Popplet

Sometimes I find it difficult to use ithoughts, especially when I want students to brainstorm ideas. A great app that I like to use is popplet. It is very user friendly and allows you to put in pictures as well as colour code each web. There is a drawing tool, and text tool as well, which appear when you click on each individual box. You can export it as a PDF, or even save it in photos as a JPEG. The downside to this app is you can only have one at a time with the free version.

Aurasma- Book Reviews

If you have not yet seen Aurasma, it is an app that shows augmented reality. It is similar to a QR code scanner, except instead of scanning codes, you scan items. For example, I just started to use this with my LA class to do short book reviews. When you scan the item, a purple swirl appears, then the attached video or picture.

The students send me a short review (written or video) and a picture of their book through showbie and I upload each book review. I upload the reviews to a channel, which I have created. Each student needs to have the app and they need to follow my channel in order to see the Auras that have been posted. I post all student work to my channel to make it easier so they don't have to follow twenty or more channels.

I am also, testing a new project with their short stories and they are going to make them into a digital story using Aurasma. They will have one central picture, and when you scan a particular area, you will be able to hear/see the story unfold. In my sample of the "Three little Pigs", if you scan each section using aurasma, you will hear the story unfold before you. 

To see our class Auras follow Mrs.Sproll (channel on Aurasma), or come see me for help setting it up!

Student Binder-Notability

Notability can be organized like a binder, with subjects and sections within the subjects. Students can write, type, take a photo of the notes on the board, and what I really like, vocally record notes. Pretty easy to use, and answers to questions can be uploaded to Showbie for the teacher to mark.

Tests-Edmodo

Doing on-line tests is something I have been doing pretty exclusively for the last 5 years. I have learned from my daughters that it is also something that has become pretty standard at University. I have been using Google Docs but Edmodo has some pretty neat features. It allows the student to instantly see their score if it is a fill in the blank test, which would be useful for something like Mental Math or activating quizzes on major concepts. On-line quizzes save paper, can give instant feedback, provide a tracking system to monitor student progress and problem questions and multimedia material is easy to incooperate. See Kim for assistance!

Student Response-Socrative

Socrative, besides being a great name for teachers, seems to be a great way to get student response. Student responses from their iPad appear onto the screen. There are many different options available for student response. Students can use their name, respond anonymously (but the teacher can track that response too), or respond as part of a group. Students can give an opinion, give an answer, give ticket out the door, etc. I have seen some neat examples of this in Lisa's class.

Reading-Flipboard

Students can browse, for free, many online magazines. Students can search for their interest, curate collections, and share their reading collections with their classmates. With some tinkering, students can even create their own material to share. See Scott for details ;)

Dice

Teaching probability or playing a game? This free app, Dice, is easy to use and gives you the option of multiple die.