Assessment

Student Response Systems

Socrative:

This can improve my use of assessment because I will get instead feedback and with a quick look be able to tell if there is something a majority of the class is missing so I can re teach.  It would have to be read to the first graders.  I did like that you could give an explanation at the end of each question.











Enchanted Student response Systems

They're because you can write your own questions and choose options of how the students can answer the questions.  It's an assessment tool and you get instant feedback.  Socrative gives you a place for an explanation of the answer, Infuse doesn't.  Infuse reads the questions, Socrative doesn't.  If I were starting today, I would use Infuse just because it can read the questions to the students.

Universal design for Learning

Speech-to-Text

Demonstrating the Value of Speech-to-Text


Text-to-Speech

I showed this to my 2nd grader right away! How often do you see a student who can't read a lick but they come in and know everything possible about a certain animal because they watch Animal Planet ALL THE TIME!!?This opens up a whole new avenue of gathering information and sustaining focus on learning.  I could use with Daily 5, listen to reading.  As a teacher, I could use it to listen to my emails while I straighten up my room, work smarter not harder. 

Guided Access

Oh, the minute I tried this out I knew how to use it!  I'm sure I'm not the only one with "That" student who NEVER wants to do their work but could stay on the computer all day!?  Well, now I can say he can earn minutes and set the timer! Hoot,hoot! Can't wait to try on Monday!! And it's an educational game! Double tricked!  Hehe!  I also like that it keeps students where you want them and they can't wander.  The timer is also good if you only want some iPads out and have students rotate to them like during Daily 5.  I could use this with my special Ed students, they don't understand time but will understand when it stops.  It would be time consuming to keep setting the timer though.  

 

Classroom Tools

Send Updates

Oh, how I wish I knew about this app the past two years! I was teaching 3rd grade and last years students were constantly saying they didn't know what to do or told their parents they had to home writing! It's a great tool for taking the "I forgot" excuse away from the students and the "but I didn't know or I would have made him do" excuse from the parents.  A big problem for our population would be that they frequently change numbers and emails.

Monitor Behavior

I've used this app before and the kids really like it. They would even remind me when I forgot to turn it on.  The problem I had was that the Smartboard was freezing up frequently.  I like the app on the iPad better and will now start using it again. Well we are trying to do the Nutured Heart program where your giving students lots of positive feedback but not much to the parents unless students have too many resets or fill out in school success session sheets.   This would be a better way for all students and their parents to see their successes.  Parents in the past liked it because they could see if it was a certain area that was more challenging for their child.  The biggest thing for parents though was daily feedback and that's what they really appreciated.

Utility Apps

Decibel 10th- I checked this out because I have some days that my class volume increases as the day progresses.  I thought it might help if students had a visual.

PowerTeacher Mobile-I thought this would be a good one since we use PowerSchool.  

Students could use these apps to self monitor and set goals.

Comic & Book Creation

Comic Creation:

Well, my 17 year old said anything he could learn from a comic strip would be better than listening to teachers "lecture."  I think it could definitely help with writing.  Either the teacher explaining a lesson or students making up a comic about something they had written.  For some, it may be enough of a motivator to get them to write.  One of the great things about comics is that there is a small amount of writing in the speech bubbles.  That is also helpful for struggling writers because they can get frustrated with large amounts of writing.

I discussed ideas with a second and third grade student.  The third grader said comics would be a great way to teach someone how to make something, like a paper airplane.  The second grader thought making a comic on how to draw Minecraft characters would be fun.

I made my comic on onomatopoeia. I happened to find a superhero onomatopoeia sheet on Pinterest recently.  I printed it and it was just a simple sheet that had a few superheros on it with blank explosion shapes to fill the page.  I was continuously moving it from place to place in my room but had no inspiration on how to use it.  Then a student wore a  shirt that simply said Snap in an explosion shape and I got out the iPad and with photo booth, took a picture.  It turned out cool and a few days later a student wore a shirt that said Zoom.  Once again,out came the iPad and photo booth.  Well, the students certainly thought this looked cool but what was the purpose and how long would it take before I had enough photos to do something with?  Then this comic assignment came up! POW! It hit me.  Tie it all together.  I used those shirt photos in my comic strip.   So, students will watch my comic and when they're finished they will fill in their sheet  with onomatopoeia's of their own.  This is an example of SAMR's level of Augmentation.  Also, this week my students are actually making Thanksgiving comics that are on a sheet of paper and the students fill in the bubble.  I could take a picture of each frame of the comic and add it to the Comic Maker.

Book Creation

Book creation is an easy way to make mini scrap books for students.  What can be useful with these scrap books from an educational point of view, is you have a way to look back at what you did and say, "remember when we did this and it looked like this?"  It can help bring that prior knowledge back.  They can also be used for comparing and contrasting different activities or in having a visual for their growth throughout the year, depending on what you made the book on.  Students could use this as a writing activity instead of pencil and paper.  This would fit the SAMR model of Augmentation.

Learning Management

Edmodo Classroom 

Schoology 

I probably wouldn't use either of these in my first grade.  I could've seen using this when I was with 3rd grade.  If I used this in first grade it would be more to bring the parents into discussions about what we're doing in the classroom.  This would be a way for every parent to feel involved.  I haven't used an LMS before but Edmodo was easy to set up. I wasn't expecting a two wait on the Schoology set up.  I liked using Schoology better though (once I actually figured out how to attach pics and video- it's called "hit the right button!")

Productivity

Productivity

This didn't show my second activity as a note because it was page two.  Not sure how to fix that or if you even do.  The picture below was my second note though.

I LOVE this because, I have a condition you may have heard of, it's called-Paper Piler!  If this could help me keep all my notes on assignment ideas together, I will be thrilled.  I do wonder about "the cloud".  In terms of where is it really and who will be able to see it.  The way I understand this app to work, I basically could carry my filing cabinet around with me.  Also, when I jot notes on what my plan is for an activity, I have it all in one place (with me! Not at school when I'm home and not home when I'm at school).

iBooks

ePub Readers-

I am one of those people who actually received a Kindle for Christmas and was horrified! 😱 Give up my paperbacks!? 😥 Are you kidding me? Some of my fondest memories growing up were of hanging out at the library curled up with a paperback. Needless to say, the Kindle went back.😝  That was a few years ago.  I'm trying to be more opened minded now but I am still having a hard time.  I do see advantages though.  In the school setting, you save on replacing the books once purchased.  You can get an audio version in Kindle. This would help students who are low readers or students who need to listen to fluency.  When you get to words you don't know, you can have them defined. Students can also highlight.  I see how it can take reading to a new level and I will use that at school.  If you stop by my house though, you'll probably see my books stacked in every corner😀


Annotations-

This could be great for students to highlight different things you're working on, such as verbs.  It could be used as an assessment-to see if they got it.  We could use it for a comprehension check.  Each student highlights the answer to questions.  They are free, that's always a bonus.  To be honest, I'm not sure when paper is better, if I wanted to give it to the parents or put in their file?  I could just print it though, right? 

PDF iBooks

Actually, at first I didn't see the point.  After having a discussion with a friend though, I realized that this can be a great organizational tool for students.  Everything could be kept in one place.  I could use it to write myself notes on activities I want students to complete and keep them in one place.