I have been working with the Rock N Learn Easy Reader 4 with my small group of struggling readers in third grade. There are three contrived stories that focus on different phonetic elements-- this level focuses on au, aw, all, al, syllables, the schwa sound, ending sounds, and silent consonants. It fits in nicely with the patterns that are being learned it word study.
I have used the stories to go on word hunts, allowing the children to practice identifying and pronouncing these phonetic elements. I feel that the more practice students have using the words in context, the easier it will be to internalize the word patterns.
I think the rock n learn series would be useful to most lower elementary teachers.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Civil War App
US History Teachers—Try this!
Civil War: America’s Epic Struggle
This application has so much to offer. It brings photographs, statistics, music, storylines, battles, biographical profiles, timelines, and multimedia presentations, to name a few, right to the children.
Since studying the Constitution in 8th grade Social Studies, my students have been curious about how slavery spread, and how it was allowed by law. After several discussions, I used the app to project information titled “Causes of the Civil War.” Here, I was able to discuss and show all the major direct and indirect causes of the war including the Cotton Gin, Missouri Compromise, California Gold Rush, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
With so much content on this application, I found it to be a great introduction for teaching about the Civil War, and it will be a great addition to the Civil War unit I have planned.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
twitter in 60 seconds
Twitter-It's Not Just What's For Breakfast...
Steve Anderson (web 2.0 classroom)
For some, Twitter is a place where people talk about themselves, show pictures of what they are eating or a platform for celebrities to make sure they are even more a part of our lives. And certainly those tweets and tweeters are out there. A simple search of a few key words will reveal a world of misfits, narcissists and sometimes even worse.
And this is what I am up against everyday. You might be too. Trying to explain to people what Twitter is and more and more what it is not. And in education it is especially hard trying to convince Superintendents, School Boards, administrators and others that Twitter is a viable place for learning about real-time events and a place where educators can take part in some really meaningful professional development.
I get asked all the time how do I show the benefits of Twitter to skeptics. What is my ammo, go-to sites and examples that I point to when talking about all this stuff? So finally I have organized it all into a short list and will give it to you so you can arm your self with Twitter knowledge and head out into the world and start changing some minds.
An Intro To Twitter
This is a video that I noticed just recently and wished I had it since I started. While it looks cute and cuddly (which it is) the way these 2 really break down what Twitter is helps me explain it even better when I talk to people.
http://vimeo.com/20008272
Twitter Misconceptions
On this site are the Top 10 Misconceptions about Twitter. Things like people only tweet about what they eat for breakfast, or to Tweet means you have to give up massive amounts of time.
Twister
There are lots of services that will copy what Twitter does. This one is a little different. What do you think George Washington would have tweeted as he lead the army across the Potomac? Or what would Mubarak had tweeted as he watched Egyptian empire crumble around him? Using Twister, kids and teachers can use a simple form to create tweets, even full profile pages around historical figures. There are several examples to look at and lots of possibilities.
Twitter Chats
I have written a lot about this before but being able to show that there are lots of educators with similar curricular areas talking on a regular basis is huge for changing minds. Many don't think there is a chat for their area but when I show them Cybrary Man's page for chats, the lightbulb goes off.
7 Things You Should Know About Twitter
This 2 page PDF from Educase really breaks down what you need to know before dipping your toes into the Twitter water and explains how educators can get the most out of it.
How Twitter Makes You A Better Writer
This is one I use all the time because this was me. I was a horrible writer and had an awful time getting my thoughts down properly and in a concise way. Twitter has really helped me improve both of those things and more. (Although I do have a very long way to go...)
Twitter Can Save You Time
Another one I have found recently, this simple example from a good friend of mine about how he went to Twitter out of frustration and found exactly what he was looking for when no one else could provide it for him really helps to show one of the daily benefits many of us get when using Twitter.
Wyckoff on Twitter?
If you have a professional twitter account, post it here for all to follow. If not, try it! Use Wyckoff hashtag (#ems1) to learn, share out around iPads. As a newbie to twitter, I can't say enough about it's tremendous ability to increase our PD. I find out and read tons about the ipad, schools using it, etc.
Here are some wyckoff district staff you can follow on twitter...
If you post anything professionally, use this hashtag #ems1, so we can customize what we want to see from district.
@grayseawhite
@ciasiello
@richkuder
@mimigioia
@jencalendrillo
@taraszabo
@askear
@bconn85
And many more from EMS. Just go to who I follow for more.
Consider setting up a twitter. Very easy
Chris Iasiello , thanks for encouraging me to follow twitter.
Here are some wyckoff district staff you can follow on twitter...
If you post anything professionally, use this hashtag #ems1, so we can customize what we want to see from district.
@grayseawhite
@ciasiello
@richkuder
@mimigioia
@jencalendrillo
@taraszabo
@askear
@bconn85
And many more from EMS. Just go to who I follow for more.
Consider setting up a twitter. Very easy
Chris Iasiello , thanks for encouraging me to follow twitter.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Found this on Middle Web today.
HOW THE iPAD WANTS TO BE USED
http://bit.ly/speirs-ipads-in-schools
A lot of schools are envisaging the Apple iPad "in the roles that PCs
formerly occupied," says Scottish teacher and tech coach Fraser
Speirs. The laptop trolley becomes an iPad trolley. The checkout
computers become the checkout tablets. But that's not how the iPad is
designed, he says, and "the iPad is an extremely uncomfortable fit
for those roles defined in an earlier era." But it can be a hugely
helpful learning tool in the digital era, as Speirs is learning in a
schoolwide experiment that has garnered worldwide attention. See what
the ASCD Inservice blog had to say: http://bit.ly/speirs-ipad
HOW THE iPAD WANTS TO BE USED
http://bit.ly/speirs-ipads-in-schools
A lot of schools are envisaging the Apple iPad "in the roles that PCs
formerly occupied," says Scottish teacher and tech coach Fraser
Speirs. The laptop trolley becomes an iPad trolley. The checkout
computers become the checkout tablets. But that's not how the iPad is
designed, he says, and "the iPad is an extremely uncomfortable fit
for those roles defined in an earlier era." But it can be a hugely
helpful learning tool in the digital era, as Speirs is learning in a
schoolwide experiment that has garnered worldwide attention. See what
the ASCD Inservice blog had to say: http://bit.ly/speirs-ipad
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Britannica Kids: Ancient Egypt--A success!
The Britannica Kids: Ancient Egypt application offers learners of all grades quality information designed for exploring one of the world’s greatest ancient civilizations. As a teacher of students with disabilities, I was able to effectively use this application throughout the unit of study. The subtopics offered for Ancient Egypt are: Egyptian writing, jigsaw puzzles, google maps access, pictures and video, memory matching, and Quiz. All subtopics allow the learner to explore Ancient Egypt in a unique, enjoyable fashion.
After introducing Ancient Egypt, I was able to show the students where Egypt is in relation to Wyckoff, New Jersey. After the GPS automatically located us in Wyckoff, I was able to click on the “Step Pyramid” location in Egypt. The I-pad informed us that we were 5,612 miles away from Wyckoff. At the click of an arrow, we were then looking at the actual Step Pyramid. Provided underneath the picture was an explanation of what the Step Pyramid was. This feature of google maps strictly focused on places of interest still present from ancient Egyptian times. Fifteen total places are included. This opening exercise was of high interest to all students. After breaking up into an activity, I allowed each student to spend 3-5 minutes with the Ipad, focusing on Google Maps. They enjoyed looking for their homes, Eisenhower School, their favorite vacation place, and Egypt. Each student was then to list the place in Egypt that interested him/her the most.
In an additional lesson, I used the “articles” feature to show students facts about the Ancient Egyptian world. Each article is written especially for middle school children. As part of a centers activity, two students were to focus on a different subtopic of the articles feature. They were broken into dynasties, everyday life, Gods, the Nile River, and writing. Each group was able to research these topics and present to the class their findings.
The Gods A-Z subtopic was particularly useful for the class when they were asked to make “Profile Cards” of 5 religious figures. The A-Z menu lists 14 Gods. This feature of the application allowed the students to read a write up about the God and see a picture, painting, or statue of the god. The students then summarized the information, typed, and pasted onto the back of an index card the main points of each God’s life. On the front, students were able to color their God. This proved to be a great resource for the students to learn about five gods.
And finally, as a reward, students are eligible to complete a jigsaw puzzle of choice ranging from a God or Goddess to building, city, or place from Ancient Egypt. This feature was fun and also very tactile for the kinesthetic and visual learner. Throughout the unit, this reward system was of great value for each student, and all successfully completed a puzzle of their choice.
This application, Britannica Kids: Ancient Egypt allowed for an enjoyable, interesting, and enthusiastic learning experience for all students.
Brendan Connelly
Resource SS EMS
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A fun way to take a spelling test!
Spell Board is a great application that allows students to take their own spelling test. The teacher has to record the word and student types the words as they are said. The application grades the quiz and gives the student the immediate feedback that they crave! I'm trying to figure out how to fit this into the sorting aspect of our word study program. Has anyone found anything that allows students to "sort" words?
Doodle Apps
There are many different doodle apps available. In 2nd grade, the students begin learning cursive and this has been a great and enjoyable experience for them by using the iPad. For the letters that they are having trouble with, I write them in blue ink and they trace over them in red ink. For some of the kids, tracing the letters with their fingers before writing it with their pencil helps them manage the fluid motion of forming the letters.
Some that I have tried are called:
Doodlelicious (free) - my favorite one
iBlackboard (free)
Finger Sketch (free)
Some that I have tried are called:
Doodlelicious (free) - my favorite one
iBlackboard (free)
Finger Sketch (free)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
iBook and sketching
I'll throw in an endorsement for the iBook app. I read a couple of pdf's of photocopied articles using iBook and it was able to do some limited searching of text that my laptop can't for scanned articles. It's limited, and seems to work better on pdf's that are scanned more clearly.
Has anybody found an app that is comparable to Google SketchUp? They have not developed an app for this tool yet, and I have some Google SketchUp enthusiasts that would like to be able to manipulate their sketches in ways similar to how they are able to navigate in the GoogleEarth app. I searched and found a lot of drawing apps, but nothing in which you can build and manipulate geometric forms aside from $20 CAD programs which I hear are a bit much to learn.
Has anybody found an app that is comparable to Google SketchUp? They have not developed an app for this tool yet, and I have some Google SketchUp enthusiasts that would like to be able to manipulate their sketches in ways similar to how they are able to navigate in the GoogleEarth app. I searched and found a lot of drawing apps, but nothing in which you can build and manipulate geometric forms aside from $20 CAD programs which I hear are a bit much to learn.
Awesome apps ....
Apps to Make You Smarter
With the growing number of gaming and video apps for the iPad and iPhone, it’s almost hard to believe that there are apps available to educate and inform. Let's take a look at some of the top apps that can teach you something.
AllFreePaid
Price: Free
Wikipanion for iPad
By Robert Chin
Wikipanion is a great way to access Wikipedia on the iPad. The app supports AirPrint for printing articles when you need a hard copy. Wikipanion is the absolute best way to access Wikipedia on the iPad for free. The free version works great, but if you are looking for some more features, the pro version is available for $4.99.
Price: $13.99
The Elements: A Visual Exploration
By Element Collection, Inc
A refreshing and fascinating look at both the periodic table of elements, and the future of digital books. The digital version of Theodore Gray’s book “The Elements” is as visually astonishing as it is informative. The “Table of Contents” is the actual periodic table, with each element being selectable with a simple touch. A touch of each element reveals two new pages per element: the first page shows a rotating picture of the element, along with a column of detailed information about the element’s scientific properties. The second page provides an in-depth narrative, explaining where the element comes from, many of its uses and visual examples of it in daily life.
Price: $4.99
Star Walk for iPad - interactive astronomy guide
By Vito Technology Inc.
An app that makes stargazing a fun activity! The app opens to a screen that shows the phases of the moon for the past two days, current day and next two days. In addition, it provides information on the sunrise and sunset, along with information on the rising and setting of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Closing that screen allows you to see the sky, stars and galaxies directly behind your iPhone or iPad (in front of you). Turn with your device, and the screen will update live to show you the sky behind it. As you move your device into various positions, the screen shows you all of the stars and constellations in the sky at those positions. Want to know more about what you’re looking at? Click on a star, then click the “i” button in the top-left corner to get details about the type of star, distance from the planet and other pertinent information. Other features include picture of the day, the option to bookmark your observations and the ability to move time forward or backwards to see what the sky will or would have looked like.
Price: $2.99
Solar Walk - 3D Solar System model - Christmas Edition
By Vito Technology Inc.
A realistic 3D rendering of our universe, it’s like having your own planetarium on your iPad. The solar system is completely interactive, allowing you to zoom in to focus on one planet (and/or its moons), or zoom out to see the whole solar system. The ability to manipulate time allows you to see the planets rotating around the sun and the moons rotating around the planets. Tapping each planet allows you to read detailed information, including how the planet got its name, along with specific facts and figures, like the radius, volume, mass, density and surface area of the planet, the length of a day and a year, surface temperature, atmospheric conditions and internal structures, along with information about exploration missions to the planet.
Price: Free
3D Brain
By Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
A 3D rendering of the human brain, complete with visuals of 29 different brain structures (from the Amygdala to Wernicke’s Area). Simple touch commands allow you to rotate or zoom in and out, apply labels to each structure, or read detailed information, including an overview of the structure, relevant case studies and associated functions, disorders and other links and research.
Price: Free
Molecules
By Sunset Lake Software
An open source BSD project that allows you to view and manipulate three-dimensional renderings of various molecules. Simple touch commands allow you to rotate or zoom in and out, while the program options allow you to change visual modes between ball-and-stick, spacefilling or cylinders. Additional molecular structures can be downloaded for free from the RCSB Protein Data Bank, or from a custom location/publicly available server.
Price: Free
iBooks
By Apple Inc.
Although iBooks is designed mainly as a book reader, it also supports PDF documents. A great way to use iBooks is to load up all of the reference PDFs that you need to access on a regular basis. Any PDF added to your iBooks app will be synced back to iTunes for safekeeping. The app currently can just read PDFs, so no annotating can be done quite yet. The app is both free and universal.
Price: $0.99
MedAbbreviations: Medical Abbreviations Reference
By Evan Schoenberg
If you are a medical professional this app is a must have. The app contains over 13,000 abbreviations used by doctors and other medical professionals. The app is universal so it will run on both your iPad and your iPhone.
Price: Free
HTML5 Reference Guide
By Evolonix
Website designers that are wanting to use HTML5 will find this free app quite useful. The app contains info on tags, standard attributes, and event attributes for HTML5. The app is universal so it will run on all touchscreen iOS devices.
Price: $0.99
U.S. Pocket Reference
By Double Dog Studios
If you need a great reference for America, this app is a must have. The app contains: the Constitution, Bill of Rights and other Amendments, Emancipation Proclamation, Declaration of Independence, info on the Branches of Government, Federalist Papers, Mayflower Compact, info on the U.S. Flag, Pledge of Allegiance, Great Seal of the United States, Star Spangled Banner, Motto of the U.S., America the Beautiful, God Bless America, info on major Supreme Court rulings, excerpts from key Presidential speeches, and an excerpt from the “I Have a Dream” speech. The app is just absolutely loaded with great reference material and runs on all touchscreen iOS devices.
Price: Free
Linux Reference Guide
By Evolonix
If you are new to Linux, this reference app will come in handy. The app contains basic Linux/Unix commands that are used in the terminal. Most of these commands work within the Mac OS X terminal as well. The app is fairly limited, but future app updates will load it full of great content. The app is free and runs on all touchscreen iOS devices.
Price: $4.99
Landscaper's Companion for iPad - A Reference G...
By Stevenson Software, LLC
Landscapers and gardeners will want to check out this app. It has over 2,300 plants with over 6,000 pictures. Each plant has the key info on how to take care of it. The divides the plants into 16 key types to make it easier to browse. The app needs an internet connection to download the images one time. After the initial downloading is completed, the app can be used offline. The developers are continually adding new plants and continuing to improve the app.
Price: $5.99
Guitarist's Reference
By Maj9.com
Guitarists, this app is for you. The app is packed full of great reference material. The app contains: chords, scales, triads, arpeggios, notes on the fretboard, reverse chord finder, alternate guitar tunings and chord relationships. The app also has a guitar chord encyclopedia that includes over 3,000 of the most used chords. All of the information is stored locally, so you have no need to worry if you do not have internet on your iPad. You can even add favorite notes, chords, arpeggios to make them quicker to find.
Price: $4.99
Boater's Pocket Reference
By Double Dog Studios
The Boater’s Pocket Reference contains over 1,800 pages worth of invaluable information. The universal app contains 457 illustrations, 94 photographs, and a bunch of other charts and graphs. Boaters will find the how to info, reference facts, figures, formulas, and wealth of information quite handy. The app is a great reference for piloting/navigation, communication, coast guard info, understanding weather, boat types, essentials to good seamanship, kinds of lines and knots, mechanical info, boat trailering tips, and much more. The app is great for both new and experienced boaters who need some reminders every now and then.
Price: $2.99
Skeletal Anatomy 3D - Quiz and Reference
By Real Bodywork
Doctors and others studying human anatomy will find this reference/quiz app very helpful. The app contains contains 140 bones and landmarks on human anatomy. The app also contains nine 3D models and 12 diagrams. The app will help you learn pronunciation through prerecorded names. All of the diagrams can be zoomed in on to get a real sense of the human body. The app also has a quiz mode to help test you on human anatomy. The app also has a quick 10 minute video on the basics of the skeletal system. The app is universal, so it will run great on both your iPhone and your iPad. A great tool for those needing a reference of human anatomy on their iPad.
Price: $3.99
iMeds XL - The Medication Reference
By FDAble LLC
Those that need a great reference for medicine will want to have this app on their iPad. The app contains over 7,300 FDA approved medications. All medications contain full prescribing info. The app has info about dosage, usage, black box warnings, contraindications, adverse reactions, info for patients, supplemental patient material, overdosage, precautions, highlights, clinical studies, and much more. You can search for drugs by drug name, active ingredient, manufacturer, form or drug class. You can also bookmark the drugs you want to find quickly and email all the info out of the app for use on your iPhone. The app is all self contained, so this can be done without an internet connection. The app is a great tool for pharmacists or those that need to deal with medicine regularly.
Price: $1.99
World Atlas HD
By National Geographic Society
If you need reference to a world atlas on your iPad, look no further. This app was created by National Geographic and includes some truly fantastic maps. The maps are super high resolution and include incredible detail. The app also contains up to date info on flags, countries, and socio-economic information. The app supports searching and bookmarking of your favorite locations.
Price: $1.99
IP Reference
By J W Phelps Consulting, inc.
IP reference is an app for those that need some rather technical info. The app contains a ton of great tools. These include a net/subnet/host calculator, IP info, classless subnet listing, ping, MAC OUI lookup, NSLookup, WHOIS lookup, RFC search, TCP socket test, and ports/protocols search. The app is just loaded full of great reference material and calculation tools for those needing this kind of information.
Price: $4.99
Biochemistry Reference
By Helen Ginn
Studying biochemistry or need a quick refresh? This app is for you. The app is loaded up with easy to understand explanations of topics. The app also has pictures, videos, and pathways for further reference material. The app contains 300 pages of concise biochemistry, quick access to the essential biochemistry info, cross linking between pages, ability to add your own notes, sources to go even more in-depth, and built in search. The topics covered are very in-depth and will help out anyone studying the subject.
Price: Free
Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus - iPad
By Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com is a wonderful online dictionary. The app contains the content from both Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. No internet connection is required to use the app. The only time an internet connection is required is when you want to view the word of the day, hear audio pronunciation or similarly spelled words. The app contains around 1,000,000 words and definitions with more than 90,000 synonyms and antonyms. The app includes example sentences, non-standard uses, word origin and history, and the ability to shake your iPad for a random word. The app is completely free and an essential reference app for every iPad.
Price: $0.99
Math Ref
By Happy Maau Studios, LLC
If you need a reference app for math, check out Math Ref. The app includes information on Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Linear Algebra, Series/Sequences, Derivatives, Integration, Table of Integrals, Vector Calculus, Differential Equations, Discrete Math, Probability/Stats, Physics, Chemistry, Periodic Table, Algorithms, Financial Math, Prime numbers, and the Greek Alphabet. The app is just loaded up with all kinds of great information. The app is universal so it will run on both your iPad and your iPhone.
Price: Free
Bloomberg for iPad
By Bloomberg LP
Bloomberg is used by more than 280,000 professionals that need to stay up to date the latest financial information. The app contains stock quotes, company descriptions, market leaders/laggers, price charts, market trends analysis and much more. The app is a perfect resource for financial professionals and investors.
Price: Free
White & Yellow Pages
By Avantar LLC
There is no longer any need to hang onto those big Yellow and White Page reference books that show up on your doorstep every year. This app contains both books as well as some other nifty tools. The app includes: search, movie showtimes, maps, and much more. The app is completely free and a wonderful addition to any iPad.
Price: $9.99
FlightTrack Pro – Live Flight Status Tracker by Mobiata
By Ben Kazez
FlightTrack Pro is the essential reference tool for traveling. The app will automatically sync itineraries with TripIt.com. The app lets you add in your own notes for your flights. The app contains maps that include live flight tracking information. The app is a big win for seeing when your plane will arrive. The app includes real time status for gates, delays, and cancelations. The app includes more than 4,000 airports. One great feature is the ability to find an alternate flight. The app is a great reference and information tool for those in need of flight information.
With the growing number of gaming and video apps for the iPad and iPhone, it’s almost hard to believe that there are apps available to educate and inform. Let's take a look at some of the top apps that can teach you something.
AllFreePaid
Price: Free
Wikipanion for iPad
By Robert Chin
Wikipanion is a great way to access Wikipedia on the iPad. The app supports AirPrint for printing articles when you need a hard copy. Wikipanion is the absolute best way to access Wikipedia on the iPad for free. The free version works great, but if you are looking for some more features, the pro version is available for $4.99.
Price: $13.99
The Elements: A Visual Exploration
By Element Collection, Inc
A refreshing and fascinating look at both the periodic table of elements, and the future of digital books. The digital version of Theodore Gray’s book “The Elements” is as visually astonishing as it is informative. The “Table of Contents” is the actual periodic table, with each element being selectable with a simple touch. A touch of each element reveals two new pages per element: the first page shows a rotating picture of the element, along with a column of detailed information about the element’s scientific properties. The second page provides an in-depth narrative, explaining where the element comes from, many of its uses and visual examples of it in daily life.
Price: $4.99
Star Walk for iPad - interactive astronomy guide
By Vito Technology Inc.
An app that makes stargazing a fun activity! The app opens to a screen that shows the phases of the moon for the past two days, current day and next two days. In addition, it provides information on the sunrise and sunset, along with information on the rising and setting of Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Closing that screen allows you to see the sky, stars and galaxies directly behind your iPhone or iPad (in front of you). Turn with your device, and the screen will update live to show you the sky behind it. As you move your device into various positions, the screen shows you all of the stars and constellations in the sky at those positions. Want to know more about what you’re looking at? Click on a star, then click the “i” button in the top-left corner to get details about the type of star, distance from the planet and other pertinent information. Other features include picture of the day, the option to bookmark your observations and the ability to move time forward or backwards to see what the sky will or would have looked like.
Price: $2.99
Solar Walk - 3D Solar System model - Christmas Edition
By Vito Technology Inc.
A realistic 3D rendering of our universe, it’s like having your own planetarium on your iPad. The solar system is completely interactive, allowing you to zoom in to focus on one planet (and/or its moons), or zoom out to see the whole solar system. The ability to manipulate time allows you to see the planets rotating around the sun and the moons rotating around the planets. Tapping each planet allows you to read detailed information, including how the planet got its name, along with specific facts and figures, like the radius, volume, mass, density and surface area of the planet, the length of a day and a year, surface temperature, atmospheric conditions and internal structures, along with information about exploration missions to the planet.
Price: Free
3D Brain
By Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
A 3D rendering of the human brain, complete with visuals of 29 different brain structures (from the Amygdala to Wernicke’s Area). Simple touch commands allow you to rotate or zoom in and out, apply labels to each structure, or read detailed information, including an overview of the structure, relevant case studies and associated functions, disorders and other links and research.
Price: Free
Molecules
By Sunset Lake Software
An open source BSD project that allows you to view and manipulate three-dimensional renderings of various molecules. Simple touch commands allow you to rotate or zoom in and out, while the program options allow you to change visual modes between ball-and-stick, spacefilling or cylinders. Additional molecular structures can be downloaded for free from the RCSB Protein Data Bank, or from a custom location/publicly available server.
Price: Free
iBooks
By Apple Inc.
Although iBooks is designed mainly as a book reader, it also supports PDF documents. A great way to use iBooks is to load up all of the reference PDFs that you need to access on a regular basis. Any PDF added to your iBooks app will be synced back to iTunes for safekeeping. The app currently can just read PDFs, so no annotating can be done quite yet. The app is both free and universal.
Price: $0.99
MedAbbreviations: Medical Abbreviations Reference
By Evan Schoenberg
If you are a medical professional this app is a must have. The app contains over 13,000 abbreviations used by doctors and other medical professionals. The app is universal so it will run on both your iPad and your iPhone.
Price: Free
HTML5 Reference Guide
By Evolonix
Website designers that are wanting to use HTML5 will find this free app quite useful. The app contains info on tags, standard attributes, and event attributes for HTML5. The app is universal so it will run on all touchscreen iOS devices.
Price: $0.99
U.S. Pocket Reference
By Double Dog Studios
If you need a great reference for America, this app is a must have. The app contains: the Constitution, Bill of Rights and other Amendments, Emancipation Proclamation, Declaration of Independence, info on the Branches of Government, Federalist Papers, Mayflower Compact, info on the U.S. Flag, Pledge of Allegiance, Great Seal of the United States, Star Spangled Banner, Motto of the U.S., America the Beautiful, God Bless America, info on major Supreme Court rulings, excerpts from key Presidential speeches, and an excerpt from the “I Have a Dream” speech. The app is just absolutely loaded with great reference material and runs on all touchscreen iOS devices.
Price: Free
Linux Reference Guide
By Evolonix
If you are new to Linux, this reference app will come in handy. The app contains basic Linux/Unix commands that are used in the terminal. Most of these commands work within the Mac OS X terminal as well. The app is fairly limited, but future app updates will load it full of great content. The app is free and runs on all touchscreen iOS devices.
Price: $4.99
Landscaper's Companion for iPad - A Reference G...
By Stevenson Software, LLC
Landscapers and gardeners will want to check out this app. It has over 2,300 plants with over 6,000 pictures. Each plant has the key info on how to take care of it. The divides the plants into 16 key types to make it easier to browse. The app needs an internet connection to download the images one time. After the initial downloading is completed, the app can be used offline. The developers are continually adding new plants and continuing to improve the app.
Price: $5.99
Guitarist's Reference
By Maj9.com
Guitarists, this app is for you. The app is packed full of great reference material. The app contains: chords, scales, triads, arpeggios, notes on the fretboard, reverse chord finder, alternate guitar tunings and chord relationships. The app also has a guitar chord encyclopedia that includes over 3,000 of the most used chords. All of the information is stored locally, so you have no need to worry if you do not have internet on your iPad. You can even add favorite notes, chords, arpeggios to make them quicker to find.
Price: $4.99
Boater's Pocket Reference
By Double Dog Studios
The Boater’s Pocket Reference contains over 1,800 pages worth of invaluable information. The universal app contains 457 illustrations, 94 photographs, and a bunch of other charts and graphs. Boaters will find the how to info, reference facts, figures, formulas, and wealth of information quite handy. The app is a great reference for piloting/navigation, communication, coast guard info, understanding weather, boat types, essentials to good seamanship, kinds of lines and knots, mechanical info, boat trailering tips, and much more. The app is great for both new and experienced boaters who need some reminders every now and then.
Price: $2.99
Skeletal Anatomy 3D - Quiz and Reference
By Real Bodywork
Doctors and others studying human anatomy will find this reference/quiz app very helpful. The app contains contains 140 bones and landmarks on human anatomy. The app also contains nine 3D models and 12 diagrams. The app will help you learn pronunciation through prerecorded names. All of the diagrams can be zoomed in on to get a real sense of the human body. The app also has a quiz mode to help test you on human anatomy. The app also has a quick 10 minute video on the basics of the skeletal system. The app is universal, so it will run great on both your iPhone and your iPad. A great tool for those needing a reference of human anatomy on their iPad.
Price: $3.99
iMeds XL - The Medication Reference
By FDAble LLC
Those that need a great reference for medicine will want to have this app on their iPad. The app contains over 7,300 FDA approved medications. All medications contain full prescribing info. The app has info about dosage, usage, black box warnings, contraindications, adverse reactions, info for patients, supplemental patient material, overdosage, precautions, highlights, clinical studies, and much more. You can search for drugs by drug name, active ingredient, manufacturer, form or drug class. You can also bookmark the drugs you want to find quickly and email all the info out of the app for use on your iPhone. The app is all self contained, so this can be done without an internet connection. The app is a great tool for pharmacists or those that need to deal with medicine regularly.
Price: $1.99
World Atlas HD
By National Geographic Society
If you need reference to a world atlas on your iPad, look no further. This app was created by National Geographic and includes some truly fantastic maps. The maps are super high resolution and include incredible detail. The app also contains up to date info on flags, countries, and socio-economic information. The app supports searching and bookmarking of your favorite locations.
Price: $1.99
IP Reference
By J W Phelps Consulting, inc.
IP reference is an app for those that need some rather technical info. The app contains a ton of great tools. These include a net/subnet/host calculator, IP info, classless subnet listing, ping, MAC OUI lookup, NSLookup, WHOIS lookup, RFC search, TCP socket test, and ports/protocols search. The app is just loaded full of great reference material and calculation tools for those needing this kind of information.
Price: $4.99
Biochemistry Reference
By Helen Ginn
Studying biochemistry or need a quick refresh? This app is for you. The app is loaded up with easy to understand explanations of topics. The app also has pictures, videos, and pathways for further reference material. The app contains 300 pages of concise biochemistry, quick access to the essential biochemistry info, cross linking between pages, ability to add your own notes, sources to go even more in-depth, and built in search. The topics covered are very in-depth and will help out anyone studying the subject.
Price: Free
Dictionary.com - Dictionary & Thesaurus - iPad
By Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com is a wonderful online dictionary. The app contains the content from both Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. No internet connection is required to use the app. The only time an internet connection is required is when you want to view the word of the day, hear audio pronunciation or similarly spelled words. The app contains around 1,000,000 words and definitions with more than 90,000 synonyms and antonyms. The app includes example sentences, non-standard uses, word origin and history, and the ability to shake your iPad for a random word. The app is completely free and an essential reference app for every iPad.
Price: $0.99
Math Ref
By Happy Maau Studios, LLC
If you need a reference app for math, check out Math Ref. The app includes information on Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Linear Algebra, Series/Sequences, Derivatives, Integration, Table of Integrals, Vector Calculus, Differential Equations, Discrete Math, Probability/Stats, Physics, Chemistry, Periodic Table, Algorithms, Financial Math, Prime numbers, and the Greek Alphabet. The app is just loaded up with all kinds of great information. The app is universal so it will run on both your iPad and your iPhone.
Price: Free
Bloomberg for iPad
By Bloomberg LP
Bloomberg is used by more than 280,000 professionals that need to stay up to date the latest financial information. The app contains stock quotes, company descriptions, market leaders/laggers, price charts, market trends analysis and much more. The app is a perfect resource for financial professionals and investors.
Price: Free
White & Yellow Pages
By Avantar LLC
There is no longer any need to hang onto those big Yellow and White Page reference books that show up on your doorstep every year. This app contains both books as well as some other nifty tools. The app includes: search, movie showtimes, maps, and much more. The app is completely free and a wonderful addition to any iPad.
Price: $9.99
FlightTrack Pro – Live Flight Status Tracker by Mobiata
By Ben Kazez
FlightTrack Pro is the essential reference tool for traveling. The app will automatically sync itineraries with TripIt.com. The app lets you add in your own notes for your flights. The app contains maps that include live flight tracking information. The app is a big win for seeing when your plane will arrive. The app includes real time status for gates, delays, and cancelations. The app includes more than 4,000 airports. One great feature is the ability to find an alternate flight. The app is a great reference and information tool for those in need of flight information.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Printing anyone?
I know that early on there was some discussion of Apps for printing. Looking back at the old posts, it seems that there were issues with some of the Apps and our printers. Has anyone had success with printing in the district? If so, what was the name of the App you used?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
What do you think?
Are Schools Struggling to Remain Relevant in the 21st Century? Arguing the Case For Technology...
Posted by Sam Gliksman on February 4, 2011 at 4:30pm
...
The same analogy can be drawn about our educational institutions. Education can’t operate in a void. Our schools have a role within the context of greater society. In order to be effective, we have to examine the degree to which we’re preparing our students for life in that framework. The more that life in, and outside of school starts diverging, the less relevant institutional education becomes for our students.
So what's happening to our lives outside of school? Here's a quick snapshot of some recent statistics:
Around 1.5 billion mobile phones were sold worldwide in 2010, and over 20% were smartphones
9 out of 10 people in the USA own cell phones
There were over 5 billion mobile phone subscribers in 2010 – out of a world population of 6.8 billion!
More children aged 7-16 years old own a mobile phone than own a book - 85% own phones versus 72% that own a book at home
The average teen looks at a screen for more hours annually than the time they spend in class
Facebook has accumulated a user base of over 500 million registered users in 6 years
It’s estimated that on any given day, around 50% of users log in to Facebook
Communications mediums such as Facebook and Twitter are now viewed as such key elements in distributing information that they were banned in Egypt during the recent uprising
The average smartphone today has many more times the computing power than all NASA's computing resources when it first landed man on the moon
Technology is transforming every aspect of our daily lives. Even further, the ways in which children access, absorb and process information is changing as a result of their exposure to technology. When you walk into many schools however, you still find technology used sparingly. The average classroom today looks much like it may have 50 years ago. School policy usually requires that students put away any devices they own. The predominant technology used in schools today is the interactive white board – a technology used primarily by teachers at the front of the room. When technology is used it’s often to facilitate outdated, frontal teaching styles rather than to empower and enable student centered learning through the use of devices such as iPads, laptops and smartphones.
Outside of school students interact with their devices for several hours every day. When they come to campus however, they're often still expected to sit still and listen to a teacher. In one survey taken a few years ago, only 28% of students believed their schoolwork was “meaningful”. Society is in the midst of an incredible, technology based revolution yet schools remain relatively unchanged. Are they preparing children for a society that has long since vanished? Have they lost touch with the communities they serve?
Posted by Sam Gliksman on February 4, 2011 at 4:30pm
...
The same analogy can be drawn about our educational institutions. Education can’t operate in a void. Our schools have a role within the context of greater society. In order to be effective, we have to examine the degree to which we’re preparing our students for life in that framework. The more that life in, and outside of school starts diverging, the less relevant institutional education becomes for our students.
So what's happening to our lives outside of school? Here's a quick snapshot of some recent statistics:
Around 1.5 billion mobile phones were sold worldwide in 2010, and over 20% were smartphones
9 out of 10 people in the USA own cell phones
There were over 5 billion mobile phone subscribers in 2010 – out of a world population of 6.8 billion!
More children aged 7-16 years old own a mobile phone than own a book - 85% own phones versus 72% that own a book at home
The average teen looks at a screen for more hours annually than the time they spend in class
Facebook has accumulated a user base of over 500 million registered users in 6 years
It’s estimated that on any given day, around 50% of users log in to Facebook
Communications mediums such as Facebook and Twitter are now viewed as such key elements in distributing information that they were banned in Egypt during the recent uprising
The average smartphone today has many more times the computing power than all NASA's computing resources when it first landed man on the moon
Technology is transforming every aspect of our daily lives. Even further, the ways in which children access, absorb and process information is changing as a result of their exposure to technology. When you walk into many schools however, you still find technology used sparingly. The average classroom today looks much like it may have 50 years ago. School policy usually requires that students put away any devices they own. The predominant technology used in schools today is the interactive white board – a technology used primarily by teachers at the front of the room. When technology is used it’s often to facilitate outdated, frontal teaching styles rather than to empower and enable student centered learning through the use of devices such as iPads, laptops and smartphones.
Outside of school students interact with their devices for several hours every day. When they come to campus however, they're often still expected to sit still and listen to a teacher. In one survey taken a few years ago, only 28% of students believed their schoolwork was “meaningful”. Society is in the midst of an incredible, technology based revolution yet schools remain relatively unchanged. Are they preparing children for a society that has long since vanished? Have they lost touch with the communities they serve?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
iPad Vs. Android
Here's an interesting post comparing the ipad to the android tablet.
http://lifehacker.com/5750114/five-ways-the-android+powered-google-tablet-is-better-than-the-ipad?skyline=true&s=i
http://lifehacker.com/5750114/five-ways-the-android+powered-google-tablet-is-better-than-the-ipad?skyline=true&s=i
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Voice Recognition
I have tried the Dragon Dictation app out with a few students. At first we have all had a good laugh with the results of our reading into the iPad, but once we learn to slow our speech and speak clearly, results have become more accurate.
My students and I will continue to work on using Dragon to input work, at the same time learn to cut/paste into Google Docs for a more functional way to edit the result.
Has anyone figured out how to print off the iPad? Each time I try, it will not find any printers (I have tried in multiple places EMS, Sicomac, Lincoln and at home with a wireless printer). Thank you...
My students and I will continue to work on using Dragon to input work, at the same time learn to cut/paste into Google Docs for a more functional way to edit the result.
Has anyone figured out how to print off the iPad? Each time I try, it will not find any printers (I have tried in multiple places EMS, Sicomac, Lincoln and at home with a wireless printer). Thank you...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
iPads in the Elementary Schools
Third and fourth graders have been reinforcing their math skills with some of the Math apps and it is going very well. The students love working with the iPads and look forward to having a turn on it to practice their math skills. It's really great for those students who need extra practice with math.
We have one iPad in a Special Ed class and it has caused lots of excitement for the class. It has been a great motivator.
We have one iPad in a Special Ed class and it has caused lots of excitement for the class. It has been a great motivator.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
A fun way to practice math facts!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/math-drills/id302881525?mt=8
Math Drills is a great app that allows students to practice their math facts and assess their progress over time. With addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division drills, this app could be used across grade levels. The only downfall is that you can only save data from 10 students at a time.
Math Drills is a great app that allows students to practice their math facts and assess their progress over time. With addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division drills, this app could be used across grade levels. The only downfall is that you can only save data from 10 students at a time.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Word Study Apps?
I would love to find an app to compliment the word study program in the upper elementary grades, but thus far have only found free apps appropriate for beginning readers.
For example, I am looking for things that focus on r-controlled vowels, syllabication, prefixes and suffixes, etc.
Has anyone found anything useful?
Thanks!
For example, I am looking for things that focus on r-controlled vowels, syllabication, prefixes and suffixes, etc.
Has anyone found anything useful?
Thanks!
Confer
I found a lite version of Confer. It's a teacher tool that I love! It keeps track of your conference notes, and when you are ready to print the information it will upload the data to a spreadsheet in google docs.
I have used it for my reading and writing classes (I work with grade 3-5). I especially like that I can confer with the students individually, then tag the students by my teaching point in order to create a small group for my next lesson.
I have used it for my reading and writing classes (I work with grade 3-5). I especially like that I can confer with the students individually, then tag the students by my teaching point in order to create a small group for my next lesson.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Student Use in the classroom
I see in some previous posts that many people are starting to put the iPads into the hands of our students. I am curious to hear how people have been using them in the classroom with the kids. Have students been using them in small groups? Have they been rotating through a "station"? Has anyone been able to bring more than one iPad into the classroom at the same time for students to use? Any suggestions for using them based on what you have experienced?
Great Internet Safety Apps
I've been spending quite a bit of time playing with the iPad, exploring the extraordinary amount of apps that are available and trying to make connections with our curriculum at every grade level.
Some of the free apps that I have been playing with and really like include a series of 4 apps entitled President Garfield (a Garfield comic strip) that deals with Cyber-Bullying, Online Safety, Fact or Opinion and Forms of Media.
In addition, I have used an app called Nutrition Tips with our 2nd graders who are working on a Nutrition slide show using KidPix.
I also love the app, Vocabulary Cartoons. This is a great app that allows you to introduce vocabulary to kids (grades 3 and up) in a very creative and fun way. For example, the word "TRUCULENT" an adjective meaning inclined toward conflict; eager to fight has a comic of a man kicking an overheated truck with the caption "The TRUCK YOU LENT Uncle Frank made him TRUCULENT". The mnemonic devises used in each comic will be a great aid to help kids remember the vocabulary word.
Lastly, I have been looking at a variety of apps for students that will help to streamline and filter web searches like SortFix Kids, KidsWWW and See and Find Quintura Kids.
There is a great deal more exploring to do but I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable and positive about the benefits of using the iPad in the classroom.
Some of the free apps that I have been playing with and really like include a series of 4 apps entitled President Garfield (a Garfield comic strip) that deals with Cyber-Bullying, Online Safety, Fact or Opinion and Forms of Media.
In addition, I have used an app called Nutrition Tips with our 2nd graders who are working on a Nutrition slide show using KidPix.
I also love the app, Vocabulary Cartoons. This is a great app that allows you to introduce vocabulary to kids (grades 3 and up) in a very creative and fun way. For example, the word "TRUCULENT" an adjective meaning inclined toward conflict; eager to fight has a comic of a man kicking an overheated truck with the caption "The TRUCK YOU LENT Uncle Frank made him TRUCULENT". The mnemonic devises used in each comic will be a great aid to help kids remember the vocabulary word.
Lastly, I have been looking at a variety of apps for students that will help to streamline and filter web searches like SortFix Kids, KidsWWW and See and Find Quintura Kids.
There is a great deal more exploring to do but I am starting to feel a lot more comfortable and positive about the benefits of using the iPad in the classroom.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Small group activities
In Language Arts I use Doodle Buddy to allow students to sketch their visualizations. Students are more eager to do this on the iPad than in their notebooks with paper and pencil. Also, in small group setting it is easy for the students to each add to the visualization/sketch. It was easy enough for my 4 year old to test out and interesting enough to keep my 5th graders engaged.
In Math, I found a great activity for small group called Towers Infinite. It uses the same basic rules as Sudoku but takes it to a 3-dimensional level. The clues along the outside of the grid (4x4 up to 6x6) tell you how many buildings you can view. The buildings go from 1-story up to 6-stories depending on the level. The student must strategize knowing a taller building will block out a shorter building. Like sudoku, each level building must appear only once in each column or row. This game was very addicting to me over winter break, and it has been a hit with my students.
In Math, I found a great activity for small group called Towers Infinite. It uses the same basic rules as Sudoku but takes it to a 3-dimensional level. The clues along the outside of the grid (4x4 up to 6x6) tell you how many buildings you can view. The buildings go from 1-story up to 6-stories depending on the level. The student must strategize knowing a taller building will block out a shorter building. Like sudoku, each level building must appear only once in each column or row. This game was very addicting to me over winter break, and it has been a hit with my students.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Reading A-Z
http://www.readinga-z.com/book/itune-books.php
The Reading A-Z website is now offering select titles levels A-M for free download. This would be great for anyone who teaches primary grades. I can't wait for the site to expand their selection of books and levels! It says more is coming soon!
The Reading A-Z website is now offering select titles levels A-M for free download. This would be great for anyone who teaches primary grades. I can't wait for the site to expand their selection of books and levels! It says more is coming soon!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
iPad alternative -
This is a video on an Android Tablet. I am sure that by the end of this week more tablets will be announced at the CES show in Vegas.
Frog Dissection App
I downloaded the Frog Dissection app to my IPad. I feel like a surgeon! The students will be able to "dissect" their own virtual frogs. Come to my room next week to see it live and in action!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A Great Way to Find Free and Discounted Apps
Check out App Shopper, this app is free and updates frequently. It is a compilation of all free and discounted apps available on the app store. You can search for apps according to price, type, and category. Definitely worth looking into!
A Great Graphing App!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/graphing-calculator-hd/id374274107?mt=8
As the fourth grade enriched math teacher I am constantly seeking ways to extend the learning of the higher students in my class. I have a variety of learners this year, some that know how to complete mathematical equations high above their level. My class was working with coordinate planes and graphing simple points. I had a group work with the iPad to practice graphing equations. The Graph Calc HD application serves the purpose similar to that of a graphing calculator. The students were able to easily input an equation and see the line, and also attempted determining an equation from looking at the graph. While this was a challenge for my students, it is definitely an application I would recommend for advanced learners and students at the middle school level.
As the fourth grade enriched math teacher I am constantly seeking ways to extend the learning of the higher students in my class. I have a variety of learners this year, some that know how to complete mathematical equations high above their level. My class was working with coordinate planes and graphing simple points. I had a group work with the iPad to practice graphing equations. The Graph Calc HD application serves the purpose similar to that of a graphing calculator. The students were able to easily input an equation and see the line, and also attempted determining an equation from looking at the graph. While this was a challenge for my students, it is definitely an application I would recommend for advanced learners and students at the middle school level.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Integrating Technology into the Classroom
If you would like to participate and have a live discussion, here is the information:
6:45 p.m. EST (Elluminate) George Couros: Unintended Benefits: Building Relationships Using Social Media in Schools
George Couros is a principal in Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada, is a motivational workshop presenter in areas of successful technology integration in the classroom, including the use of social media and digital citizenship, as well as the power of Professional Learning Networks, to help connect teachers around the world.
7:30-8:00 p.m. EST: Post-Webstitute Chat in Elluminate
It is free, and very easy to sign up for. Should be a fascinating time!
Go to: http://englishcompanion.ning.com/group/ecnningwebstitutejanuary92011?
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