Apps Cont'd

I am now officially addicted to my iPad!  Here are some more apps for classroom use:

Popplet $8.99/ PoppletLite FREE - This tool is useful for brainstorming, timelines, or as an alternative project or presentation format.  Students can add multiple "popples" containing text or photos or a combination of the two.  Popples can be connected to one another with a line and dragged around on the screen into a formation of your choice.  The free version allows you to email your creation as a jpg.  The paid version allows you to email your creation as a PDF file.  Despite the fact that the price is steep for the full version, there doesn't seem to be much difference between the two versions.  Unless your creation contains multiple Popples (like the photo), you are fine to stick with the Lite version.

Drawing Pad $1.99 -- This is like Kid Pix or Tux Paint for the iPad.  Pictures can be saved to the photo album or emailed as a jpg file directly from the app.  There are free drawing apps available, but this one is worth the cost!

StoryPatch $4.99 - This is a great tool for kids who need to practice their writing, but don't want to draw a picture to go along with it.  Students can choose their own topics or choose from a selection of topics.  Beginning writers can make choices about their story and the app will generate the text.  More advanced writers can type their own text.  Both options allow the writer to import photos from their photo album or design a picture by choosing characters, scenery, and objects.  Stories are saved as PDFs that can be emailed directly from the app.

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More Apps!

I have been on the lookout for education apps and these are a few great ones I have discovered in the past couple of days:

Strip Designer $2.99

Tons of comic style templates to choose from.  Add photos from your library, text in text boxes or speech bubbles, and virtual stickers. Save to your photo library or email as an attachment.

If you're looking for a free equivalent, you can use Pixter to lay out your photo collage and Comic Touch to add speech bubbles.  The results are nowhere near as stunning.  It's worth shelling out the $2.99 for Strip Designer.

PhotoCard  $4.99 / PhotoCard Lite FREE

This app lets you create photo postcards to save in your photo library or email as attachments.  You can use your own photos or choose from a small selection of photos in the Lite version or a large selection in the paid version.  Includes virtual stickers and stamps to adorn your postcard. You can even add voice.

ScrapPad...on sale for 99 cents for the rest of this week.

This app lets you scrapbook on the iPad and save to your photo library.

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Common Sense Media

Common Sense Media is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing families with information to manage their children's media consumption.  Common Sense Media reviews movies, TV, games, books, music, websites, and apps, and rates them according to age-appropriateness and a variety of other factors, such as language and violence.  

Parents and teachers can sign up to receive a free electronic newsletter.  As well, there are printable parent materials and internet safety and digital citizenship curriculum resources for teachers.

Please post a comment to share how you are using Common Sense Media in your classroom.

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Story Kit App

Today, I tried out a free iPad/iPhone app called Story Kit.  Story Kit allows students to create electronic books, using drawings they create on the touch screen or photos from a photo album.  You can also add text and/or narrate the story.  There is no need to upload anything. When you are ready to share the story, click on "Share" and your story gets its own url.  You can even email the story right from the Story Kit program.  I had my students dictate descriptions to go along with photos of treasure maps they created as part of our mapping unit.  The hardest part was waiting patiently for Drop Box to do its thing and load my photos.  After that, it was quick and simple.  I even managed to email the stories to the parents during class time! I can see this app being especially useful for creating field trip albums.

Please post a comment to share how you are using Story Kit in your classroom.

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K12 Online 2010

Are you interested in ways to improve learning with Web 2.0 tools and technologies?  The K-12 Online Conference began today, with a pre-conference keynote address by Dean Shareski, Digital Learning Consultant from Saskatchewan and author of the blog Ideas and Thoughts from an EdTech.  You can register for the conference by joining the K12 Online Ning. This FREE conference boasts 40 presentations, from October 18 - 29.  

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Tutpup

After hearing about Tutpup on various message boards, I finally got around to signing up for an account.  Tutpup provides competitive educational games, where students compete against other players.  Students sign up under their teacher's account using a code, or sign up with their parents using an email address.  Names are not shared and there is no way for players to communicate with one another.  Only the teacher (or parent) has access to account information.  Tutpup looks like a great way to motivate students to practise their math skills.

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How to turn text into spoken word

For Mac users:  You can easily turn text into spoken word.  This is useful if a child wants to read something online that would normally be too difficult to manage alone.

1. Click on System Preferences (under the Apple icon).
2. Click on Speech.
3. Choose a System Voice.

4.  Click on Set Key and type in a key combination. Click OK.









You only have to do these steps once.  Then, each time the student wants the computer to read aloud, simply highlight the text and click the key combination (mine is Command +5).  The computer will read the text aloud.  This can be used with documents or online text.

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Animal Research Sites

Today, a colleague of mine had her students create an animal research report using a Word document.  The students were assigned an animal, given a list of questions to answer in paragraph format, and instructed to find an image to drag into the document. Although the assignment was an excellent one, the teacher forgot to provide her students with some critical information.  The students needed some guidance in terms of where to look for information.  The internet is an over-whelming place for students who are still developing web literacy skills.  

HERE is a list of copy-right free image libraries.  

Note: Although Google Images contains a large selection of photos, some are subject to copyright...and inappropriate for in-school use.  Provided you know how to adjust the Usage Rights filter and have an Internet filter, you should be okay.

Below is a list of sites to use for animal research.  Don't forget to check ahead of time that all of the animals you plan to assign are available on the site you instruct your students to visit:

National Geographic Kids (Primary)
Yahoo! Kids Animals (Primary)

Enchanted Learning (Primary)

Sheppard Software (Early Intermediate)

National Geographic (Intermediate)

ThinkQuest Animals - not as easy for students to navigate but includes great links for teacher-directed learning

Please post a comment to share any links you use for animal research.

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Jeopardy Labs

Create a quick and easy Jeopardy game, based on your current topic of study.  All you have to do is enter your questions and answers into the template and your game is given its own url for online access by students. 

Please post a comment to share how you are using Jeopardy Labs in your classroom. 

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Maggie's Earth Adventures

Maggie's Earth Adventures is a website dedicated to providing free printable lesson plans on environmental issues.  Signing up for the mailing list is the only way to receive the link to new lesson packets added each week.  Each lesson includes a primary and intermediate version for the same topic.  Although focused on environmental issues, each lesson is integrated across different subject areas.

Please post a comment to share how you are using Maggie's Earth Adventures in your classroom.

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