Tag Archives: projector

WatchUp to Customize Current Events

8 Feb

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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!

 

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Documentaries for the iPad

4 Feb

Screen shot 2013-01-22 at 7.15.32 PM

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!

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iPad Document Camera

11 Jan

Screen shot 2013-01-05 at 2.31.15 PM

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.

20130111-082401.jpgI’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.

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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!

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Fluency and Presentation Practice: Teleprompter

4 Oct
We’ve all watched news anchors deliver top stories and presidential candidates give speeches, but have you ever used a teleprompter?
iPrompt is a free app that turns your iPad into a teleprompter! Add text that you’ve written yourself or copy and paste a famous speech from the web. Customize the size of the text and the speed it moves on the screen.
Whether you want your students to practice a speech or to practice their reading fluency, this app isn’t just cool it’s an effective teaching tool.
Check out my lesson plan on using iPrompt Pro in the classroom!

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QR Codes on the Big Screen

2 Oct

I’ve been using QR codes in my classroom for scavenger hunts and as a tool for research. If you haven’t viewed my presentation on making your own QR codes and using them in the classroom, check it out here.

If I want all of my students to visit one website (especially one with a combination of characters that might be hard to type in) I’ll project the QR code onto my board and have all students scan it straight from their seats. This eliminates the printing, copying and distributing of papers and makes for a quick, easy scan for all students.

Try projecting this QR code and scanning it yourself!

Check out my lesson plan on using QR Codes in the classroom!

Here’s another lesson plan using QR Codes in the classroom!

Here’s a bundle of QR code scavenger hunt lesson plans!

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Haiku Deck for Small Presentations

13 Sep

I 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!

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DiigoBrowser

11 Sep

There 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.

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Test Prep Aids for the Teacher – Pacing

27 May

Although the New York State tests for elementary students are finished for this year, I know that I’m not the only person with test prep still on their mind.

My students always need help with pacing and it’s tough keeping kids excited about something that is stressful for everyone. I love the free iPad timer apps that help us stay aware of the time we spend reading passages and answering questions.

There are free timer apps to help students practice pacing. I often project the timer on the board like a countdown clock, working my students towards a goal. When students are practicing independently or working with partners they can set their own iPad timers to keep track of their progress.

One free timer app I like is Timer+.

Other uses for the timer:

  • Setting time limits for classroom activities
  • Monitoring everyday reading stamina
  • Share your ideas in the comment section!

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