Showing posts with label app. Show all posts
Showing posts with label app. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Professional Learning

Technology Tip of the Week: Google Edu Training Center


Google for Education Training Center is designed to help teachers learn how to meaningfully integrate Google Apps For Education (GAFE) tools in the classroom.  It includes lesson ideas, facilitation tips, and resources for using GAFE.  Training is offered to support all levels of users.  If you are looking to get started or learn more about GAFE, this is a great resource for you!

App of the Week: Twitter


App Store Link:
Twitter is a growing and respected tool for creating a Professional Learning Network (PLN). We encourage all staff to create professional Twitter accounts to create and grow their own PLN.
Check out this video to learn more about PLNs.



Hashtags are a great way to connect with other educators on Twitter.  Check out these two articles that may help you better understand hashtags.

Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Stick Around App

App of the Week: Stick Around 


If your campus has some money to spend on apps, we suggest Stick Around. It is $2.99 and available with a discount for volume purchase. This app is a great way to turn a worksheet into something digital; but the really great thing about Stick Around is that students can design an interactive puzzle for their classmates. There is an assortment of created puzzles and templates that can be used. Also, you can bring in your own images to create projects. Play, design, and share sorting and labeling puzzles!

App Store Link:


Support:

  • Tony Vincent's Blog, Learning in Hand, is a wonderful resource for Stick Around.  It has video tutorials, a user guide as well as many ideas for using the app.

Monday, May 2, 2016

Storybird

Technology Resource of the Week: Storybird


Storybird is a wonderful online storybook creation site for kids of all ages.  Storybird has a large selection of images that students use to spark their imagination and unleash creative writing skills.  Once on the site, students choose images for their pages, add ideas to the pages they insert, and then spend time turning those ideas into a wonderful finished product.  Students’ books can be shared out for others to read and enjoy.  Storybird gives teachers the ability to create a classroom for their kids.  In this classroom, teachers can make assignments, provided feedback as students move through the writing process, and monitor all student progress from a teacher dashboard.  Click the following link for more information: https://storybird.com/educators/



Examples:

Integration Ideas:
Storybird can be used in multiple content areas that allows for story writing.  This six weeks is all about research utilizing skills in ELAR and Science is asking elementary grade levels to research biomes.  Storybird could be a way to let students publish what they have learned.
Support:

App of the Week: Lark by Storybird


Make and share art inspired poetry with the app Lark, by Storybird. This app is available in the App Store in the "iPhone only" section but will work on an iPad.

App Store Link:
Click here to download Lark by Storybird 

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Thinglink

Technology Tip of the Week: Thinglink

Thinglink makes images come to life with video and text. It is a unique way to turn an image into something interactive, making it an engaging and useful resource for students. There is a free basic educator version that will allow teachers to add students from their class.

App of the Week: Thinglink


App Store Link:

Click here to download Thinglink
Examples:

Integration Ideas:
  • Thinglink can be used to share videos and information on a common topic to introduce new content. A Thinglink can easily be added to a teacher website making it easily accessible for students and parents. 
  • Students can use to create interactive reports.
  • Enhancing Teaching and Learning with Thinglink
Support:

Monday, April 11, 2016

Speak It Chrome Extension & Dragon Dictation

Technology Tip of the Week: SpeakIt Chrome Extension & iSpeech App



The Google Chrome browser has a wonderful extension that will allow readers to hear the text they are trying to read on a web page. SpeakIt converts any highlighted text into speech. This allows readers of all ages to have any length of text read to them. SpeakIt reads selected text using Text-to-Speech technology with language auto-detection. It can read text in more than 50 languages.

How this works: 
  • First select the text you want it to read.
  • Then click the icon to start listening.
  • When it is ready to read, the number of sentences is shown on the icon.

The extension can be loaded under a teacher or student login for use. Contact your campus DLS for 
more information and/or help using this extension.

App of the Week: iSpeech

App Store Link:

Click here to download iSpeech

Description:

iSpeech allows users to convert text to speech, convert documents to speech, convert web content to speech, or convert blogs to speech. iSpeech text to speech allows readers to "Read with their Ears" allowing students and adults more time to process in a way that suits their learning style. iSpeech simple online text to speech software tool supports over 20 languages.

Examples:
Integration Ideas:

SpeakIt and iSpeech can be used across all content areas where students need to have words, sentences, and entire paragraphs read to them. Research projects are happening in many content areas at this time of the year. These two resources work well for students who need to hear what they are reading to help build meaning.

Support:

Monday, April 4, 2016

Free Apps for iOS

Technology Tip of the Week: Free Apps for iOS

Every day there are certain apps that are FREE in the Apple App Store.  Purchasing an app on the free day, means that you own it, even if the price changes.  

There are many websites and apps that will help you find the free apps of the day. 




AppsGoneFree by App Advice is a great way to see which apps are free each day. Click here to visit the AppsGoneFree website.  

App of the Week: Apps Gone Free


App Store Link:

Description:
  • Lists some apps that are free each day 
  • Detailed descriptions of each app
  • Click to go directly to that app in the app store

Monday, March 28, 2016

Movenote

Technology Tip of the Week: Google Chrome Extension- Movenote

Movenote is a Chrome extension that will record video alongside a presentation. With Movenote, you can create a picture-in-picture screencast with you and files from your Google Drive. If you have a lesson you uploaded to your drive or have a lesson you created with Google Slides, it is easy to add video and audio to that lesson with Movenote. Students can then watch you while also seeing the lesson you are teaching.

App of the Week: Movenote

App Store Link:
Click here to download Movenote

Description:
Movenote is a video presentation tool. Recording presentations is easy and quick and they can be viewed on any device. Presentations can be shared by sending a link to the recipient and can be viewed without the app.

Examples:
Movenote Example- Discover how a 4th grade student shared his knowledge of the Civil War using Google Slides and Movenote.

Integration Ideas:
  • Movenote can be used by students to record their presentations created in Google Slides. The teacher can share presentation links to their website and/or create QR codes for an interactive display in the classroom or hallway.
  • Movenote could also be used for teachers to create flipped lessons for students to view.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Google Slides!

Technology Tip of the Week: Google Slides

presentations-300dpi.png
Google Slides are presentation files, much like Powerpoint.  They are easy to create & share.  You can even upload and convert your old PowerPoint slides into Google Slides presentations.  You can share a presentation with other collaborators and everyone can do their part without creating multiple versions of the file.  One of the main benefits of using Google Slides is that your presentations are saved automatically online in your Google Drive.  You can access and edit them on any device!

Check out these 10 ways teachers are using Google Slides in the Classroom!


Resources:

App of the Week: Google Slides

presentations-300dpi.png
App Store Link:
Description:
  •  Create, collaborate, and edit presentations on your iPad.
Support:

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Reflector 2 & ShowMe

Technology Tip of the Week: Reflector 2


Reflector 2 is software you can have on your teacher computer that will allow you to display your iPad using your projector.  

Wirelessly displaying your iPad on the projector will allow you to move around your classroom while:
  • Showing students how to work a problem by using a whiteboard app like ShowMe (see below)
  • Demonstrate to students how to use an app
  • Display student projects from an iPad on the projector for the class to see
Note: In order to use Reflector 2, your iPads must be updated to at least iOS 9.

Reflector 2 Support:

App of the Week: ShowMe


App Store Link:

Description:
  • ShowMe is a simple to use whiteboard app.  You can insert pictures and annotate/draw on top of them.  ShowMe also has a recording feature, where you can record what you're doing on the screen while also explaining with your voice.  The videos are saved for free on the ShowMe website 

Examples:

Support:

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Research & Information Fluency

Technology Tip of the Week: Kid Friendly Research Sites

Information is expanding exponentially.  Thanks to the internet we have access to much of that information at our fingertips.  Research and Information Literacy skills are vital to today's learners.  These skills include the ability to locate, evaluate, and record information from a variety of media formats.

The BISD Digital Learning Online Resources page is a great starting place for kid friendly research sites.  Here you will find links to encyclopedias, online databases, and image search sites.  Your campus librarian and digital learning specialist would be happy to assist you with any of the sites listed here!

Another great tool for research is a new kid-friendly safe search site by Google called Kiddle.co.  Kiddle provides a safe place for young students to search the internet.  The search results are filtered for safe and easier to read content.  

App of the Week: SimpleMind+


App Store Link:
Description:
  • Mind mapping tool that turns your iPad into a brainstorming, idea collection, and thought structuring device. 
Integration Ideas:
  • Collect notes for a research topic.
  • Describe the character, plot, and setting of a story.
  • Brainstorm ideas for writing.
  • Document the results of a science experiment.
  • Create a mindmap to illustrate the steps for UPS-Check problem solving model.
Support:


Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Digital Manipulatives

Technology Tip of the Week: Digital Manipulatives

Clarity Innovations (The Math Learning Center) has created a suite of apps and web applications that students could use to demonstrate and explain their knowledge of math concepts.  Teachers could use these apps for small group and whole group modeling. 

iPad and Web Apps of the Week: Math Learning Center Apps


App Store Links:


Web App Links:


Description:
Geoboard

Geoboard is a tool for exploring a variety of mathematical topics introduced in grades K-8. Learners stretch bands around pegs to form line segments and polygons and make discoveries about perimeter, area, angles, fractions, and more.











Math Vocabulary Cards

Math Vocabulary Cards help students deepen their conceptual understanding of key terms in mathematics. Each card features three sections: a math term, a representative example or model, and a concise definition.









Money Pieces


Money Pieces help students visualize and understand money values and relationships. Two versions of coins and bills are provided: virtual currency pieces that replicate the appearance and relative size of U.S. coins and the dollar bill, and area money pieces.







Number Frames



Number Frames help students structure numbers to five, ten, twenty, and one hundred. Students use the frames to count, represent, compare, and compute with numbers in a particular range.







Number Line




Number Line helps students develop a deeper understanding of place value while building their computation skills with multi-digit numbers. Students use the pieces to represent multi-digit numbers, regroup, add, subtract, multiply, and divide.





Number Pieces Basic





Number Pieces Basic is a simplified version of the Number Pieces app, designed for use with primary students. It has fewer features, putting greater focus on place value, counting, addition, and subtraction.





Number Pieces




Number Pieces helps students develop a deeper understanding of place value while building their computation skills with multi-digit numbers. Students use the number pieces to represent multi-digit numbers, regroup, add, subtract, multiply, and divide. 






Number Rack





Number Rack facilitates the natural development of children’s number sense. Rows of moveable, colored beads encourage learners to think in groups of fives and tens, helping them to explore and discover a variety of addition and subtraction strategies.




Pattern Shapes




Students use Pattern Shapes to explore geometry and fractions, creating their own designs, or filling in outlines. As they work with the shapes students think about angles, investigate symmetry, and compose and decompose larger shapes.







Integration Ideas:

Students could use these apps with a laptop or iPad to explain their knowledge of the math concept. Teachers can use these apps to model and demonstrate the math concept in whole group or small group instruction.  The teacher could use their desktop computer and projector or an iPad.  The web apps would work great on a Smartboard.  A teacher could also project their Project Innovate iPad using Reflector 2.  The directions for installing Reflector 2 are located in our Technology Knowledge Base, Installing Reflector 2.
All app descriptions and images are from The Math Learning Center.  

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Seesaw

App of the Week: Seesaw


App Store Link:
  • Click here to download Seesaw  
Web Link:

  • Click here to visit Seesaw 


Description:

Seesaw empowers students of any age to independently document what they are learning at school. Students capture learning with photos and videos of physical work, or by adding digital creations. Everything is uploaded and kept organized for teachers.  Teachers can invite families to Seesaw so parents get an immediate, personalized window into their child's learning.

Features:

·         Easily Capture Student Learning in Any Form

·         Students can use photos, videos, drawings, text notes, links or PDFs to show what they know and store evidence in their digital portfolio. You can also import directly from over 100 other apps.

·         When students add to Seesaw, content is uploaded, organized by student, and accessible from any device.

·         Teachers can browse work from the entire class or for a single student. Optionally, use folders to organize work by subject area project, or assessment standard.

·         Teachers can flag items in the digital portfolio for follow up or to review at parent-teacher conferences.

Sign In Options that Work for All Ages:

·         Younger learners or classrooms with shared devices can sign in with a QR code.

·         Older students can sign in with their email address or Google account.


Examples:

Integration Ideas:


Support:

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

ReadWriteThink

Technology Tip of the Week: ReadWriteThink

ReadWriteThink.org Student Interactives are wonderful free tools for students to create a variety of digital products using a computer or laptop.   

Here are just a few of the many interactives you can choose from:

App of the Week: ReadWriteThink Apps

Description:

Monday, December 7, 2015

Toontastic

App of the Week: Toontastic 


App Store Link:


Description:

  • Toontastic is a creative digital storytelling app.  Students create by drawing, animating and sharing cartoons.  The app has a built in story board that is organized into scenes.  Students can choose from a variety of backgrounds and characters.  It could be used in teaching story elements as well as providing students with creative ways to share learned concepts.   

Examples:


Integration Ideas:

  • ELAR- Retell or summarize stories
  • Social Studies- Create biographies/ Compare and contrast historical figures
  • Math- Create story problems

Support:

Monday, November 16, 2015

Blabberize & Yakit Kids

Technology Tip of the Week: Blabberize


Blabberize is an online tool that creates talking images.  You can upload an image, draw a mouth, then record your voice to make the image talk.


Integration ideas:
  • Math - Talking 2D & 3D shapes to describe their attributes.
  • Science - Talking science tools explaining their use.
  • Social Studies - Talking historical figures.
  • Language Arts -  Draw a picture related to the poem of the week.  Make your picture recite the poem.

App of the Week: YaKiT Kids


App Store Link:


Description:

  • YaKiT Kids allows students to take photos and make them talk.  It will let you create more than one talking character in each picture and create multiple scenes to tell a story.


Integration Ideas:
  • Math - Talking 2D & 3D shapes to describe their attributes.
  • Science - Talking science tools explaining their use.
  • Social Studies - Talking historical figures.
  • Language Arts -  Draw a picture related to the poem of the week.  Make your picture recite the poem.
Support:

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Quizizz & Plickers

Technology Tip of the Week: Quizizz

Quizzizz is an online quiz tool with fun feedback memes. Question order and answer order can be shuffled to discourage cheating. Quzzizz is student paced and the questions appear on the student's device. The results are shown on the student's device. For an overview of Quizzizz, watch this video.

App of the Week: Plickers 

App Store Link:


Description:

Plickers is a multiple choice clicker made of paper. This tool requires the teachers to have a device but students do not need devices. Each student is assigned a paper Plicker card. Plickers can be used for quick checks for understanding to know whether your students are understanding big concepts and mastering key skills.

Integration Ideas:


  • Plickers can be used as an exit ticket to check for understanding 
  • Plickers can be used for instant questions for immediate feedback 
  • Plickers can be used for a short quiz that's instantly graded 
Support:

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Google Classroom

Technology Tip of the Week: Google Classroom

Google Classroom is a virtual environment that is designed to help teachers create and collect assignments paperlessly, including time-saving features like the ability to automatically make a copy of a Google document for each student.  It also creates Drive folders for each assignment and for each student to help keep everyone organized.  Students can keep track of what’s due on the Assignments page and begin working with just a click. Teachers can quickly see who has or hasn't completed the work, and provide direct, real-time feedback and grades right in Classroom.  Classroom features include Announcement and Question posts as well.  This gives students a platform to publish their responses or ideas as well as a way for teachers to collect formative assessment data that will help focus instruction.

App of the Week: Google Classroom


App Store Link:
Description:

With Google Classroom mobile app for iOS, students and teachers can view their classes and communicate with their classmates in real time. Students can open their assignments and work on them right from their phone or tablet. Teachers can keep track of who has turned in work and grade the assignment - at school or on the go. Students and teachers receive notifications when they have new content in Classroom, so they are always up to date.


Integration Ideas:
  • Classroom can be used in multiple content areas to extend learning beyond school walls...anytime, anywhere, any device
  • Classroom can be used to flip learning...students can access content to prepare for deeper learning the next day
  • Classroom allows students to publish ideas/work and receive timely feedback 
  • Classroom allows students to collaborate when sharing Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other Google apps
Support:

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

QR Codes & i-nigma

Technology Tip of the Week: QR Codes in the Classroom

How do I scan a QR Code?
You can scan a QR code with a phone or tablet using any QR Reader App. i-nigma is an excellent scanner you can add you your iPad or iPhone to be able to scan the QR codes on this page. Go ahead and try the ones below!

What is a QR Code?
QR stands for Quick Response. A QR Code is a 2-dimensional bar code. 

Like this one -

Instead of holding only a small amount of information like a traditional bar code, it can hold several hundred times that amount!  QR codes are seen everywhere from movie posters to product packages and can be a great tool in your classroom!

QR Codes can link to text!


QR Codes can link to anything on the internet!

Like this website QR:
qrcode.31972877.png
Or this YouTube QR:
qrcode.31972940.png

Or this image QR:

How do I create QR Code?
You can create a QR code using a QR Creator online. There are many QR Creators to choose from with different features.  

Here are a two of our favorite QR Creators:

  • QR Stuff - A simple online tool to create a QR Code. The QR code is an image file you can download to your computer to use.

How can I use these in my classroom?
There are many ways to use QR Codes in the classroom!  

App of the Week: i-nigma


App Store Link:

Description:
  • Scan QR Codes
  • Keep track of the codes you scan

Integration Ideas:
  • Students scan QR codes to see the answer to a question/problem.
  • Students scan QR codes to watch a tutorial video.
  • Students create QR codes to video reflections and put the printed QR code on their work in the hallway.
  • Students create book trailer videos and attach them to classroom books.