The Must-Have App Review Rubric Added by Jeff Dunn on 2011-11-22 So you just downloaded a few educational apps that you think might be useful in your classroom. How do you accurately compare and contrast them? Thanks to a new app review rubric from by eMobilize , it’s easier than ever to understand just how useful an app may be in the classroom. On a related note, the Edudemic Directory features many educational apps and lets you quickly compare them to see how they stack up. I’ve rewritten the original rubric from eMobilize and tailored it to fit all school districts. Download The Rubric Here (PDF) Overview of the App App Title: App Publisher/Developer: Version: Link to App Store: Curriculum Compliance Yes/ No – Is it relevant to the curriculum framework? Operational Yes/ No – Is navigation easy? Pedagogy Yes/ No – Does the material accommodate diverse ways in which students learn? Comments are closed.
Ways to Evaluate Educational Apps I am conducting a series of workshops in Florida and was asked to share a rubric to help teachers evaluate educational apps as part of the workshop. In 2010 Harry Walker developed a rubric, and I used his rubric (with some modifications by Kathy Schrock) as the basis for mine. (Read Harry Walker's paper Evaluating the Effectiveness of Apps for Mobile Devices.) I kept in mind that some apps are used to practice a discrete skill or present information just one time. Others are creative apps that a learner may use again and again, so it's a challenge to craft a rubric that can be used for a wide span of purposes. My rubric also emphasizes the ability to customize content or settings and how the app encourages the use of higher order thinking skills. Here's what I chose to spotlight in my rubric: Relevance The app’s focus has a strong connection to the purpose for the app and appropriate for the student Customization Feedback Student is provided specific feedback Thinking Skills Engagement Sharing
Documentation! We're thinking about replacing the word “assessment” with the word “documentation.” As one of my fellow teachers (thank you Monica!) often says... there can be good assessment and there can be bad assessment. Assessment (as in testing) is generally one-sided: teachers give assessments to students to test understanding of specific material in order to provide data for our school grading environments. Let's call this type of classroom culture the Assessment Culture. Assessment Culture classrooms let students get really good at two things: 1. 2. It's time for a new classroom culture - we should try to create a classroom that has a culture of thinking, creating, and learning. How do we create a classroom culture that includes documentation? iPads are a great tool for documentation and not just because there are so many great apps. Here are some ways to create a classroom culture of documentation. Evernote: start by setting up a folder for each student and keeping your iPad handy.
iPads in the Classroom are Changing the Face of Education Posted 04/18/2012 at 8:59am | by Florence Ion How two school districts in Maine are adopting the iPad in the classroom and changing the face of education What springs to mind when you hear the phrase “technology in education?” Is it an outdated Windows computer collecting dust in the back corner of a classroom? Software that’s nothing more than overly animated flashcards? iPad owners know how entertaining the tablet is, but many are just learning of the powerful potential the device has shown in reforming education. Kindergartners in Auburn, Maine trade off reading a paperback book and using the iPad 2. In Maine--one of the first places to fully implement a one-to-one laptop curriculum--schools across the state are replacing static paper textbooks and bulky Dell laptops for the slimmer, faster, and more dynamic iPad. The study lasted for only nine weeks, but the results showed that the iPad can initiate positive change. Three high school students type their answers into an iPad app.
Jumping the Good Ship Android | Technoteaching A brief summary of our 1:1 project so far. In August 2012 we rolled out 140 Toshiba AT-100 Android devices to our entire S1 cohort as part of a pilot 1:1 tablet program for Edinburgh Council. The project has been very successful and we have seen some fantastic ways in which learning has changed for this year group. For more detail on the initial stages of the project, see the blog posts summarising each of the 4 phases: Planning, Preparation, Implementation and Review. There have also been very positive media articles via STV online and Edinburgh Evening News. Hull University have been evaluating the project on behalf of the authority and their interim report has also been exceptionally positive. Given this positive impact, we have now started the planning process for a second phase with a view to rolling out 1:1 mobile devices to a further year group. When we initially evaluated the mobile platforms early in 2012, the word was that Glow 2 was going to be built around Google Apps. 1.
Creating an iTunes Store, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store account without a credit card Learn what to do if you don't want to associate a payment method with your iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store accounts. When you use your Apple ID to sign in to the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store for the first time, you're asked to enter a payment method so that you can purchase items from the store. Follow these steps if you don't want to associate a payment method with your account. Apple recommends using only one Apple ID for all Apple features and services that use Apple ID. If you don’t remember if you have an Apple ID, we’ll help you find it. A credit card is required to set up accounts for children. If you already have an Apple ID If you've already created your Apple ID, you'll need to add a payment method when you first use it to sign in to the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store. If you don't have an Apple ID If you haven't created your Apple ID, follow the steps below to create one and a store account at the same time, without adding a payment method.
10 Tips for Teachers Using Evernote – Education Series Posted by Michael Cruz on 13 Jan 2011 Comment Michael Cruz is a great example of someone that has fully embraced the benefits of putting technology to use in a classroom setting. For five years, he taught courses at San Jose State University’s College of Business ranging from web marketing to entrepreneurship. He now focuses on technology and productivity. Evernote is a great application for educators. As a teacher, my Evernote use falls into three categories: Prior to classDuring classAfter class Prior to class Plan and organize your classes with tags: Using tags is a great way to organize your classes on a week-to-week basis or on a class-by-class basis. During Class Share a notebook with your class: After you create a public notebook, share the URL with your class. After Class Simplify grading: Scan graded tests, including scantrons and add them to Evernote. To get more productivity tips for teachers you can visit my website and sign up for my e-mail list.
Planet iPad: Edudemic Magazine May Issue Now Available! | Education Technology, Apps, Product Reviews, and Social Media – Edudemic Edudemic Magazine is the single best source of progressive education coverage available anywhere–written for educators, by educators. Our May issue features more content than ever–including an updated “iPad Spectrum,” Inigral’s Michael Staton and his framework on “Unbundling Education,” and a slew of other exciting content, including: Disruption Scale We rank 21 recent education initiatives for their potential to (helpfully) disrupt education. Planet iPad A look at the incredible momentum of the iPad–and the challenges it brings with it. Applying a Start-up Mentality to Education What is a “start-up mentality,” and how might we go about applying one towards education? App Depot A monthly feature that explores the world of apps–from the useful to the bizarre. Blast From the Past An always-interesting look at how far we’ve come with technology, this month we get a peek out how nearly 30 years ago, there were concerns that computers might create “a culture of psychopaths.”
iPads Make Better Readers, Writers Literacy Skills iPads Make Better Readers, Writers In a research paper titled “Unlocking Literacy with iPad,” Ohio English teacher James Harmon found that state-compiled statistics indicate that those students with iPad access in the year leading up to the Ohio Graduation Test had a 6-percent greater chance of passing the test’s reading portion than those without, and an 8-percent greater chance of passing the writing portion. By Margo Pierce09/06/11 Once upon a time teachers stood in front of a blackboard writing letters of the alphabet with chalk and drilling students to develop literacy skills. But now that children are growing up with laptops, streaming video, and even iPads, what’s a teacher to do? During the 2010-2011 school year Harmon conducted a “teacher-research” study to measure the effect Apple’s iPad had on the language test scores of his students taking the annual Ohio Graduation Test. This convinced Harmon of the appropriateness of the iPad as a teaching tool.
iPad Study Results | Technology and Learning | Pepperdine Community Study Overview In August 2010, Pepperdine University launched a three-term study to assess the iPad's potential in the education sector. The fall 2010 and spring 2011 academic terms were used for exploratory research to inform an experimental research design. An experimental research design was used in fall 2011 to assess the iPad's potential to enhance student learning outcomes. Throughout each term, this study compared technology use and engagement for students in two sections of the same course; one section was loaned iPads and while the other section used various computing devices. Undergraduate and graduate courses were included in the study as well a variety of disciplines including religion, math, business, law, and health. Data was collected throughout each term with pre and post-term student surveys, classroom observations, and focus groups for every iPad and non-iPad course section. Key Findings from the Fall 2010 Term What is the value of the iPad? What is the iPad's purpose?
A Day in the Life of the iPad Classroom Lenny Gonzalez Halfway through a year-long pilot study using iPads instead of textbooks, a San Francisco eighth-grade algebra class is showing signs of every teacher’s dream: the spark of engagement in her students’ eyes. Jeannetta Mitchell, a veteran teacher of 20 years, is encouraged by what she sees so far. During my visit to her class last Friday, it was apparent that she was a big part of the reason they understood those problems. The students never had a chance to tune her out – they were constantly being asked to participate one way or another, whether it was working out problems on the whiteboard (not interactive), watching instructional videos on the iPad, or working in groups. If the goal of learning is to figure out the “how” and not just the correct answer, then the gadget is doing its job. The class at Presidio Middle School is part of a study of a 1,000 California students, 400 of who are learning algebra with iPads. Lenny Gonzalez So have the grades improved? Kyle Lee: Related
iPad Vs Laptop Pros And Cons – A Brief Intro About iPad Vs Laptop Pros And Cons 2011-2012 Sponsored Links: The iPad vs. laptop pros and cons, users must ask their self if it is a fair challenge. People believe that iPad should behave like a normal computer. On the other hand, an iPad still carries a heavy punch. Size: While doing the comparison between iPad and laptop the first thing is the weight and size. Battery Life: The iPad has a splendid 3. 75V, 24.8 watt-hour battery, which provides 10 hours of quality use and also enables you to charge the iPad faster than charging via USB from a laptop. Functionality: Functionality and practicality are a huge factor when comparing the iPad vs. laptop pros and cons 2011. Though the form of the iPad is like a tablet than that of the laptop, still there is some competition out there for the functionality between two. iPads Are More Comfortable Than Laptops One of the brilliant issues of the iPad is its security. Conclusion: So before choosing one you need to think about the purpose of use and Reasons to get an iPad. Sponsored Links:
Future Media Concepts - Apple authorized Mac OS X Lion training classes by Certified Instructors Course Descriptions The Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) 10.7 Boot Camp is a combined delivery of the Lion 101 and Lion 201 courses. The OS X Support Essentials 10.7 Exam and the OS X Server Essentials 10.7 Exam are also included with the class. (Exams are not included on On-site delivery) This hands-on course provides an in-depth exploration of functionality and troubleshooting on OS X and the best methods for effectively supporting users of OS X systems. This course also gives technical coordinators and entry-level system administrators the skills, tools, and knowledge to implement and maintain a network that uses OS X Server. Students learn how to install and configure OS X Server to provide network-based services, such as file sharing, authentication, and printing. Who Should Attend? What You Will Learn Prerequisites Instructor in Action Course Outline Note: The curricula below comprise activities typically covered in a class at this skill level. Day 1 Lesson 1: Installation