A lot of times, I get questions about where to find new tools and approaches. While seemingly everyone knows the information is free and open on the Web, it is difficult to find what you want amongst the barrage of information. None of us have time to spend hours sifting through Google search results for a new tool or approach. So it's important that we have some quick go-to's that can reward us within five to ten minutes.
Aggregators
Whether or not you're familiar with the term, aggregators are all over the internet. A large portion focus solely on news. For example, if you type in news.google.com, you'll get an aggregation of current news from around the world that are usually ranked by current and historical trends and importance. Many other sites like the Huffington Post attempt to be a blend where contributors weigh in or reflect on a topic before sending you off via the link to the original content.
If you apply this concept to edTech, you end up with something like edshelf.com. Edshelf is an aggregator for edTech tools for your classroom. They're sortable and searchable to help you quickly find what you need or would like to try.
Quick Search
Edshelf is a small company run by a couple of teachers who needed a way to separate the wheat from the chaff in regards to edTech. You can sort tools by type, level or subject. You can also view "Collections" of tools (similar to Pinterest) put together by other educators. Each tool has a summary and important information as well as reviews from other teachers. Here what's I really like:
Easy & Quick to Find the Tool You Need
More Accurate Reviews than the App Store
Collections Link Similar Apps or Tools
The overview video below really details how to use edshelf and what it can do. You can try it for yourself at edshelf.com.
Everyone needs a cheat sheet from time to time. I've been assembling some cheat sheets for technology technology tools we use. They are a mixture of things I've created or found. All of these tools are housed in the staff technology knowledge base.
In addition, the tech page also has copies of posts from this blog, Moodle help, and many other items relating to technology use in the district. So, it is a resource you definitely should be aware of.
Knowledge Base
The knowledge base is located on the staff intranet under the Technology link. The knowledge base has links, cheat sheets and videos for training and help. Here are some recent additions...
No problem. Click the Subscribe to Page Changes button the first time you visit. From then on, each time a link or cheat sheet is added, you'll receive a notification email in your Gmail inbox.
I've written and provided tutorials in the past about tools you can use to provide video instruction in your class. As a refresher, the reason to do video tutorials is to provide either direct instruction or support materials to students outside of class. So, either the students are watching the instruction/demo at home to provide time for individualized support in class or the videos serve as a support for students at home to review lessons. Either way, you have to invest the initial time of recording yourself giving the lesson or demonstration.
I Hate My Voice on Tape
One basic roadblock for a lot of people besides the time is that they have Home-Answering-Machine-Syndrome and hate hearing their own voice on an audio recording let alone video. They aren't very excited about having multiple videos of themselves giving lectures or demonstrations playing in the background of their class as they walk around and help kids. However, there is a solution.
Video Lessons without.... You
You do not need to make a tutorial with you in it to get the same benefits of having video lessons available for your students. There are many sites that help you make a video lesson with the following components.
Video Lesson Parts
An educational video from the Web that is professionally produced
A place for students to interact by taking notes, answering teacher generated questions or participate in some sort of activity in the same spot as the video
A place for all of the student work to get back to the teacher for grading or discussion
Tools
Let's talk tools. For this, I'm going to split the tools available into two categories: Low-Input and High More-Input.
Low Input Tools
Tools with a low input don't require much time. Basically, the video is there and you add comprehension or discussion questions to the video. It can act as a quiz or just reinforcement of learning goals. It's really fast and looks great.
VideoNot.es - A side-by-side notetaking tool for students watching a video
YouTube Questions - Add questions/quiz to YouTube Videos
BLubbr.tv - Yes, I know... unfortunate name but a good tool for adding comprehension and study questions.
TED-Ed - Hopefully you're aware of TED talks but you may not know they have a lesson creator
High More Input Tools
These tools may require a little more time but they allow you to string multiple videos together into one lesson and add things to your activity besides basic text. They still rely on simple drag and drop technology which make them very easy to use for anyone.
If you're looking for a fun alternative to common review activities, try Kahoot.
Kahoot is a fun and extremely simple online quiz game which can be used for learning-checks, end of unit review, or general formative assessments. It is very easy and fast for teachers to set up a quiz/review activity and easy for even the youngest kids to use. And did I mention that it's a game (i.e. fun)?
If you're looking for something different than Jeopardy and faster to set up than some kind of template based game, Kahoot will work well for you. Plus, this is a great way to use student devices in class; you don't need to check out the iPads or computers to make this work. Since the teacher puts in his own questions, it will work for any subject.
How it Works
1. A teacher creates an account on the Kahoot website (for free) and creates a new "Kahoot" or activity for kids. 2. The teacher enters in questions (as many or few as he wishes) and receives a code for his Kahoot. 3. Kids go to Kahoot.it on any device and type in the code to start playing.
That's it.
Students watch the questions on the front board and choose the color square on their device to answer. Answers are awarded points based on time to respond and if they got the correct answer. A leader board is shown after each question.
Students need to self enroll for each class/teacher. The process works the same each time so after completing the process once or twice, it will become very quick and easy. It should take approximately 5 minutes once logged into a computer. It can be done at school or at home.
Google Accounts & Username/Password
Student user/password credentials are pulled from their Google Accounts. There is no additional username/password to keep track of. Students must use their new isd186.org accounts in order for Moodle to work, though.
Moodle: Logging-in & Self-Enrolling
Getting into Moodle
1. Open Google Chrome and log-in to Google Apps. You should see your name in the upper right if you're logged in. (If the log-in screen doesn't come up, go to: accounts.google.com)
2. Navigate to Moodle by going to the district website (www.isd186.org) or your school's website and clicking students on the right.
3. On the Moodle homepage, click "Student & Staff login" on the bottom left.
**You should wait for the slideshow to start moving before logging in as important information will be displayed here.
If a Google Box pops up asking if it's ok, click "Accept" and the Moodle homepage will load.
Enrolling in a class
Students need to enroll in their teacher's class before they will be able to see their teacher's Moodle page, resources and assignments. To do this:
1. Go to the list of classes by clicking here. or type in http://goo.gl/lb4YtR (capitalization matters)
2. Navigate through the folders to get to the department or grade you want. Example: High School > Math >
3. When you've arrived at the right grade or department, you will see a list of classes. Towards the right of each class, there are two icons: Clicking the "i" will expand the block so you can see the teacher, syllabus, etc. Clicking the key will enroll you in the class.
4. When you enroll, it will ask for a "enrollment key." Ask your teacher for this 6 digit code.
You will automatically be taken into the class and it will appear in "My Classes." Repeat this step for each class.
Welcome to a new school year with its initial wave of tech issues. I want to make you aware of two features on the tech intranet page that will be of help. So before sending out that support ticket, check:
Known Issues - These are large scale issues that we're already working on or others have already sent in tickets for. If the item is in Known Issues, that means:
1. We're already working on it, it doesn't require a ticket, and the solution will be posted when found.
2. We've got a call into the vendor and are waiting on them to fix it or respond.
3. We've fixed it and you can find the solution without having to send in a ticket.
Knowledge Base - When we have something that people ask about frequently, we post a solution or training in our Knowledge Base. I just posted an article Josh wrote about printing issues in there this morning. This would be a good place to start before sending in the ticket. We add more articles or videos in as time goes on (this is all new with the new intranet), so check back occasionally.
Moving to Moodle district-wide is one of the biggest new items in the technology world here in the district. It can easily be a large source for a nasty ball of stress that sits in your chest. But it shouldn't be. Despite being new to most of us and requiring the learning of some new skills, incorporating Moodle is a positive and exciting thing. We're moving forward by leaps and bounds towards developing 21st Century Learning skills, meaningfully integrating technology into our daily work, and providing a platform for the kind of personalized learning that has become a cornerstone of the educational landscape of the future.
It's a pretty big deal, but we just have to remember that this sort of thing takes years not days or weeks and that we'll get there eventually. So as we get started with this new school year, we need to take deep breath and realize that moving forward with Moodle is a series of small steps towards an eventual goal not a jump into the abyss.
A Big Deal
The ability to use a singular LMS like Moodle across the district means just one tool for staff and students to learn no matter the grade, department or building. Even though students will be experiencing Moodle in different ways throughout the district, the skills required to access and interact with the material will be the same and will carry forward as students progress through the grades.
The downside to this approach is always the loss of some specific function or capability unique to a class. For example: "With program X I could do A, B, & C but with Moodle, I can do A and B but am unsure if I can do C or C seems more complicated." This concern is not lost, however it seems a fair trade when one considers how quickly ed tech can become overwhelming for students and families. We have seen that parents quickly become overwhelmed by technology with which they are unfamiliar, thus inundating them with lots of software that is unique to a building, grade, or classroom results in lower overall engagement. So, it is my hope that as we integrate Moodle (including providing opportunities for parent learning on Moodle and Skyward) parents and students across grades and buildings will begin to feel more comfortable with technology. They will begin to realize that we use Google Apps(including the new website), Skyward and Moodle across the board and those three things take care of about 95% of all the information and material that makes up our daily work; thus it's about getting comfortable with three programs rather than 25.
Moodle & The Summer Slide
Sunny summer days work like a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, wiping away things you need to know now. If you are struggling to get going with Moodle this year, don't worry. I've created a spot in the staff intranet just for Moodle.
Here you can find important information and help with issues specific to Moodle. On the left you will find information for adding video trainings on various software such as Moodle, Google Apps, Skyward, and the digital curriculum systems. This means you can self-enroll in Moodle for these trainings so they show up on the home screen of your Moodle or under "My Classes."
The right-hand column has a Moodle Training playlist from the Tech Integration YouTube channel. The bottom has a searchable Frequently Asked Questions area. I will continue to add as more questions come in.
Moodle & Student Accounts
One of the major reasons we moved students to the isd186.org domain is so they will not have yet another user name and password. They will log into Moodle using the same process as staff (i.e. click the login button on the bottom left of the moodle.isd186.org page).
Students will begin the year with a completely blank Moodle, that is they will have no classes added. They will add their own classes using the same process as staff. So you may want to try adding a course/training in your own Moodle to see how it works. I will provide a .pdf handout for you to use when you're ready to have your students enroll and will make a tutorial video on the front page of Moodle explaining the process for students. Once a student enrolls in your class, it will immediately take them into the class to view your Moodle page.
Just as a heads up, you'll need computers and 15 minutes of class time. Most kids that get logged in will complete it in 5 minutes.
1. Students login to the computers, login to their Google acct, and then navigate to Moodle via the district Website.
2. They click the link posted in Moodle to take them to the master course list.
3. They navigate to your class and click the key/door icon.
4. They type in the course key number (available on the staff Moodle help page) and are enrolled.
That's it.
Most kids are set to be enrolled for a year and will automatically be removed in the summer. If you have a semester course or kids drop, I will show you how to remove students.
Moodle & Intervention/SpEd
SpEd teachers & Interventionists will be added to classes as needed and by request. The purpose for this is for these folks to have access to the resources and materials that are being assigned to kids on their caseload. For example, Student A heads to resource and doesn't have the study guide assigned by Teacher X. Teacher Y simply opens up that Moodle page and low-and-behold, there's the study guide. Of course, a crucial link in the chain is that the study guide is there as a .pdf, .doc, or GoogleDoc.
GenEd Teachers:
If you see a staff member added to your Moodle Course, realize it is because of IEP, 504, or intervention needs. This teacher does not have access to change, alter, or delete your materials or information. They do have more permission than a student and are able to access sections or items that are hidden. This can be very useful as you can post assignments with accommodations/interventions as required by IEP/504 and leave them hidden. The general population cannot see them but the SpEd teacher can along with any notes you provide.
If you would like to add paras that are in your classes and would need the same access, please send me their name and the class to which to add them.
SpEd Teachers/Interventionists:
In order to get you added to the courses you need, I will need a list of the courses to which you need to be added.
Well, it's that time again and here we are back in the classroom. In order to help you through some of the changes and new things, I will be doing a series of posts this week and next on helping staff get settled with tech for the new year. Some of it will be new information and the rest will be reminders and quick tips from trainings we've done previously. If you haven't already, please subscribe to make sure you're receiving all the updates.
First things first:
"My computer has been re-imaged. What do I do next?"
Pick Up Your Device
Make sure you've received your device. If you haven't, HS/ML teachers will need to pick theirs up from Brenda's lab and EV teachers will need to pick theirs up in the 3rd Grade lab.
Either way, Josh will need to log you in the first time due to some settings changes that have taken place. This will get you logged onto the secure network for staff.
Websites and Homepages
We've spent a lot of time working on new websites over the last year. We have a new district site, activities site, site for each school, staff intranet site, Moodle site.... well, you get the picture.
You probably want to start with one or two of these sites every morning when you log in. To do this, you will need to set Chrome to open automatically and the new website homepage(s) as your homepage when you open Chrome. Below is a video to help you through this.
Access Your Backed-Up Files
Most staff last year chose to back up their files via Google Drive. If you haven't already, you'll need to access those files to get rolling for this year. You have three options this year for working with your Drive files:
Continue working through drive.google.com to access, edit and download files as necessary.
Use the Google Drive application now on your computer as a "server folder" of sorts to store and access your files from programs such as Word.
Do a mass download of your backed-up files bringing them all back onto your computer.
If you choose number 1, you don't need to do anything special right now. However, options 2 and 3 need a little help. We will start with option 3 first.
If you want try option 2 (which is my recommendation if you use Word or Excel a ton and don't like GoogleDocs), this will get you started.
Miscellaneous
A few more items for today's post:
1. There are two networks now, please make sure that your teacher computer is using the secured (not open) network. The open network is being heavily filtered at this point and you may find things you need inadvertently blocked or slow.
2. Printers can still be added as before by teachers. (This is important as your list of printers has likely disappeared). Please remember to get your requests in early to Carol.
3. Future posts will address things like Google and Moodle, but remember all of your spring tech trainings in Moodle (i.e. the tutorials) are still available.
No time to take your students on a field trip? No funds to go to that awesome event? Can't bring in a guest speaker because they live in L.A.?
No Problem!
Virtual Field Trips
Virtual field trips have been around for some time and often involve students individually navigating to a monuments's website and taking the virtual tour. Virtual tours offer panoramic views of a monument or museum in stunning detail. If you have never heard of a virtual field trip or tour before, check out this link of the virtual tour of the Château de Chenonceau in France.
I used this tour frequently in one of my units on Renaissance architecture. Notice how you can move between rooms, pan, and zoom in great detail. Visitors of any virtual tour are treated to important historical information as they would be if physically there. Many, many monuments, parks and historical sites in several countries have virtual tours available including most national monuments and museums in the US. You can find them by visiting the monument or museum's website and looking for "Virtual Tour."
One major detractor though of virtual field trips has always been that they are rather stale. Even though students can maneuver around a site themselves and get information, it is done without any interaction or personal touch from a guide, docent, etc. Thus, the information presented, while beautiful and informative, isn't always the most engaging to students. There is usually no expert answering your questions and providing those personal tales that are often the most memorable part of a tour.
Enter Google Connected Classrooms
Watch this introduction:
Wow, right?
This truly amazing opportunity is free from Google and can be done in any classroom in the district -- whether as a live event or to be viewed after the fact. It uses Google Hangout video conferencing (similar to Skype), a computer, and a projector. That's it. And it's free.
What a great culminating activity for students to be able to see their learning in the real world, travel to places they may never get to, & hear from experts in the field!
If you are interested in setting up a Google Connected Classroom field trip or need help with any other virtual field trip, please email me.
In the past, GoogleDocs has been criticized for being somewhat of a lightweight when it comes to working on research papers. Typically, students would use Word to type the paper and then find some other option for generating bibliographies/works cited. Most people have heard of/used the Citation Machine at some point and many others have used EasyBib. Still others have fiddled away with the resources functions within Microsoft Word. EasyBib was really by far the best option of those three since it allows students more flexibility in finding and tracking their sources over multiple projects. It's easy to use and has been a stand-by of many English teachers for some time.
I did an earlier demo on how to add EasyBib (or other apps) as a Google Chrome app. This allows students to access the EasyBib website and log in automatically using their Chrome profile.
Now, GoogleDocs allows several options when it comes to research and works cited pages. There is a Google-based version that maximizes Google Search and Google Scholar allowing kids to search the web from within their document. There is also now the ability to use EasyBib as an "add-on" within the doc itself. The benefit of either is that students don't need to leave their document while working on it and waste time copying and pasting URLs.
These features aren't only for high school students working on research papers. There are image search functions that allow kids to search for images while also learning to cite them when adding them to there work (21st Century Skills). So students using GoogleDocs for projects, flyers, or brochures may also use these new features.
The add-ons are growing every day. If you find an add-on that works well for you, share it in the comments below.
Problem: I need something for student brainstorming activities, students' project planning, or organizational activities. Students are on all kinds of different devices, what can I use?
Solution: Lucid Chart
Lucid Chart is a browser-based software tool that allows students and teachers to create simple and complex diagrams easily. Since it is browser-based, students can use any device that is connected to the internet. This frees up kids to work from school or home on projects without worrying about whether the computer at home has the right software.
Here are some key features that make Lucid Chart a great tool:
Even though it is browser-based, it integrates with Google Drive. This means students can start the project from Drive, save it there, and share it when it is grading time.
Unlike many other tools that do essentially the same thing, Lucid Chart doesn't require students to create a free account and remember more passwords and login info.
The interface is drag-and-drop based. Students can easily move, resize, and edit objects and text. This is especially useful on smaller/mobile devices.
Lucid Chart can be a simple and easy to use tool for the following activities:
Brainstorming
Outlining or Note-taking
Categorizing or Sorting
Time-lining
Planning or Designing Products or Processes
Here is a demo:
Another Problem: I need a tool for creating brochures, a flyer, an announcement or an invitation. I don't have Publisher -OR- my students have different devices. Do you have a suggestion?
Solution: Lucidpress
Microsoft Publisher has been a favorite for the above tasks for some time due to its ability to take out the annoying formatting issues of creating the above products in a word processor. Publisher was one of the first to treat all objects and items as independent floating boxes that could be repositioned or resized without affecting other images or text.
Currently, Word incorporates many of these features, but neither Word nor Publisher will help if you have students on an iPad. With many of our secondary subject teachers with a cart of Chromebooks, Office products won't be able to help. Additionally, they both have very complex interfaces that can be difficult for younger students to grasp. This, of course, is the trade off with having a software tool that can do so much.
Enter Lucidpress-
(Shout-out to Karen R for finding it and trying it out with her students)
Like Lucid Chart, Lucidpress is a browser-based tool that is free and will work anywhere a student has an internet connection. It is also integrates with Drive, so students do not need to create new profiles and remember passwords. The files can be stored in Google Drive and shared with teachers for Grading.
Anything created can be printed, but this isn't the intention of the software. Digital brochures or flyers have the ability to be animated which takes the information to the next level. Students can have text, blocks, shapes or images move or act as buttons for links to websites. Students can also embed YouTube videos into their flyer or brochure which might link to a video of themselves performing, creating their project, or explaining their findings.
Lucidpress works well for any assignments that are more creative and require students to use a desktop publisher. Products such as:
Brochures
Flyers
Announcements
Small Posters
Handouts
Invitations
Visual Aids
Here is a demo:
Both of these tools have been added to your Google Drive under the Create button. Your students will find them there as well.
As always, if you've used either of these tools and would like to share, please post a comment below.
Death by PowerPoint - It's report/project season and that means many students will be dragging their feet up to the front of the classroom with 15- 50 slides of solid text in PowerPoint which they will read in a monotone voice while seemingly inspecting their shoelaces. Those awake at the end manage some applause and the next student takes his turn at drudgery. Repeat ad infinitum.
While there are certainly exceptions, project presentations via PowerPoint can be brutal for both students and teachers who have to sit through five sections of presentations for a couple of days. As the graphic below shows, this problem is on an upward trend.
Figure 1: PowerPoint Deaths from Boredom by Year
So this begs the question: What else is out there?
Here are two browser based options and two mobile app based options that allow students to spice up their presentations without making the task of creating them overwhelming.
Prezi
Prezi has been around for quite awhile now but is still a great tool for an easy alternative to PowerPoint. It is browser based and thus works anywhere that has an internet connection. It is free but students and teachers will need to create an account. It is generally intuitive and students/staff well-versed with PowerPoint will have no trouble. You can even import your old PowerPoints and start spicing them up. Check out the basics (click the link below the logo):
PowToon is a newer player in the presentation market but has caught on with schools due to its focus on animation. Unlike Prezi or PowerPoint which focus on text plus "other stuff", PowToon focuses on the "other stuff" first. It provides dynamic moving characters and sounds for actions. This makes the presentation seem more fluid and lively. Just like Prezi, it is browser based and very easy to use. Kids can import pictures or videos and the animations are selected from templates. Finally, my favorite element is that they have allowed Google Drive integration so projects can be saved and shared in Drive greatly adding to the flexibility of this tool. Check out the basics (click the link below the logo):
iMovie is an option depending on which lab you're using or if kids have the software at home. The templates make it extremely easy to make a video based presentation. I've found this to be a powerful tool for students too afraid to speak in front of the class. It requires a little more know-how, but can make a great option for certain projects or students requiring alternative options due to individualized plans. iMovie goes "in between" here (and isn't counted in my total) since it is available on certain iPads or desktops/laptops.
Flowboard (Flipboard) & HaikuDeck
Looking for something simple? These two have got you covered. These two apps focus on form over function. Thus they can be limited in what they do, but will always give you awesome looking presentations. They are both simple enough for young students to create presentations once they have the account sign-in thing figured out. (Hint: You may want to create a "class profile" and let students use the some login in the elementary).
Both Flowboard and HaikuDeck offer stunning images for backgrounds behind the text. They also offer image or video imports which covers the lion's share of features most students use in PowerPoint. Flowboard has more layout and customization options while HaikuDeck is better suited to younger children. The apps are only mobile based so kids or teachers have to use iPads and will use Reflector to play their presentations on screen.
Check out the following demo I did for both of these apps. As always, if you use any of these apps in class, please share how you use them with your students.
iPad apps are often a dime a dozen in that they have limited functions and often require teachers to sort through endless apps that essentially do the same thing. Then, after an app is found, a teacher quickly finds out all that it can'tdo. So, we're often left with the choice between adapting our teaching to the tool or spending more time finding a new tool.
Apps & software that are extremely flexible are always my first choice since I want the tool to support me not the other way around. If that app is flexible and fast, it goes on the shortlist. For this post, I'm sharing three go-to's when it comes to teacher apps that support instruction. These guys are super flexible, fast, and something I use/used on a daily basis.
If you use any of these apps, please comment below on how you use them in your classroom.
Baiboard
Want the ultimate hands free whiteboard solution? Baiboard is about as close as you can get right now. This app when used in conjunction with Reflector on your computer makes your iPad a wireless whiteboard that has the capability to write, draw, type text, and manipulate shapes which will display on your board using your projector. Plus, you can export your drawings, notes, etc. to a .pdf which can be posted or mailed to students for use later on.
Baiboard works great if you start with a .pdf file or a picture of something as the background. You can draw over the top, highlight, circle, etc. It is very effective for giving instructions or providing clarification to students (and their parents). I used to project a document from my doc cam onto the whiteboard and then write on top of it to point out mistakes, show examples, etc. Baiboard lets me do that while walking around the classroom. I can take a picture of students' work at their desks and correct it on the board without ever getting near the whiteboard itself.
And did I mention it is collaborative? Baiboard lets kids work on a whiteboard simultaneously via a "meet" which is great for group work or just having one teacher iPad and one student iPad this is passed from student to student during a discussion or activity. It makes it very easy to share and show work during discussions, brainstorming, or mind-mapping activities.
Check out the video tutorial to learn more.
Skitch
Skitch is very similar to Baiboard. It allows the teacher to take a picture of a document and annotate over the top. It exports and saves like Baiboard but lacks the collaboration features and some of the more advanced shapes functions. So why use it over Baiboard? I have three reasons:
1. Skitch's biggest bonus is that it exports directly to Evernote. So if you already use Evernote for yourself or your class, you can export your Skitch files as notes that will be saved in Evernote and can be assigned tags or timers. This is great for keeping track of notes, discussions, or instructions in an extremely organized fashion.
2. Skitch's simplicity is also a big bonus. Limited options mean there is a greater focus on graphics that stand out. Skitch can be quicker if you plan on using it sparingly in class. Plus, its big colorful shapes, arrows, and checks can't be missed even by students in the back of the room.
3. Pixelate - Yes, like on TV. Skitch allows teachers to pixelate over names or other personal information which means I can use student work regularly as exemplars on the board/projector without worrying about student privacy issues.
Check out this video tutorial.
ScreenChomp
Yet another awesome app from the guys that developed Coach's Eye, Jing, and Camtasia; ScreenChomp is an app for creating video tutorials. So, if you have been using Skitch and Baiboard to help you give instructions, tell kids how to watch out for common mistakes, etc., ScreenChomp will take it a step further. You can add audio and make the narrated notes available for students to access later during school or at home.
ScreenChomp provides teachers a way to make instructional videos to explain concepts, give notes, or provide differentiated instruction for the "already meets" and "does not meet" kids. It works great for students who regularly receive support services through another teacher/para and need to hear instructions/explanations multiple times. In a classroom, it provides a vehicle for teachers to split the class into groups and have each group receive different instructions/direct instruction from the same teacher simultaneously.
Plus, it is easy and fast. If you can take a picture on your phone, you can make a tutorial with ScreenChomp. Check out this tutorial video (broken into two parts).
One difficult thing with extended review for large units or semester exams is a long study guide. While a necessity, it often bogs down the flow of a class when it comes time to go through it for correction/grading.
While students may have similar questions on a problem, a lot of time is typically spent justifying the work by going through every question or answering one-offs from individual students in a large group setting. It would be more efficient to be able to focus only on the questions that many students had questions on.
iWorksheet is an iPad app that offers an alternative. I can take a picture of my study guide or an alternate test (which I would often use as a study guide) and then plug in the correct answers. The answers are only available via multiple choice which can be limiting, but with review, formatting tends to lend itself to this due to the sheer size of information to be covered.
To be clear, this is a homework or review app only. It doesn't track data. It doesn't make spreadsheets or put information in a gradebook. It won't work for long form writing. It does offer a way for students to complete the review in a self-paced manner providing instant feedback when they've completed it. Students will always have access to the answers which requires some thought for grading if you grade review/study guides. Plus, it frees up the teacher from the drudgery of going through every problem in a review.
This app is installed on teacher and cart iPads at the ML and HS. Check out this video tutorial to learn more. If you use iWorksheet, please comment at the bottom of this post and share how you use it in your classroom.
While iPads do have a calculator installed (as do Macs), sometimes you need something with a little more power (i.e. functionality). Desmos offers a great graphing calculator tool that is available on both iPads and as an extension that integrates with Google Drive.
Besides providing graphing functions, it also integrates the ability to save one's work in the Drive version. Younger users can take advantage of the table function to plot data in Math or Science courses.
When it comes to functions, the calculator integrates several common functions and provides sliders which allow students to see the effects of changing variables within an equation or function. Below is an example of the interface in the calculator.
An Example of Desmos' User Interface
I created two videos that explain the features of both the iPad app and Drive version further. If you use the calculator, please comment below on how you integrate it into your classes.
Class Dojo & Tally Pad: iPad Apps for Elementary (& ML)
Class Dojo
Class Dojo is a behavior tracking app primarily aimed at Elementary and Middle Level students. It allows real-time tracking of behaviors in class. It also has the ability to track behavior over time and show a breakdown of behaviors over time. The image on the right shows the interface where teachers track both positive and negative behaviors throughout a class period.
Behaviors come with default settings but can be customized to fit the needs of teachers or specific courses. Additionally, teachers can share "classes" of students so that student behaviors can be tracked throughout different classes.
Watch the following tutorial for more information. If you use Class Dojo, please comment below on how you use it and how it is working for you. Class Dojo is installed on the classroom iPads at Eagle View but can be installed at the ML (or HS) if requested.
Tally Pad
Tally Pad is an iPad app that acts as a flexible counting tool for teachers. It allows teachers to keep track of points or a score during a class. Teachers can also use it as a tool for working with money, counting, budgeting, voting or as a rubric scorer.
Take a look at the images below to see the various way Tally Pad can be configured. If you need to count during a class or keep track of points, Tally Pad is a simple and fast app that will likely meet your needs.
Please take a look at the video tutorial below to learn more. If you use Tally Pad, please share below in the comments what you use it for and how it works for you. Eagle View but can be installed at the ML if requested.
Writing Wizard - An iPad app for Letter/Number Formation
Writing Wizard is an app for letter and number formation that allows students to practice tracing letters, numbers and shapes. It also has a limited number of words to trace.
Tracing can be done with fingers or, when focusing on pencil grip, can be done using a capacitive stylus.
The app traces the letter/number first and the allows the child to write over the top. Upon completion, there are shapes or colors that fall off of the letter and become manipulatives.
Teachers have the capability to adjust the level of difficulty, size and a few other options.
Currently this app is on the the Kindergarten iPads and cart. Please comment (below) in the blog if you have found this app to be useful or ways that you use it.
