Thing 19 Research and Reference

Diigo Browser                   EasyBib



MW Dictionary and Dictionary.com


EasyBib is just like the name EASY! I remember in college trying to make sure I had my citations right did I need MLA, APA...or whatever?? It was always so confusing. I would have gotten better grades with this app. Easybib took away all the guess work and was a breeze to use.

Dictionary apps MW and Dictionary.com of the two I liked MW the best. MW had nice large print and was very clear to use. MW doesn't have the buttons you need to push at the bottom they are already there in order as you scroll. I know if my first graders push a button they will end up going to an add. I don't like the ads on either one. When first graders are on the computer they are always distracted by the adds and they usually end up pushing a button and going somewhere they shouldn't.

Diigo Browser: I have been using this off and on for a while now. I have a few sites I've saved and use. I like that it doesn't matter what computer I am on I can get to my favorites with ease. It is a quick and easy way to save so you don't forget where it is at. I like the app it is also easy to use. I can share links with others and again it doesn't matter what computer I am on. Students can also use this site and save sites that they need for school while at school for use later at home. There is no need to print out addresses for students because they can go to the link. This makes it a time saver too. It is a great addition to the classroom at any grade level.

QR Codes and Augmented Reality

Qrafter 

QR codes can be used for a number of things. In my classroom I have used them for vocabulary, spelling, math, and science. Students can quickly scan and go to a site or take a photo and save a list for studying.

Spelling: Students scan the list and taking a screen shot and then use the list to write a story containing the words I have chosen. They also work in pairs one taking the screenshot and then the two of them go back to their seat and use educreation to write, draw, and record the word and use it in a sentence.

Science: Students quickly scan and go to a video on life cycles. They then use information to create a Popplet about what they have learned.

Math: Students use the qr code to quickly go to the math site and review and do math problem.

Augmented Reality FUN!!!





AR Flashcards and Aurasma

My first graders just love augmented reality apps. My favorite is Aurasma. I use this app for science. My first graders did animal reports and then made a diorama using all the information they gathered on their animal. Next in pairs I had them record each other reading their reports. We then used them as an overlay for their projects. Aurasma uses a trigger object and then the overlay appears. The overlay of them reading was awesome. My first graders then shared their reports with other classrooms as they came to our class and used the ipads to watch the Aurasma app in action. I must say we surprised a lot of teachers and students with our technology!!!!

Augmented reality is a great way to keep students on task.  At the beginning of the year I showed the kindergarten teacher the AR Flashcards I created and let her use them with the ipods in her classroom. She also saw how the students stayed on task and loved learning with technology!

Standards and Capstone

Common Core App

Using this app was easy. I like the way all of the standards are easily accessible and you can copy and paste them into your lesson plan. As we move forward into the Common Core this app allow me to review and organize my lessons in a quick way. I don't have to search through pages I just have to tap and there it is.












Lesson Plan

E. Budd Lesson

18 Study Skills & Visual Thinking

Quizlet and Popplet

Both of these tools will work well in my classroom. I chose to use our amazing words from Pearson for the
Vocabulary words and plan on working with my students to get the rest of ou word added to the list.
Popplet is a great tool for first graders to use in many ways. They can use it to show what they know like the one here on adjectives. We could do all sorts of language arts projects compare and contrast, nouns, and verbs and many more! My students liked using these apps and stayed focused during the activity. Popplet and Quizlet are apps that incorporate the SAMR really well. It gets us away from using paper, pencil and even adds the option to use no words and draw or use photos. For math my students will compare two and three demensional shapes. In social studies they will use photos of themselves yfor a timeline. Modification and redefinition are easy to see with Popplet and that is what I look for.

17 Creative Expression

 INKPAD

OMG was this hard to do! I am not the best at drawing on the ipad or moving objects around. Inkpad will definitely take some practice! There are lots of ways to use this app in the classroom I am just not sure first graders could use it effectively. I think the upper level grades and teachers would find it a great addition to a lesson or project. Students can use it in many ways. Science drawing and labeling the parts of plants, cells, and other items. In social stdies they might create brochures or posters using photos and adding their own editing. I know before I would use it in the classroom I would practice a lot more!

Garage Band
Wow! What an adventure. I didn't think I would ever figure this out well enough to post but I did it! This could be a great tool in the hands of a pro but this rookie had on hard time. I will continue to play with it and get it down to a science maybe by this summer. I do think in the hands of kids and someone who knows how to use it this is a wonderful tool and kids who have an ear for music will love it. Her is the link. I have to warn you I have never been consider much of a singer.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xnb72prx6f2wjya/Old%20McDonald%20Had%20a%20Square%20copy.m4a

16 Content Area Evaluating and Finding Apps

Sentence builder listed as Winner 2010 IEAR language Arts app of the year on APPitic
Place Value MAB 4 + rating in  iTunes store.
Endless Alphabet App Stores Edito's Choice

When it comes to apps I try hard to get them for free. I have installed Apps Gone Free and check it daily for specials. I also get free app offers from Through email from Brad JCISD EdTech Team. At McCulloch I am the go to person for the ipads and ipods. It is my responsibility to purchase apps through the volume purchase program. When I purchase apps for the cart I buy 30 at a time. Most apps are discounted by about half and I can get them for around 14.99 for a cart of 30. Depending on the app some discounts are less. It is very easy to use and gives me my balance so I know how much money is in our account. As a person who uses apps daily I am glad Apple offers this program it has allowed our school to purchase more apps at lower cost.
When teachers come to me asking about apps I can sit down with them and do an evaluation with them and we can check out reviews that other educators or companies like Apple have done. It is a nice tool to use and it makes it easier to see if apps are worth purchasing or not.

Thing 15 Assesment

Socrative

Five Question Quiz Before and After
I should have change my title to 10 more 10 Less but forgot to will go back and do it later. This is a short math quiz. I like that I can do a quick check over to see who knows 10 more 10 less. When I did this with the whole class it was fun to hear their reactions if they saw a wrong answer on the screen! It is nice that they have no idea who gives the wrong answer. I have also used this with my 3rd grade class a couple years ago. Students like the quick feed back.


Test results I only had a couple students do this for me the other day so it only shows the two.

A short true or false. Question was "Is 16 ten less than 25?"
These types of apps are very useful in the classroom and have some advantages to the basic raise your hand and answer the question verbal activity. Students enjoy the interaction and ability to make a mistake without everyone seeing who did it. Kids aren't afraid to make a mistake and I get more participation. Usually when I ask a question I see the same hands go in the air and with Socrative everyone will answer and no one sits back and waits for someone else. Of course there are also drawbacks. You have to be prepared if the app is not working. I have had times where some students get locked up and it doesn't work and there have been times when connection to the Internet has been a problem. So it is important to always have a back up plan in place just in case you have technical difficulties.

InfuseLearning
 
 
 
 
I tried InfuseLearning with 4 students. I like the way it worked more on the iPad because it was easier for my students to draw. My students liked the draw feature the best. It was easier to use the small stylist to draw on the iPad so most of them said the ipad was the best. On the computer you had to use the mouse and that was harder for my first graders. I can see a big advantage in using both Socrative and InfuseLearning in my classroom. It may take time to set up but once you have made your quizzes they are there to use year after year. I like the immediate feedback that students receive. Students see how well they know the material and we can quickly go over and review which areas they don't know. It helps me with the reteaching process. I don't have to sit and grade papers I can look at the screen and quickly know what to do as far as reteaching. Socrative and InfuseLearning are very similar in both features and connection. InfuseLearning offers a draw feature and Socrative doesn't. Both have quick response short answer ability and I like that. My favorite is InfuseLearning. I like that it has the draw feature for my 1st graders. I can say that both would be a great addition to any classroom and a quick assessment tool to use.