iPad Apps
Doceri: This is one of my favorite apps to use in the classroom. The app can be used in two different ways: through a computer or from the iPad alone. With Doceri the teacher can present Powerpoint slides, videos, and a variety of other presentations from anywhere in the room. Gone are the days of being bound by proximity to one's computer. By using the drawing tool, the teacher can highlight, circle, and manipulate what the students are seeing for extra emphasis. The downside: While Doceri might be one of my favorite apps to use, this can only be said when it functions correctly. I'm not sure I have ever encountered an app that malfunctions more often than Doceri. Even our IT department can't quite seem to resolve the issue. It won't connect to my computer for weeks and then, out of the blue it will work without a problem. A great app....when it works. Socrative: The teacher and student versions of this app work together with the website of the same name. Socrative allows teachers to assess students quickly with half of the paper work. Simply create an account on the website (or app) complete with a room name. Once students download the student app, the teacher can load quizzes that he or she has previously created. When giving the assessment teachers can either use a teacher paced or student paced option. The teacher paced option allows for real-time results for each student. Once the assessment is finished, Socrative grades the quizzes (unless you've chosen to use questions that require written answers) and emails a detailed report to the teacher. I love to use it on the first day of class for when recording textbook information. Biography: Not a fancy app, but as a history teacher it can come in rather handy. The app provides brief biographical information for 100 of the most influential people in world history. Students can click on a picture and learn about a character using text, pictures, and video clips. The downside: Because the app is limited to 100 biographies it is, obviously, only useful when discussing these limited topics. Markup: This is a great app if you're tired of getting bogged down with paperwork. After students finish working on an assignment the can email their work as a PDF to the teachers unique email address. The PDF's are sent to the teacher's library where they stay; the student receives a conformation email that the teacher received their work. When the teacher opens an assignment he or she can "markup" the work using a simple drawing tool. This tool is great for circling and making simple comments but not extended critiques. Once the assignment has been graded it can immediately be emailed back to the student. The downside: This is not recommended for long essays or papers because of the limited tools available. For bell work, exit slips, or worksheets it works very well. IE Graphic: This is a great apps for those of us teaching economics at the high school level. Students are able to use the app to test there knowledge about the effect different changes in market conditions will have on a supply and demand graph. They are able to use an interactive graph and take quizzes for formative assessment. It is a great way for students to practice somewhat complex ideas outside of class on their own time. White Board/Smart Board Educrations: This website/app has a plethora of resources for teaching most any subject at most any level. Whether you are creating your own interactive lesson or borrowing from the archive there is something for everyone. History teachers can explain the theaters of war by drawing on a map, math teachers can prepare equations for students to review on their own time, and perhaps most importantly, students can create their own projects to share what they've learned with the class or prepare a prerecording video assignment for their teachers. Explain Everything: allows you to 'explain everything'. By creating lessons on an iPad and linking with a smart board or apple tv, teachers can visually explain concepts for the entire class. Furthermore, teachers can record lessons and allow their students to access them whenever they are needed to reinforce concepts discussed in class. This app, like so many others, are making a flipped classroom more and more of a reality. Hardware Dongle (AV Adapter): A dongle is a must if you have iPads in the classroom. When a teacher wants to use his or her iPad to display a video, map, graph or some other teaching tool for all students to see it can be difficult without such a device. If you have a computer connected to a projector in your classroom, simply disconnect the AV cable from the computer and use the dongle to connect the cable to your iPad. Be advised that some videos and apps are not compatible because of copy write law (I suppose); their manufactures don't want them displayed to large group. This is a great way for students to share their work with the entire class. Whether it is a video, a PowerPoint, or a Prezi, the dongle will make classroom presentations much easier and enjoyable. Portable Projector: The dongle works well if you already have a projector in your classroom. If you don't it isn't much help. A portable projector can be a good alternative. I'm not familiar with the pros and cons of all brands but you can find one from around $80 to nearly $300. The benefit of a portable projector is that it is, well, portable. You and your students are not bound to one area of the classroom or one room for that matter. Because we're all on limited budgets, a quality projector could be shared between classrooms making it a cost-saving alternative to installation of a permanent projector. Bluetooth keyboard: Take it from someone who doesn't yet have one, a keyboard for your iPad and your students is a must. As we move more and more toward a paperless classroom expecting students to take notes, essays, or even search the internet without such a device leads to wasted class time. The keyboard function on the iPad is fine in the short run, but when one has to take serious notes or type an entire paper it can be a real pain. Having an actual keyboard will lead to students being able to finish assignments or take note faster meaning more class time is spent discussing, interacting, in short, learning and less time is spent slowly poking away at an onscreen keyboard.
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AuthorTrent Ashcraft's website ArchivesCategories |