App | Cost | Use |
App Shopper | Free | Download 1st! This is not like the App Store already on the iPad. You can view the history of any app… price and updates. If the price fluctuates often and you don’t need the app immediately…wait…the price might drop and you will save a few dollars. Also, how often have there been updates? Is the developer making the app better? Are new features being added? Or, did the developer release it and never look back? This might not be a deciding factor for a kid’s game, but if it is an app you will utilize frequently and you are trying to decide which app is the best, this could be a deciding factor. |
Good Reader | $4.99 (price has changed a few times) | I use this one all the time! You can save, view, annotate, and organize .Pdf, Office, iWork, .html, audio, and video files using Good Reader. I frequently find files online that I would like to save for later…all I do is open in Good Reader and I have it on my iPad for good. The files are easily organized and you can connect to DropBox, MobileMe, and other cloud services. |
Dragon Dictation | Free | Very easy for you AND students. Convert your speech to text…then email, save it as a .txt file, or copy and paste to another app (you can even post the text as a comment on Facebook or Twitter). I have found Dragon Dication to be very accurate everytime I have used the app…rarely do I edit to the text produced by the app. One thing I like to do with this app is “take notes” as I read articles on my iPad. While reading I will switch to Dragon Dictation, then say a summary of the article or points I want to remember, then say the website where I found the info. |
Dropbox | Free | I use this all the time! It’s like an online jump drive. Save any file from any computer, iPhone, or iPad to be viewed on any other computer, iPhone, or iPad. Easy, easy, easy and free, free, free! Highly recommended! When I am “out and about” my most accessed files are always available. |
Noteshelf | $4.99 (price has changed a few times) | Also used very frequently. This is an app to write notes with your finger or stylus…no typing required. There are different color pens, different widths, an eraser, a ton of emoticons, and pictures can be imported to write or draw on. Any of the notes can be emailed or saved to Dropbox (and other cloud services) as a .Pdf or an image. Easy, Easy, Easy! I have tried a few handwriting apps and this is the one I like best. |
$9.99 | Lesson Plan app! Create lesson plans that can be emailed or printed. One reason I promote this app is the developer is very responsive to suggestions and requests. I “liked” his Planbook page on Facebook where I have found he answers all questions. The app is not perfect yet, but it’s close. There are 6 customizable text fields which I have named: Overview, Standards, Objectives, Opening/Explicit Instruction/Modeling, Guided Practice, Close/Review/Reflections. | |
Read It Later & Read It Later Pro | Free & $.99 | Any article or website can be saved for viewing later. This is cool because when I come across an article or website I want to read but don’t have time, Read It Later allows me to save it on my iPad. Then when I am sitting at a practice, or doc office, or slow drive through, or wherever, those articles are waiting to be read. |
Sticky Notes | $.99 | Must have! Too Cute! This app uses the Bump API to allow users to pass sticky notes between iPads. Oh…imagine the possibilities with collaboration between small groups! |
(iPod/iPhone app) | $2.99 | Create rubrics for quick and easy formative assessment during class or small groups. Quickly rate a student using the chosen rubric and add a comment when needed. Use the data for small group formation, behavior history, etc. Reports can be emailed or exported to an online account. Also, share rubrics with the online account or download rubrics created by others. My co-teacher is using this app to track progress of special ed students in RTI. |
Bump (iPhone app) | Free | “Bump” iPads and iPhones to exchange contact info, photos, and free apps. |
HP iPrint | Free | Print to any HP printer on the same network as the iPad. NOT AirPrint! Yes, that’s right, you read it right, no need to buy a new printer just to print with your iPad. HP iPrint will print .pdf, .txt, .jpg, .png, .tiff, and .bmp files on any HP printer. I print to a 7 year old HP LaserJet 1320 with this app! It is ssslllloooowww…but it gets the job done. |
Photo Pal | $2.99 (price has changed a few times) | Out of all the photo editing apps I have tried…so far, this is my fave. Any photo on the iPad can be edited, even ones taken with your phone or another digital camera, just open them from DropBox. Fix red eye, resize, reduce shadows, add frames, crop, etc. Easy, easy, easy! |
April 12, 2011
Most Used Productivity Apps
We have some new "iPad Using Educators" on our staff and I quickly typed up the apps I would suggest for any teacher with a new iPad. Here is the list of my favorite productivity apps; most of these I use daily. Let me know if any should be added to this list...am I missing out on something better!!??!!
April 5, 2011
iPad Accessories
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Apple bluetooth keyboard. I highly recommend this keyboard to any iPad user. I have successfully been using this keyboard with the iPad 1 and 2 and have not encountered any problems so far. It has worked with every app and website. This was a very well spent $69!
It is light but still has a "good feel." When I have something to type that is more than one or two paragraphs, I whip out my keyboard, turn it on and type away. It is that easy!
Anyone that has been struggling to create content that requires larger amounts of text will not regret this purchase!
So far, I have not purchased a case for my keyboard. It lives in the very sturdy box it came in and I carry it in my huge "mom/teacher/doctor/snack master purse." When I am running from classroom to kitchen to bedroom to baseball field to basketball court to track meet and back to classroom, I throw my ipad and keyboard in my purse and I have everything I need to be productive where ever I find myself.
Next...
My students and I have been playing with the new HDMI adapter for the iPad2. So far, it has worked like a dream. Everything we have done on the iPad has been projected flawlessly with this adapter. Believe me...if you are an educator that has been struggling to project the iPad image with a document camera, video camera pointed towards the iPad screen, or whatever method you dreamt up, this adapter will be your new favorite accessory!
If I run into any troubles with the HDMI adapter, I will update this post with the details, but so far, smooth sailing with the iPad2 image projected nice and bright for the whole class to see!
It is light but still has a "good feel." When I have something to type that is more than one or two paragraphs, I whip out my keyboard, turn it on and type away. It is that easy!
Anyone that has been struggling to create content that requires larger amounts of text will not regret this purchase!
So far, I have not purchased a case for my keyboard. It lives in the very sturdy box it came in and I carry it in my huge "mom/teacher/doctor/snack master purse." When I am running from classroom to kitchen to bedroom to baseball field to basketball court to track meet and back to classroom, I throw my ipad and keyboard in my purse and I have everything I need to be productive where ever I find myself.
Next...
My students and I have been playing with the new HDMI adapter for the iPad2. So far, it has worked like a dream. Everything we have done on the iPad has been projected flawlessly with this adapter. Believe me...if you are an educator that has been struggling to project the iPad image with a document camera, video camera pointed towards the iPad screen, or whatever method you dreamt up, this adapter will be your new favorite accessory!
If I run into any troubles with the HDMI adapter, I will update this post with the details, but so far, smooth sailing with the iPad2 image projected nice and bright for the whole class to see!
April 4, 2011
Sharing Our Favorite Apps
Brainpop recently invited educators to share their favorite apps so they could be loaded on devices used in the Brainpop sponsored “Mobile Device Sandbox” at the Mobile Learning Experience Conference this week in Arizona. Participants will get to play with the newest mobile devices loaded with the all the apps reccommended.
I will follow up with more detailed review of apps used by myself and my students. Until then, here is a copy of my reply with our favorite apps…
I will follow up with more detailed review of apps used by myself and my students. Until then, here is a copy of my reply with our favorite apps…
My class’s 2 new favorites
Symmetry Shuffle and Sums Stacker by Daren Carstens
These apps are awesome! The visuals are fun and engaging, the games challenge the students to think beyond just knowledge and comprehension and require them to evaluate and analyze symmetrical Symmetry Shuffle shapes and transformations in and different ways to find sums in Sums Stacker. My students heart Daren Carstens and his creative, mathematical mind! We are writing him a letter to thank him and ask him to continue making great apps that make learning fun and challenging. I challenge you to play these apps and not get hooked…especially Symmetry Shuffle.
These apps are awesome! The visuals are fun and engaging, the games challenge the students to think beyond just knowledge and comprehension and require them to evaluate and analyze symmetrical Symmetry Shuffle shapes and transformations in and different ways to find sums in Sums Stacker. My students heart Daren Carstens and his creative, mathematical mind! We are writing him a letter to thank him and ask him to continue making great apps that make learning fun and challenging. I challenge you to play these apps and not get hooked…especially Symmetry Shuffle.
Our Other Favorites
Math Adventures – You are given numbers and you have to find where the number belongs on a blank 100’s chart. The first round it is a normal 100’s chart, then you have to look for patterns to figure out where the number is because after the first few rounds the chart might be ordered from right to left, bottom to top, etc.
Motion Math – Students work to identify where fractions, decimals, percents, and fraction models belong on a number line. They are addicted to this game…it is so hard to put it down once you get started…even I can’t stop because I want to see how high I can go.
Family Favorites
My pre-school age nieces and nephews love iWriteWords. For the last year they have been regularly playing this “game.” They trace the letter shown, say the letter, and then turn the iPad to make the letter drop into the hole at the bottom. They can practice upper and lower case letters, numbers, and words.
There are many, many more, but there is not enough room or time to write them all here!
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