This week, we'd like you to visit Kathy Schrock's iPads in the Classroom page. It has loads of great links, but if you don't have much time to explore, please make sure you at least visit "43+ ways to use iPads in the classroom" (it's at the very bottom under Classroom Uses of the iPad).
Once you have completed the 43+ (it's actually up to 55 now) slideshow, think about one or two new ways you have, or thought about, using the iPad in your classroom. Write about it in the comment section below. Make sure you include which apps would be used.
I've used two apps with kids, Google Earth for exploring Egypt and Lobster Diver (Thanks, Sarah!) for place value and decimals practice. Google Earth remains terribly cool, while Lobster Diver was well received once they figured it out.
ReplyDeleteWe spent a long time this year writing and hand illustrating original picture books. It ended up being our auction project, but it was dependent on someone generously donating color copying services. I'd love to try something similar, maybe using StoryKit to see if we could generate digital versions that could be more easily shared.
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I have tried to use the Star Walk app in Astronomy. I got the adapter to hook the ipad up to the projector. It would project on the screen but the "active" part of the app didn't work very well because the screen on the ipad went blank when the picture was on the active board. What am I doing wrong???
ReplyDeleteSo far I've used two apps with good success. Alias sketchpad has served as a whiteboard. This has basically allowed me to not stand in front of the active board while I'm writing, but isn't anything special.
ReplyDeleteThe second app have been rally successful. It is a ひらがな writer, which allows my students to practice writing Japanese characters on the board without getting up. You can easily set the percentage that a student needs to achieve in order to "pass" which allows you to increase the difficulty.
I am very excited about using the idea mapping apps as well as the video physics app created by vernier next year.
I am on a mission to find the "perfect" notes/organizer app for my students with executive function issues. I've found a few that have neat features: Simple Note (offers sync feature for computer docs), inClass (planner feature, records lectures, and allows you to email notes), and Smart Note (quick and easy access to specific notebook and topic). I would LOVE to find a planner/notebook app with a text reminder feature. It will be nice to offer my students the option of a digital planner and notebook where they won't need to deal with the fuss of disorganized binders, crumpled notebook papers, MIA notes, etc. that sends reminders to their cell phone. Sounds like a huge request but I just found a planner that does just that! The only thing is the app name shows up on every screen and I don't think the students want to rock "Mom Agenda" on their iPad.
ReplyDeleteI will use my 3D Anatomy app next year in my A and P class. It is pretty cool. It can turn the bodies, cut away layers etc...
ReplyDeleteI would also like to figure out how to do teh online quizzes, with the class that come with all of my textbooks. One I am done with my evals I will have much more time to focus on these things.
Amy and Becca and I talked yesterday about making an iPad shared account for the Upper Elementary teachers. We can purchase apps and share them among the five of us who have iPads. I started a list of apps that I hope we will buy in the fall. Brushes looks fun for art play ($7.99), CIA Factbook ($3.99) gives information about 250 countries; Strip Designer (2.99) is a comic strip design app. Maybe we can create the group at our August workshop and buy and share apps.
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ReplyDeleteOkay, this is a pain. I just lost the post I was writing because I went back to another page to check and see where I had left off. Arrgg!
ReplyDeleteI also hit a snag last week when during just the time I had set aside for searching and blogging, the power went off at my house and there was no internet, as a result, for a loooong time.
I have ideas of how to use the i-pad, but it's harder to do that with just one. Most of my visions involve multiple machines for shared use of apps. Algebra Combat is a good app for practice with solving equations mentally with added competition. My students were more engaged when "combatting" each other than when they played on "Algebra Champ" alone. I would love to have a whole (half) class working with Grammar Dragon to practice parts of speech recognition.
I have a dream that with truly full or half class sets, we could go so much faster and more efficiently with teaching and using keynote for powerpoint presentations, as we do each spring.
I'd like to test Dragon Dictation -- I had a student this year who basically couldn't write for much of the year, and, if this really works, could make a huge difference.
I'd like to look for an app that mirrors inspiration -- mapping to outlining...
I would love to find a way to take my own notes and yet have them digital -- I need to explore the writing/notebook apps...
CIA Factbook on hand would be great for our countries brochure research that we do every year, Martha...and I am also intrigued by Strip designer.
I want to check out the tangram app that is #58!
Finally, I wonder if there is an app that turns handwriting into type...
-Becca
Recently, I had a student experiencing difficulty getting the proportion and angle of her foreshortened arm and hand in a self portrait painting.I used the ipad to take a picture of the student in position. We used the zoom tool to look at and analyze exactly what happened with the arm and hand and how to correct the problems of foreshortening in her painting. She kept the ipad next to her as she worked on her painting. The ipad was a very accessible tool and provided immediate answers to the student's challenges. I am thinking it might have been more beneficial if we dropped the photo in Photoshop and flipped the image to reflect the exact position of the student arm and hand. What I particularly liked about using the ipad was the clarity of the image and the ability to zoom in very closely on the problem area.
ReplyDeleteFor my Lit. class, I plan to buy the novel that we are reading and give the iPad to a new student each day. The student with the iPad will annotate the chapter that we are going over as a class. I hope to post the entire annotated book for everyone to see before the test. I wonder if there is a way to do this?
ReplyDeleteI've had great success with Pixton.com for history projects. I downloaded the PuppetPals app, hoping to use it for similar purposes.
There are both ideas for next year. I have yet to implement them.
I would really like for students to be able to write on the ActivBoard via the Ipad. 'Mobile Mouse' is one of the available apps discussed in the article. This works over the network and does not seem to be very precise. Im looking for something that possibly works using a direct bluetooth connection. There is a system available from iWavit. It allows direct control of any mac or pc it is connected to and can function as a remote for anything. The app is free, but the additional hardware is about $60, so I'm still researching.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of students being able to collaborate on projects at the same time. For those projects that require input from the entire class, it is often difficult to get everyone's opinions and ideas and share them with everyone else. Something like "iBrainstorm" might work well to allow real-time contributions from the entire class. Even more quite students might feel comfortable giving their input.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting article from her website:
ReplyDeletehttp://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/13/four-ways-to-kidproof-an-iphone-or-ipad/
i have used many of the suggestions that people have said.
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in a class that has full integration, with ios5 and the cloud it seems like so much more could be done in the way of push notifications of assignments,documents, as well as distance learning when kiddos are sick.
ReplyDeleteI will try the Literary Analysis Guide app, which uses a graphic wheel to help students visualize the elements of fiction.
ReplyDeleteI found the material on live binder to be very good as a teacher reference tool. There are some excellent resouces that can be used by students for reading, research, etc. I am going to add some of the material as links in my class Blog.
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