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Math History Timeline
16 Jan
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!
iPad Document Camera
11 Jan
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.
I’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.
Replace Your Dry Erase Board with a Portable WhiteBoard
7 Jan
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!
Understoodit: Formative Assessment Tool
2 JanUPDATE 5/13: Understoodit is closing but here’s another similar option – PollEverywhere
If 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!
The Answer Pad: iPad Bubble Sheet
28 Dec
There are so many free assessment tools that I love and if you are in a 1:1 classroom you have to try The Answer Pad!
The Answer Pad allows you to set up an electronic answer sheet to a test you’ve already created. Students can then “fill in” their multiple-choice answers by using the TAPit app or The Answer Pad website. The best part of this assessment tool might be the ability to assign a Common Core Standard to each question. That way when a student answers a question I know if they’ve mastered each skill. Students can also show their work using a scratch pad on the app before submitting their answer. Watch their tutorial for a complete breakdown – this is a must have for a 1:1 classroom!
Easy Memes for Every Subject
21 Dec
I’ve discussed how much I love HaikuDeck as a presentation tool and the way I’ve used it to create memes with my students. There are lots or free apps that make it even easier to create memes (I like Mematic), and I’ve started using them across subject areas.
Have students….
- write a riddle for math over a picture of Albert Einstein
- pose a science question over an image of Marie Curie
- summarize the main idea of a text over a snapshot of a book’s cover
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan that would be perfect for this app!
Record Your Work Using Doceri
10 Dec
You may have read my post on using ScreenChomp in the classroom. Another screencasting app I love is Doceri. Although Doceri is not as user friendly as the simple layout of ScreenChomp, my fifth graders had no trouble getting over the learning curve. There are some great features Doceri has to offer that set it apart. Doceri has lots of choices for colors, shapes, and lines, but the best part has to be the option to save your screencast to your iPad’s camera roll. This makes it easy to save, send and share your Doceri video.
Try out the Common Core aligned lesson plan I created for ScreenChomp with Doceri in your classroom!
Check out my guide -> Screencasting Teacher Tools: Tasks, Procedures, Checklists and Rubric
Free Assessment Tools for Classrooms Using One-To-One Technology
8 Dec
If you weren’t one of the 200+ attendees of my live webinar, you can still check out my presentation:
Famous Faces: Funny Movie Maker
7 Dec
This app might seem silly but there are lots of ways to use Funny Movie Maker in you classroom. Use a picture from your camera roll and insert your mouth or entire face to make the image come to life. Try reading the Emancipation Prolamation using Abraham Lincoln’s picture. Have students replace the face of Susan B. Anthony with their own and read a journal entry they’ve written from the perspective of a suffragette. Students can email their videos to you or save them to their camera roll. Try it out in math or science as a fun way to record steps for problem solving or documenting an experiment.
Check out my common core aligned lesson plan using this app!
Here’s another common core aligned lesson plan using this app!
Pick a Student
28 Nov
There are so many classroom management tools that I love and here’s another. iLEAP Pick A Student makes sure that you call on every student in your class. Instead of the traditional coffee can full of popsicle sticks with students’ names on them, use this free app to make sure that all of your students are held accountable in class discussions. Try projecting the screen from your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch so that students can see which one of their peers is up next!
Check out this common core aligned lesson where this app could be used during discussion time!
Here’s another common core aligned lesson where this app could be used during discussion time!
Math Fluency
19 Nov
Math instruction has come to life in my classroom thanks to apps that allow my students to work together, create podcasts and identify factor pairs. Students of all ages need to be fast with their math facts in order to be successful.
Here are three math fact apps that are great for practicing fluency:
Check out my common core aligned lesson plan for teaching math with iPads!
Here’s another common core aligned lesson plan for teaching math with iPads!
One more common core aligned lesson plan for teaching math with iPads!
Sushi Monster: Math Factor Fun
9 Nov
There are lots of great math fact apps for the iPad that turn the times tables into interactive flashcards. Sushi Monster gives you numbers to chose from (factors) to find the answer (product) when you multiply two numbers. This app goes beyond the times table – it’s engaging for students while helping them practice their math fluency.
Check out my common core aligned lesson plan using Sushi Monster in the classroom!
Complete Student Work and Reduce Paper
2 NovOne 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
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 OctI 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
Create Your Own Textbook
24 Oct
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
I 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!
Here’s another lesson plan on using interactive textbooks in your classroom!
Haiku Deck for Small Presentations
13 SepI love Keynote and use it to present information to students across the content areas. Haiku Deck is a great alternative platform for presentations. The best part: it’s free and student friendly!
This app allows you to create swipeable slides with a photo background and a small amount of text (…think haiku). It has a gallery of photos to choose from, and uses words on your slide to help you find the perfect background image – you also have the option to upload your own photos.
I’ve used Haiku Deck to share KBADs, give short writing prompts and just switch it up from my usual Keynote presentations.
It doesn’t take long to make one and students can use it to create their own presentations too!
Check out my common core aligned lesson plan using Haiku Deck!
Here’s another common core aligned lesson plan using this app!
UPDATE: There are new features that have been added to Haiku Deck that are worth checking out! My favorite has to be the ability to add bulleted list and more text to your presentation slides – a fantastic update to one of my go-to apps!
DiigoBrowser
11 SepThere are lots of ways to browse the Internet on your iPad. Besides the Apple Internet browser Safari (that comes built in with your iPad) one option is DiigoBrowser. Although Safari is my go-to when using the Internet, DiigoBrowser has one feature that I find particularly helpful in the classroom.
You might have noticed the annotated screenshot included on my post about accessing archived content on ClassTechTips. I followed a few easy steps to annotate an Internet page:
1. Bring up a website in DiigoBrowser
2. Press the gray and white starburst on the right side of the screen to access different features in DiigoBrowser
3. Choose the camera/crop icon (this allows you to drag a box on the screen to crop the part of the website you’d like to annotate)
4. Use the toolbar at the top of your screen to draw shapes, arrows, or add text
5. Decide whether you’d like to save this picture to your iPad’s camera roll or send it as an attachment in an email
1. Bring up a website in DingoBrowser
2. Press the gray and white starburst
3. Choose the camera/crop icon
4. Use the toolbar at the top of your screen to draw shapes, arrows, or add text
5. Decide whether you’d like to save this picture to your iPad’s camera roll or send it as an attachment in an email
Instead of just taking a screenshot of your iPad – which I do all the time. This tool could be used to show students where to look on a website to make directions specific and easy to follow. Try it when guiding students through the research process, or demonstrating how to access content on a new website.
BrainPop
4 SepWhether 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.
My iPad Lesson Plans
Check out my Common Core iPad Lessons!
