iPad As.... iPads have exploded throughout schools and classrooms. Their flexibility, versatility, and mobility make them a phenomenal learning tool. As teachers seek ways to integrate these devices, we recommend focusing on specific learning goals that promote critical-thinking, creativity, collaboration, and the creation of student-centric learning environments. In other words, begin with..... iPads improve special education at Coon Rapids school The addition of a few iPads to the special education toolbox has raised the achievement bar at Northdale Middle School in Coon Rapids. In the third year of their use there, the tablet computers have led to increased engagement among some of the most severely disabled students and have accelerated their learning. Other schools have made use of technology in special education, but Northdale is the "grass roots" of the iPad initiative in Anoka-Hennepin, said teacher Mary Fleegel, who has led the program along with speech language pathologist Kathryn McLachlan. In Fleegel's classroom for students with developmental and cognitive disabilities, students took turns last week matching pictures on a projector screen and their iPads to vocabulary words about desert biozones as part of a unit on ecosystems. "Rock," murmured eighth-grader Mohamed Omar when a boulder appeared on his screen. "With paper, some of them will just scrunch the paper," Fleegel said.
4 Reasons To Join Twitter Hashtag Chats One of the benefits of Twitter for educators has to be the professional development opportunities. By following individuals I have expanded my techniques and teaching tools. There is a further Twitter option – that of the “chat”. As a language teacher I have benefited immensely from the weekly opportunities found in the Thursday #langchat with MFL (modern foreign language) teachers. It reaffirms that I am on the right track: Teaching can often be a ‘solitary’ pursuit. I find approaches/ideas on a specific topic: Chats are really focused with a weekly theme voted on by participants. I get a look into the future: Many of my #langchat colleagues are in districts or positions that are ‘leaders’ in their field. It broadens my ‘colleagues’ circle: Although we may work as part of a school department, we may or may not have colleagues that have a similar teaching philosophy or approach. I invite you to find a ‘chat’ that interests you – your teaching will be the richer for it.
The 20 Best Education Apps And Web Tools Of The Year The following is an excerpt from the December issue of Edudemic Magazine. Download the issue for just $.99 to view the full issue and the rest of the list! Stay tuned (or download the magazine) for the best devices of the year! In our year‐end special issue, we’ve worked hard at assembling the best of the best. As you probably know, we publish an array of lists and resources on edudemic.com. It contains the best (in our opinion and what we’ve heard from educators around the world) resources you should know about. It’s the end of the year and that means you have a little extra time for the first time since summer. NOTE: These are in no particular order and the list is actually longer in the iPad Magazine. Evernote (Web, iOS, Android) Use it for: note taking/word processing, voice recording, photos (snapshots of teachers’s notes group work, etc), share work between teachers and students, organize and search all of your notes. Blackboard (Web, iOS, Android) You know Blackboard.
iPad Apps iPad Apps The Friendship Circle - The Special Needs iPad & Apps Series In only one year the Apple iPad has revolutionized the tech industry. 15 Million iPads have been sold and estimates are that within the next 3 years over 115 million tablets will be shipped... ..To try and make sense of all of this we have put together a nine part series on the iPad and useful applications. In this series we will try and provide guidance and resources that will make it easier for those looking for more information about the iPad, new apps and special education. See the series here: See many more links for valuable information on iPad apps on our page here: (scroll to bottom of page) Parents Share More Links: Deena Writes: Math: Miscellaneous:
Dispelling the Myths About 1:1 Environments In my last post, I shared what we learned last year during our 1:1 iPad and Google Apps for Education launches. In this post, I’d like to dispel myths about 1:1 environments. My assertions are not based on opinion, but on evidence directly observed in secondary classrooms at Burlington High School and from the students that traverse these halls daily. Myth 1: The Digital Generation Needs Technology False. I did not pull this evidence out of thin air. I like to quote Chris Lehman anytime technology integration comes up. Myth 2: The iPad is Simply a Tool False. When I presented this analogy to one of my help desk students, Hannah Lienhard, she responded by saying: I agree that both the iPad and the hammer occupy a finite space physically. Myth 3: It's Not a Distraction False. While they said it wasn't any different than looking out of a window or doodling in the margins of a notebook, the device presented a need for added self-control. The solution: Net Texts. False.
4 Ways to Increase Engagement In The Classroom Do you look out at your class and it seems as if only two or three students are listening to you? The rest are thinking about lunch, how to beat the next level on the video game, or when is your class going to end? Here are some ideas that might help you stimulate your classroom. Will it end all daydreaming? 1. Get away from the front of the room! Let the students know that you just might walk over to their desk and catch them texting, doodling, or daydreaming. 2. Raise your expectations about what your students are capable of! 3. Why am I learning this? 4. Here’s the thing to remember though, it’s not about the technology . Move, create critical thinkers, make real world connections, and incorporate technology as part of your classroom environment, and you should see your classroom come to life!
6 Apps That Teach Math Concepts For young learners, there are a plethora of apps out there to help learn how to count, and for older learners, often times a graphing calculator or scientific calculator app will do the trick. But what about all of those students in between? You know, the ones who already know how to count, but have to learn a multitude of math concepts that most of their parents have long forgotten? We’re taking a look at 6 apps that are easy to use and teach more than just counting. Geometry Pattern Blocks This app allows you to create virtual geometrical shapes using a grid. Fractions Fractions by Tap to Learn This app uses everyday items (like a pizza or an apple) to demonstrate and quiz users on fractions. Order of Operations Name That Number Name That Number is a game based learning tool where players use five number tiles to build number sentences that equal a target number. Estimation iEstimation Graphing, Mean/Median/Mode Graphs by Tap to Learn Multiplication Ghostblasters
Virtual classroom iPad App WizIQ have just announced the launch of the WizIQ Virtual Classroom App for iPad. The application is designed for students, giving them anytime, anywhere access to any WizIQ Virtual Classroom set up by their teacher. The WizIQ Virtual Classroom app offers all of the key features that users enjoy from their desktop web browsers without concern for Flash support on the iPad and all in the palms of their hands. If you haven’t seen WizIQ – it lets you set up online classes and run webinar sessions which your students can then access remotely initially via a PC but now also by this app. You can get a 30 day free trial of WizIQ to try it out, after that it’s a subscription service. With the app, students can: I had a quick play with the app today on my free trial account. The iPad app is free for WizIQ users. More here on the WizIQ blog. Let me know what you think in the comments below.
Some Schools Actually Want Students To Play With Their Smartphones In Class : All Tech Considered hide captionIn Durham, N.H., Oyster River Middle School seventh-graders Patrick Beary and Morgan Bernier play with StoryKit, a free app that helps middle-schoolers put together simple presentations, and elementary students make storybooks. Sam Evans-Brown/New Hampshire Public Radio In Durham, N.H., Oyster River Middle School seventh-graders Patrick Beary and Morgan Bernier play with StoryKit, a free app that helps middle-schoolers put together simple presentations, and elementary students make storybooks. If there is one thing that the mobile-computing era has made clear, it's that kids love touch screens. Because those touch screens — smartphones, iPads, Kindles and the like — are an inevitable added distraction to the classroom, schools across the country are struggling to deal with the growing prevalence of the technology. But a growing number of schools are embracing these hand-held, Internet-ready devices by creating policies that put them to use in the classroom.