View” that eliminates sidebars, advertisements and focuses only on the text of the website.  This is a feature that works on iPads and Laptops – try it out!

Wikipedia isn’t always my favorite but reader view works great on this site

Students can navigate the text in a more user friendly view

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