I’ve shared some great free apps for turning your iPad into a measurement tool: protractor, reading a ruler. Measure Length – Tiny Chicken by TapToLearn is another app that’s perfect for teaching students how to use a ruler to measure inches, centimeters and millimeters. They’ll move a ruler on their screen and find the length of different farm animals – fantastic for elementary school students!
Check out one of the Common Core aligned iPad lesson plans in my Teachers Pay Teachers store!
There are so many virtual iPad tools that I love using with my students (base ten blocks, sticky notes, geoboard, atlas, glossary, dry erase board…). One free app that can substitute a ruler is Ruler for iPad and iPhone. Have students place an item on their iPad screen or measure distance between two points they tap on the plane.
If you’re teaching students how to use measurement tools Reading the Ruler is a great free app to help students understand how inches and centimeters can be broken down into smaller pieces.
Here’s my bundle of Common Core aligned iPad lesson plans for teaching math in your classroom (or check out each one individually!)
I’ve shared some of my favorite virtual tools for the iPad (sticky notes, geoboard, atlas, glossary, dry erase board…) and another fantastic free app I love is Number Pieces. This app simulates base ten blocks and allows students to manipulate the pieces and annotate their screen. It’s perfect for children learning place value and teachers who want their students to explain their work!
Not teaching place value? Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plans for using free apps to teach: Symmetry, Fractions, Polygons, Graphing, and more using iPads with your students!
Thank you for attending my workshop this month!
If you weren’t able to make it, check out my presentation Free iPad Apps for the K-5 Classroom:
If you’re looking for a music making app you have to try Mibblio. Great for all ages, Mibblio allows users to layer the sound of different instruments over a children’s song and add their own. This colorful, user-friendly app will have your students making music, identifying different instruments, and creating their own beat. The first song you download is free!
There are so many tools I used as a student that are now available virtually on iPads. One fabulous free app that fits into this category is the Geoboard. Forget about rubber bands snapping around your classroom. The virtual geoboard has everything you need to teach polygons, area, scaling and symmetry.
Check out my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan using this app!
Check out my Common Core aligned iPad lesson plan bundle that includes a lesson using this app!
One of the great things about using an iPad in the classroom is the ability to change settings to meet the needs of your students. I work with fifth graders on a class set of iPads and my students type in the Notes app and send a lot of emails.
One quick fix I’ve made to make it easier for them to read what they’ve typed on the iPad is a change of font size in the settings. Not only is this option fantastic for younger students, you might find yourself changing the settings on your iPad too!
Toontastic is a fantastic app you can use in your classroom. Don’t be fooled by the cartoon graphics, this app can be used with all ages.
Students create their own short stories or retell a story that they’ve read. Each scene in the story arc requires that students draw their own setting and characters or use one of the templates included in the app. Music can be added to change the tone of the story and all cartoons can be shared with families and peers through Toontastic’s own website.
Check out my Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app!
Here’s another Common Core aligned lesson plan using this app!
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!
Tangrams are a great way to make geometry work hands-on and engaging for students. This ancient game has come a long way since I was in school. It’s a great tool if you’re looking to have a discussion on polygons and angles or just want students to problem solve while working on their fine motor skills.
Here are a few free Tangram apps:
