Friday, October 25, 2013

App of the Week: Skitch

A couple weeks ago I showed you how to use an image search to save pictures from the Web onto your iPad.  Today I'm going to take it a step further and show you one of the many apps you can use to annotate your photos. 

Skitch is a very simple annotating app.   It will allow you to highlight, draw arrows, type, add shapes, etc.  You can import your photos from your camera roll or you can use the camera. 

In this example, I used the same plant picture I saved in my previous post, and simply labeled the parts of the plant.  Then I saved it to my camera roll and through my Dropbox app (see previous post), it magically appeared on my computer.   How much more exciting would it be to let the kids photograph a REAL plant and label it?    This is something even the youngest students can do.

I envision using this in several subject areas.  How about saving a poem or passage (or let them take a picture of it) and have them highlight the rhyming words?  You could do the same thing with graphic organizers you are working with in class. 

Big kids can find and save their own photos or take them with the camera.  Little kids can use pictures that you pre-save to your camera roll for them.

I think this will be an app you will really love!


Wednesday, October 16, 2013

App of the Week: Audioboo

I am really excited about today's post!  I visited Mrs. Lancaster's room this morning during reading stations and saw her kids doing this really engaging activity she had created for them using the Audioboo app.  This a GREAT app for your iPods.  Many of us struggle with what to do with the iPods other than just game play.  This app will work on the iPods that have cameras, as well as the iPads.  In this video, you see the students reading a flashcard then scanning a QR card that takes them to a recording of Mrs. Lancaster reading the word in a sentence.  It is a self-checking activity.


You could use this in SO many ways.  How about recording dictation sentences for them to listen to and then write?  The kids could record themselves reading and then you could create codes for them to scan so they can listen to each other.  You can even record instructions for the station, so they just scan the code on your "I Can" list if they forget what to do.  The possibilities are endless!  I put together a presentation for you with step by step instructions for how to make your own stations like this.

I was very excited to help Mrs. Lancaster put this together, and even more thrilled to see with how she was expanding this concept in other stations.  I will be happy to help you, too!  I'm always here, all you have to do is ask! :)



Wednesday, October 9, 2013

App of the Week: Safari

Safari

This is what it looks like in the new iOS 7 system.


I know we all know how to use Safari as an Internet browser, but I thought I would share some basic instructions for things that are very helpful for you to know when using it.  Many of you probably already know these things, but for those who don't, this will be very helpful.

First, I will show you how to save  pictures from the Internet to your photo album/camera roll.  There are many, many apps that access your camera roll so you can do things with/to your pictures.  If you can get pictures to your camera roll, there is no limit to the things you can do with them.  In this example, I will find and save a picture of a plant that my students will open in an app so they can label its parts.

First, I simply open my Safari app and search Google for "plants with roots," and this is what I get.  Next, I click on "images."


I will now see a page full of images.  When I find the one I like, I hold my finger on it until these options show up.  Then I choose "save image."



To retrieve my pictures, I just click on my photo album from my home screen!  It's very easy.

Now I will show you how to make an icon of a webpage for your home screen.  Just open Safari and type in the web address.  Then click on this icon.


Then click "add to homescreen."



 Now, your icon is on your homescreen!






I hope this hasn't insulted your intelligence, but if you didn't know how to do these things you were at a disadvantage!

If you noticed that the look of some of these things is different than your iPad, it is because you haven't updated to iOS 7.  You can do that by going to Settings > General > Software Updates.  You need to make sure your iPad is plugged into a power source.  It should take around 20 minutes to update.  The tech club kids are working on a video that will explain some of the new features of iOS 7 for you.  Look for that to come soon.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

App of the Week: Dropbox

The app of the week this week is a MUST HAVE for all teachers who have iPads.   It's not only something that will help you manage your students, but it will help you manage all your photos and documents!

In a nutshell, Dropbox is an online file storage system.  You can access it from any computer, iPad, or iPod. You simply set up an account at www.dropbox.com.  Then download the app on your iPads and sign in with the same username/password.  You will only have to log in to the app the first time.

This a screenshot of my desktop view of Dropbox.  Upper grade students use it to save their work in the lab, and I can access all of their files from my computer.
Lower grades:  Anything that is saved to your camera roll will be uploaded to your Dropbox account.  Most of the creativity apps we use allow you to save work to the camera roll.  This means that you can view all the work your kids do on the ipad from your desktop computer.  Since it's all stored in one place, you can use those photos to make slideshows, videos, etc.

Upper grades:  You can upload documents in PDF format from your desktop computer, and your students can access them from their iPads.  They can then use other apps to complete their work, save it, and resubmit it.  Then you can view it from your desktop computer.  I have seen this at work in Mrs. Holland's class and it works great!  It sounds like a lot of steps, but the students catch on REALLY fast!  You also have the option of sharing links to these documents if you need to send a copy to a parent.



Personal use:  4th grade has set up a grade-level Dropbox account.  They can store all  of their lessons, resources, etc. so that they can all access them.  This way, any of the teachers can make changes and they don't have to email things to each other all the time.

If you need help setting up your classroom Dropbox account, I will be happy to help!