One of my favorite reference charts is taped to my classroom’s iPad cart, and the other is prominently displayed in the front of the room.
My students email their classwork throughout the school year and this chart helps them remember what to do before hitting send:
There are plenty of lessons you can email in my Teacher Store!
My students publish a variety of work on their iPads and use different apps throughout the writing process. When it comes to typing up their final product we often use PaperPort Notes. Before they send their work to print, I use the highlighter and marker tool to show them where edits and revisions need to be made. I write over their work, and send them back to their seats to make changes. The best part is that I can erase my notes once edits are made without losing any of the text on their page!
Are you in the middle of the writing process? Check out my common core aligned lesson plan using Grafio Lite. Here’s another common core aligned lesson plan using graphic organizers in the classroom!
*great for peer editing too!
I love using apps that foster collaboration in the math classroom. Make your preparation for state exams interactive and engaging with the free Graphs app. Students can answer questions based on bar graphs, line graphs and pie charts. It’s great test prep and a fantastic way to extend or review a unit on statistics and data.
Here’s my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan for using this app in the classroom!
Check out my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan bundle that includes a lesson using this app!
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!
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!)
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!
