If you’re looking for a fun, free app for teaching place value you have to try Math Bugs. Perfect for identifying place value to the thousands place, students will create bugs with the number of attenteas, wings, etc., dictated by the place value of the digits in the number presented.
Check out my Common Core aligned bundle of iPads lesson plans for teaching math in your classroom!
SlideShare is a great resource for PowerPoint presentations. This website allows you to view presentations created by teachers (and all sorts of people) that may be useful for your classroom. It’s also a fantastic place to share your presentations with others.
Check out my SlideShare presentations:
Many people think that an iPad is just for games but I can ensure you that this teaching tool is used effectively in my classroom. I love having students show their work on a whiteboard app (and sometimes they connect their screens to work together). Students in my class not only solve problems on their iPads but they take screenshots of their work and email the picture with an explanation of how they solved the problem. This process is quicker than it sounds with a little practice. It’s a great way to gather work for tech-friendly bulletin boards!
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan for collaborating on iPad whiteboards!
There are so many great screencasting apps that I use in my classroom. Tellagami is a fantastic free iPad app takes it to another level by allowing users to create their own avatars and place themselves anywhere they’d like (I’m “standing” in my classroom now.) If you’re flipping your classroom, leaving a message for students to play when you’re pulled out for a meeting, or just looking to start off a lesson in a new way, you have to try Tellagami.
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app in the classroom!
Use this app with my Common Core aligned lesson plan for the iPad camera!
It’s important for all students to use math vocabulary when describing how they’ve solved a problem. Math Terms Glossary is a free app that students can use to access definitions of math terms. Most entries include pictures and a Spanish translation of the definition.
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan bundle for teaching math on iPads!
I love using Dropbox in my classroom, in fact I can’t live without it. Dropbox is fantastic if you’re looking to conserve resources or save time making photocopies.
Here are just a few things that are in my students’ Dropboxes right now:
Check out my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan bundle with activity sheets that can be completed in other apps on your iPad!
If you use rubrics to grade student work you have to try ForAllRubrics! Once you set up your class list, this website allows users to import rubrics they’ve already made, or easily create new ones. Open the site on your iPad and with a few taps you’ll have projects graded in no time. It’s easy to access previous grades, print out data, and it’s free for teachers!
Here’s a Common Core aligned guide to creating Screencasts in your classroom (it has a rubric too!)
There are lots of great ways to explore current events and I’ve shared some great free apps for accessing multimedia informational text. One of my favorite news apps that I use at home and school is Watchup. This free app allows you to create your own news program by choosing short clips from different news sources (EuroNews, AP, PBS, etc.).
I love customizing any tool to fit the need of my students and Watchup is a fantastic free app that allows you to do just that!
Use this app with my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan on current events!
If you’re looking for a good resource for documentaries, SnagFilms is a fantastic app. Completely free, with no requirement to sign up, SnagFilms offers a great variety of award winning documentaries. Whether you’re looking to extend a lesson, kick off a unit or just learn more about a topic before teaching, you’ll want to check out this fantastic free app!
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app in the classroom!
There are lots of apps that can “wow” a crowd and MyScript Calculator is definitely one of them. Write an equation (simple or complex) onto your screen and the app will transfer it to type and solve the problem. This fantastic free app can be used by students to check their work, especially order of operations. You’ll need to try it to believe it!
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using another math app I love!
Here’s another Common Core aligned lesson plan using another fantastic math app!
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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There 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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
