Blog Posts - Classroom Tech

ComicBook!

3/4/2015

For today only, ComicBook! is free to download on your iPad/iPhone! This app normally costs $2.99 and allows you to turn your pictures into a comic book. Check out the picture to the left to see what it can do.

As with all limited time free apps, it is best to download it even if you are not sure you will use it. This way when it is no longer free, you will have the ability to always download it again for free.

Direct link to app: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/comicbook!/id436114747?mt=8

PickaPerson

2/11/2015

A long term favorite use of SMARTBoards is the ability to create a random name selector. This fun little feature can now be done on a iPad or iPhone using PickaPerson.

In fact, you can create a generator for any type of random selector. Want to have a generator that randomly selects a book? It can do that. Want to have a generator that randomly selects who picks a snack? It can do that. Want to have a generator that randomly selects who washes dishes tonight? It can totally do that.

Watch the tutorial below to see PickaPerson in action.

New Apps to Start the Year

1/2/2015

Here are some FREE educational and creative apps to start the New Year off right!

Creative

Lego City: My City offers a variety of mini games that engages both a student's brain and body. Students will be challenged to drive a race car, unload trains in a logical fashion, and even drive a snowmobile through the arctic.

All mini games are short, so this apps works great in rooms where iPads are limited.

Another Lego title that may find a place on your iPads is Lego Fusion: Town Master. This app is meant to integrate with Lego's Fusion series toys, but can be used as a stand alone app. Think Minecraft simplified with Legos.

Multiple cities can be created after a few tutorial mini-games, so it could be possible for each student to have their own city on one iPad, or better yet, let each student add onto the classroom city!

Sometimes teachers just need a simple coloring app, well, behold Live Colors for Kids. On the surface the app is simple, but it hides a interesting coloring app twist, students can learn to blend colors! Using the palette, students can learn to mix colors to get a variety of paints.

English/Language Arts

Word Joust is another app from the creators of Edmodo that tests students vocabulary skills in a variety of ways.

There are actually two apps, Word Joust K-5 and Word Joust 6-8. Both are technically iPhone apps, but they will work on a iPad just fine.

This app, Story Lines, from the creators of Edmodo turns your iPad into a creative writing tool. This app takes the classic telephone game and amps it up a couple of notches.

This app is perfect for a classroom full of iPads and even just one. This app could also be used in any discipline with a little creativity.

Math

Tiggly Chef: Preschool Math Cooking Game provides young learners with simple and fun explanations of the mathematical process.

As an added bonus, students create crazy food dishes that contain things like peppers, jellybeans, and eggs!

There are a variety of other Tiggly apps available including a neat number line app.

There are two types of people in this world, regular folk and those who understand Trig. Trig Math Pro is here for us regular folk. This app takes a classic flash card approach, but provides great feedback when a student answers incorrectly.

The developer, Mathtoons, also offers several other math apps in the subjects of Algebra Basics & Advanced, Logarithms, Exponents, Equations, Geometry, Number Skills, and Calculus.

Special Education

Emotionary allows educators to create a diary/journal of their students emotional states. It allows students to input entries through words, pictures, or even sound. The sound feature makes it great for speech teachers also!

This app allows you to track multiple students on one iPad making it a perfect fit for all Special Education and even General classroom teachers.

"Wow, it is cold enough to freeze your...um...butt off out there!" See what I did there, that is a idiom and there are students out there that have a hard time understanding them. Well Idiom Stories is there to help those learners out.

This app helps students understand the ideas and explanations behind popular idioms in a fun and comical manner.

Virtual Manipulatives

12/12/2014

Every teacher has a been or two full of manipulatives. They also appear other places like in your desk drawer, cabinets, chair, shoes, etc. Time to put an end to the forever mess of manipulatives and virtualize them! Virtual Manipulatives allows students to compare fractions and percents directly on a iPad. This app is great for students who are just learning these concepts or need a little reinforcement. Which the video below to see Virtual Manipulatives in action.

Science Apps: K-5

11/14/2014

Last week I featured a list of Money Counting Apps which proved pretty popular. So popular in fact, I was asked for a list of Science Apps.

I spent many a night this week exploring and testing free science apps that would work for grades K-5. In the end I found thirteen apps that could be rolled out in your classroom. So without further ado, enjoy Science Apps: K-5!

Money Counting Apps

11/7/2014

Recently I was asked if I knew of any good money counting apps. Like any good tech guy I said, of course I do, and then quickly consulted Google and its infinite wisdom.

After diving and sifting through the good, the bad, and the ugly, I came up with seven pretty good money counting apps.

You can view these apps by checking out this OneTab, Money Counting Apps.

Time Limits using Guided Access

10/17/2014

A hidden new feature in iOS 8, is 'Time Limits' using Guided Access. Now when you tell a student you get to use the iPad for 5 minutes, you can really mean it! Check out the tutorial below to see how easy it can be done.

Post-it Plus

10/6/2014

There is a new education principle gaining traction out there called the 10:2 principle. The idea is for every 10 minutes of lecture/learning there should be a 2 minute pause for students to digest and/or share.

Well, here is a app that fits this principle like no other! Post-it Plus allows you to capture a group of post-it notes and digitize them. These could then be shared with students, different class periods, or even posted on your website. Using Post-it Plus you can allow students to share thoughts, check for understanding, and create connections.

AppLists

7/18/2014

AppLISTS from the website, AppAdvice.com offers some very handy and descriptive lists for all occasions. They have a 'Back to School' list, a 'Apps for Kids' list, and even a 'Apps for Zombie Lovers' list!

This is a great website to have bookmarked for those times you need to find an app for a certain holiday or other occasion.

Guided Access

7/10/2014

One of the toughest jobs teachers often have is attempting to keep a student on track. Often educators find themselves redirecting certain students quite often. Guided Access on the iPad or other iOS device can be a great tool for you to utilize for these frequent flyers.

Guided Access allows you to lock down a iPad or iPhone to only a certain app or even part of the screen. You can even disable volume control to help saves your students ears or even your own. Watch the video below to learn how easy it can be to get Guided Access up and running.