Archive of ‘iPads’ category

Summer Technology Challenge

TVS teachers – this is just for you!

This is a summer where you can’t go up to school so, here is a challenge for you should you decide to work from home. Have some fun exploring new technologies or spend time learning even more about ones you already know. Below are ideas to help you get started.

kidblogKidblog (free app although we have the upgraded subscription) – Use our TVS Lower School blog to start posting and/or commenting on others’ posts. You are able to use Kidblog from a computer as well as an iPad. On an iPad, you’ll need to set up the class. Open the app and tap on settings. Choose Add a Class then Login to Kidblog. The Class URL is TVSLowerSchool. Once you’ve typed that, your username will show up at the bottom of the screen. Click Kidblog setup on app for directions.

This would be a great place to post what you are learning about this summer, vacations, favorite books, or anything else you would like to share! If you create anything with apps, post that to your blog! Remember, if you can save to photos, you can post it on a blog! Click What can be posted? for samples.

book creatorBook Creator ($4.99) – In addition to saving as ePub books (to read in iBooks), did you know that Book Creator now allows exporting content as videos? This is great for sharing with families who don’t have iOS devices.

Create a book about you to share with your new students. Export as a video and upload to Vimeo. (Email me if you need the log in information.) Or, create an ePub book about a topic you want your students to learn. Make the book interactive by adding hyperlinks (Hint: This is accomplished in the Add Text section. Tap and select word then choose link.)

To learn more about Book Creator’s features, click here. Follow Book Creator on Pinterest for lots of ideas!

coding appsCoding Apps – I grouped these together because they are all excellent for computational thinking. Programming teaches children to problem-solve and think creatively. For more background on the reasons to learn to program, read this article, It’s Time for Every Students to Learn to code.

  • Kodable (app and web-based; free; paid school version allows deeper exploration) – coding curriculum for elementary ages
  • Lightbot and Lightbot Jr  (average cost per app $2.99; Jr for ages 4-8; Lightbot for ages 9+) Teaches programming logic through puzzles.
  • Scratch Jr (free) ages 5-7 – drag and drop coding blocks where students can program interactive stories and games

draw and tellDraw and Tell HD ($1.99) – So much more than a drawing app, Draw & Tell allows children to illustrate something, record their voice telling about it (orally share their thinking), and then share with others. Our students typically share to their blog. The app was created for ages 5 and younger but first and second graders would enjoy the app and find it very easy to use.

How would you incorporate the Draw & Tell app? What topics could students share? Would this be something you could use for students to show their understanding of a concept?

EEExplain Everything ($2.99) – This my favorite screen casting app for ages 8+! Yes, it has a learning curve but it is extremely powerful and there is SO much you can do with it. The app developer’s web site has excellent video tutorials for you to view.

Play around with the various tools in the app. Practice recording and drawing at the same time. Since Explain Everything isn’t as intuitive as other screen casting apps, students will need some practice but I’ll be glad to help with that.

Click here to see how Mrs. Wideen uses EE in her class. How could you use this with your children?

Adobe VoiceAdobe Voice (free) – “Show Your Story” is how this app is described. The user adds photos and narration and produces a short video that can be shared. To use with children under age 13, the teacher must create either a class account or individual accounts (By law, students under age 13 can not create their own account).

This is a quick and easy way for students to “tell” their story, save to photos, and share to their blog. Create your own story and post it this summer!

Adobe slateAdobe Slate (free) – Create a story with a magazine-type layout. Add images and text. You’ll need a class account (see Adobe Voice). This app doesn’t have recording but it can be a great writing activity.

mycreate appMy Create ($4.99) – Students capture a series of photos then create a stop-motion video. Audio can also be recorded.

Think about all that you can do with this! I’ve used it for Lego building but what about keeping track of a plant’s growth? Or, chick eggs waiting to hatch? Or, take photos of trees as they go from bare to covered with full-sized leaves.poppletPopplet (lite is free; full version $4.99) – A visual mindmap for students, Popplet is easy to use. Students can add images and facts to help organize information. Work in groups and have each member add their own facts. Export as JPEG and upload to the blog. Try the free version and let me know if you would use this in your classroom.

App Smashing – combining two or more apps to create a product. Read Unleashing Creativity: Greg Kulowiec App Smashing for a wealth of information. Since he coined the phrase, he truly is the guru of this!

Try your hand at app smashing.

  • Make videos using Adobe Voice and My Create. Save to photos. Join these together in iMovie and upload to the blog. If it’s too large, upload to Vimeo (refer to my email for log in info) and either provide the link on your blog or embed the video. (Note: When embedding a video on the blog, I always find it easier to work on a desktop to that I can choose the HTML option from the New Post window. Then I just paste the embed code.)
  • Make a book in Book Creator. Export as a video. Create a screen cast using either Draw & Tell or Explain Everything related to the book. Pull all together in iMovie. You can even make an introduction in one of the screen casting apps. In iMovie, just split the Book Creator clip, delete the cover that you had previously made in that app, and insert the new introduction.
  • Create a written story in Adobe Slate. Bring that into Adobe Voice to provide narration.
  • Make a collage with the Pic Collage app (Did you know that there is a new Pic Collage Kids?) and import that into Adobe Voice for adding narration.

More Resources:

Something to Think About:

At some point you’ll need to upload student work to a cloud storage space. Check out Google Drive – 15 GB free storage. Create folders for work that is uploaded. Make the file free, get a link, share with parents.

Web-Based Programs to Explore:

  • Unite For Literacy – free storybooks for primary grades
  • Wonderopolis – view a “Wonder of the Day” each day; students can research within the web site

I gave you lots of information with enough details to make your head spin! The best way to learn is just jump in and explore. Use your experiences over the summer to create anything you want. It doesn’t have to relate to school! I’m eager to see your creations!

Enjoy!

Have fun!!

Shapes are Everywhere!

Recently the second graders took their iPads and headed outside for a shape hunt. Lots of photos were taken of all kinds of shapes!

The mail van provided all sorts of interesting shapes!

The mail van provided all sorts of interesting shapes!

After collecting photos, the next step was to bring everything together. We used Book Creator for this. The students made a cover page, a page for plane figures, and one for solid shapes. They were to label and record information about their shapes, then export the book as a video.

Working in Book Creator

Working in Book Creator

By the way, the mustaches were worn in celebration of Dr. Seuss and The Lorax!

Next the videos were uploaded to their blogs. (They would love comments!)

Mrs. Garcia’s Class Blog
Mrs. Shapard’s Class Blog
Mrs. Zabriskie’s Class Blog

Enjoy a peek at the students at work:
Reflections:

We were rushed to do this activity since it was done in the computer lab over two 40 minute sessions. The students really didn’t have adequate time to reflect on their learning. Next time we’ll be sure to allow time for that.

Music Patterns and the iPad

smule appMrs. Holloway used the MadPad app to have her 3rd graders create music patterns. The students were given note cards that they put together and then used the app to play their music.  Mrs. Holloway had chosen the car sounds to represent the notes and as one child commented, “It sounds like New York!”

The students are eager to create more musical compositions with the other tools offered in the app!

Apps in a Flash: Using Book Creator

photo(2)Today’s Apps in a Flash workshop focused on the Book Creator app. Book Creator is available for iOS (free and paid versions) and, as of a few days ago, for Android ($2.00 at the moment)!

Because our Apps in a Flash workshops are only 15 to 20 minutes long, I created a “Book Creator: Tips and Examples” book for our teachers. Just click on the above link, download, and open in iBooks.

We had a small group for our workshop but still brainstormed several ideas for using the app. Instead of using an index card for the exit ticket, we worked on a Padlet wall. Feel free to add your ideas to the list!

Created with Padlet

We Know the Water Cycle!

Mrs. Cooper’s second graders were asked to show their understanding of the water cycle and to do this we decided to have the students add something to their blog. However, a visual is extremely helpful in understanding so we chose to have the children draw a picture in the Drawing Box app, import it into Explain Everything where it would be recorded, save it to the camera roll, then upload it to their post on KidBlog. All of this was accomplished on our iPad minis!

Process from Drawing Box to KidBlog

Process from Drawing Box to KidBlog

A lot to do for second graders but they were up for the challenge!

Water Cycle created in Drawing Box app

Water Cycle created in Drawing Box app

Here are the steps the students went through:

  • Draw in the Drawing Box app > Save to photos
  • Import picture to Explain Everything > set as background
  • Record in Explain Everything > save as movie to photo roll
  • Open KidBlog > create new post > upload video from photo roll
photo(8)

Checking the recordings

The students would love for you to visit their blog and leave comments!

Mrs. Cooper’s Class Blog

Things I Learned:

  • Plan at least a couple of hour-long sessions to draw, record, and upload to the blog.
  • Don’t forget to explain how to use the “highlighting/arrow” tools for Explain Everything. I did and was really annoyed at myself for doing so! Those are powerful tools when using a screen casting app. We will definitely use these in an upcoming project.
  • I highly recommend the paid version of Drawing Box. It has a better collection of drawing tools. All of our student iPads have this version but Mrs. Cooper had the free app and she was disappointed not to have more options.
  • The students are quick learners and did extremely well with the project. Part of the objective of this was for them to become familiar with the app so that they could easily use it in the future.

The students enjoyed working with Explain Everything and I look forward to see how they use it with other subjects.

Are Our iPads Making a Difference in Student Learning?

ipadsThe iPads themselves don’t make a difference in learning – how they are used certainly does!

We only have 36 iPads dedicated for Lower School use by about 300 students. That’s certainly better than nothing and there’s a very good chance that next year we’ll have a set of 21 for each grade level.

My goal over the past few months has been to demonstrate how powerful an iPad can be when used as more than a consumption device. Instead, the iPad should be thought of as a tool for creation, innovation, collaboration, communication.

Beth Holland wrote a thought-provoking article titled iPads: From Pedagogical Crutch to Education InnovationIn it she compares the iPad to a crutch which provided support, access, and mobility for months after she broke her leg. Beth says the iPad is much like that. However, as she states, “The ultimate goal is to walk without the crutches.” In the same way, the iPads can provide a support for teaching and, just as time strengthens a broken leg, the use of the iPad can lead to stronger teaching and learning through new and innovative ideas.

With that in mind, I deliberately chose apps that are open-ended for our iPads. During the time the students come to the lab, I’ve been introducing some of the apps and modeling for teachers how they might use them in their classes.

1st Graders on a Noun Hunt

1st Graders on a Noun Hunt

I can’t quantitatively measure what is occurring with iPad use, but I can definitely observe excitement and students taking charge of their learning. From 1st graders snapping pictures of nouns and labeling them in Pic Collage to problem-solving with Math Ahoy!, the children are planning and making decisions on how to create.

Problem-solving with Math Ahoy!

Problem-solving with Math Ahoy!

Fourth graders are combining writing skills with the Tellagami app to share BioPoems about themselves. (Listen to Ellie’s BioPoem) As I am not their writing teacher, it’s sometimes difficult to get them to write for me. Not this time! I had the students embed their “gami” into their blog and, on their own, they began to listen to their classmates’ poems and leave comments.

Third graders are using Explain Everything to document what they are learning about landforms. Their teacher was amazed that some of her students quickly figured out how to record and email their completed project to me then began to help others who were still in the process of finishing!

My favorite, though, was a third grader who had just finished recording his book review in the Tellagami app, announcing to the entire room, “This is the most AWESOME app ever. I just have to get it when I get home!” And later, I received the following email from another 3rd grader’s mom:

email from Luke's momWithin minutes of responding with information about Tellagami, Luke’s mom sent me a link to his newest gami. (Luke’s gami)

Yes, iPads are definitely making a difference in student learning. One just has to take a look at the excitement, the planning, the leadership, the communication, the sharing, the creating, and so much more that is occurring!

 

Math Ahoy! app, First Graders, and College Students

We love having our TCU college students visit our computer lab. It provides extra hands and more individualized attention for the little ones! Last week, in conjunction with the first grade studies of basic facts and geography, we introduced the Math Ahoy! app to the students.

Math Ahoy! is a fun app that promotes problem-solving and addition skills as students travel the world in a pirate’s ship, collecting treasure chests of gold! What child wouldn’t enjoy becoming a pirate for the day? Below is the trailer introducing the app.

On Wednesday, in addition to 21 first graders in the lab, we had 8 TCU students and two other adults observing the class! Quite a full house! But the college students joined the little ones on the floor and guided them through the app’s instructions. There was constructive chatter as everyone talked about which direction to travel in order to avoid the King’s Ships and to gather the gold. I loved hearing children announce that they had reached Africa or South America; the app helps with geography too!

Math Ahoy with 1st Graders from Trinity Valley School on Vimeo.

The students gave the app a hearty thumbs up and their teachers loved the thinking that occurred throughout the game!

The iPad Classroom Day 2 and 3

Creation Day! On Tuesday we started in Book Creator – this has been my favorite app for the past few months. There is SO much that can be done with it. I’ve used it to have students create short stories that were emailed to me and combined into a class book. We made end-of-the-year class books in second grade with students reflecting on their favorite activities throughout the year; third graders wrote and illustrated a favorite piece of writing. The possibilities are endless!

But on this day, we had to each create our own book. Why do I always have ideas in my head till someone says, “Let’s try to finish a book and be ready to share in about 40 minutes.” So, like some students, I just sat there for quite awhile trying to figure out what to do! Eventually I decided to write a book about using the Kidblog App on the iPad for the teachers at our school. I took screenshots and used Skitch to annotate. Here’s the “almost” finished product (I need to add more to discuss approving posts and comments).

Using KidBlog with iPads

To download and read on an iOS device in iBooks, tap on the above link > Download > Open in iBooks.

To read on a computer, you must use the Google Chrome browser and the Readium app. Refer to the post, Book Creator and the Readium Chrome Web App for more information.

iPad conf day 2

Working hard!

The next project was iMovie. For some reason, the trailers have always been a source of frustration to me so I was determined to create one. Although we had plenty of time, I returned to the hotel and finally finished at 10:30. It may not be terrific to others but I’m proud of it!

iPad Adventures from Trinity Valley School on Vimeo.

My favorite part was sharing time. I love seeing other people’s creativity and the projects shared were fantastic. It’s such a wonderful way to get ideas. Some of the Book Creator projects included:

  • Introducing members of a department
  • Clemson – South Carolina rivalry which included YouTube videos
  • Why I Love Athens, GA (What a fun way to share information about a city with another class across the country!)

Our third day was spent working with GarageBand and discussing workflow. Great ideas using Google Drive (wish I could use this with at least 4th graders but not sure if our tech staff would approve that!).

Shawn challenged us with several statements and questions:

  • Does your class reward innovation?
  • Make learning meaningful for everyone!
  • Where do you want to be in the next 5 days? (Revisit the basic skills; continue to practice what we did during the conference)
  • Where do you want to be in 5 weeks? (Think about a unit, a presentation, etc for this time period. Find something to wow the students or teachers; to get them on board.)
  • Where do you want to be in 5 months? (Where are you going? What do you want your students to be able to do at this point? Think big!)

My goals for the summer:

  • Get familiar with Evernote in order to organize materials.
  • Create “training” ePub books for teachers in the Book Creator app.
  • Practice making iMovie trailers so I can get faster at putting one together.

The conference was excellent. Wish we’d had more time for some of the other apps that we were asked to install (Penultimate, TouchApp Creator). I should add those to my goals as well! I’m hoping for a long summer . . .

A Snow Person Glyph and iPads

As a fun winter activity, I sometimes have the students make a snow person glyph. It’s a good way to share information about themselves by answering questions and drawing features according to their responses. Plus, this is about as close to snow as we get in Texas!

In the past, I’ve provided a template to use in Microsoft Paint but this year I had another motive. I wanted to get iPads in the students’ hands and I wanted the teachers to see how the students would respond to them.

The assignment was:

Since we had different drawing apps I didn’t spend time explaining each one. I thought the best way was to let students explore. And it didn’t take them long to learn!

The hardest part was determining the best way to email the drawing. Each app was different enough to be just a bit confusing. Some allowed emailing from within the app; others required saving the image to the photo roll and emailing from there. The best part was that once a child learned how to do that, the knowledge was eagerly shared with others.

As much as I enjoy working with students, I have to say that the very best part of this activity was watching the teachers! A couple of them really got into this. The students LOVED watching their teachers exploring and learning alongside them! They especially enjoyed it when they were asked how to do something or how a tool worked. And it was fun watching the eagerness to come to their teacher’s rescue when they heard, “Oh, no!” or “Oops!” or “What just happened?”

When one of the teachers raised her hand because she couldn’t figure out how to email to the picture to me, several students immediately appeared at her side to guide her through the process.

It was amazing to watch the interaction between the teachers and students. The children were absolutely thrilled to see their teacher being a learner!

Was there a lot of higher-level learning going on with this particular activity? Not so much. But the valuable aspect was that the students were exploring, problem-solving, and teaching.

Enjoy the animoto video of the Snow Person Glyph!

“iPadding” with Teachers

Last November, one of our second grade teachers and I were able to attend EdTechTeacher‘s excellent iPad Summit conference in Boston. All of the teachers at our school were given iPads at the beginning of the school year and we were eager to learn ways to use them that would move students from being a consumer to becoming a creator.

We were asked to facilitate a 2 1/2 hour workshop on the day we returned from the holidays. Having been a classroom teacher, I know the last place educators want to be the day before students return is listening to someone else talk! So, we had to do our best to make this an active workshop!

Jane, our 2nd grade teacher, had attended Beth Holland’s “iPads in the Elementary Classroom” pre-conference workshop and I chose Greg Kulowiec’sCreating Digital and Multimedia Content” presentation (click here to see their resources). We learned SO much in these sessions and were excited to share what these two innovative instructors shared with us.

We decided to focus on the power of a few apps:

Knowing we wouldn’t be able to get to every app, we chose to have the teachers participate in a QR Code Scavenger Hunt. We had found examples of student-made projects using these apps so we linked to them using QR Codes. The codes were placed along the hall. The teachers were told to get into groups of no more than 4 and their job was to scan a code and match it to a description on their “hunt” sheet.

It is amazing how fast a group of teachers can move when there is the mention of a prize! We had one group back in less than 5 minutes! Of course, there was no way they could have listened to every link but they received the prize anyway. It was my fault! What I neglected to say before hand was that they should LISTEN at each station (my assumption was that they would do just that; should have known better – this is a very competitive group!!).

 

We were able to share pedagogy (objectives first then choose technology IF it’s appropriate) as well as explore some of the apps and brainstorm how they could be used in the classroom.

We have a phenomenal group of teachers and they were an awesome audience! As presenters, we had a fun morning. I’m looking forward to working with our educators as they implement iPad technology into their classrooms.

Our presentation:

 

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