Techy Tuesdays: Do you use iPads in the classroom?

Almost 2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit another international school in southern China to learn on how they started an iPad initiative for their students from grades preschool to middle school.  It was so insightful and I learned a lot from the ECC teachers that integrate the use of iPads in their own classrooms.  Next year my school is also considering a 1-to-1 iPad program for elementary and middle school and shared iPads for ECC.  What better way to learn how to successfully start a program like that by visiting another school that already succeeded in doing so!  Keep reading and I have a freebie for you!

I observed two 4-year old classrooms that have 4 iPads and 1 teacher iPad in each grade in the ECC classrooms.  Lisa's class was the first classroom I was able to visit.  She had her students break off into groups to share with my Principal and I what their favorite apps on the iPad was.

A group of students showed me a games made by the same developer called PEEP and the Big Wide World.  They are all free games at the app store and they just loved showing me the games.  I got excited as I knew my kinders would like those same exact games.  Just look up PEEP and the Big Wide World and all the free games will pop up!

Another app these preschoolers adore is the Kaleidoscope Drawing Pad app (also FREE).  These students were able to create beautiful pictures with just a few finger strokes.  I also taught them how to email their parents by themselves on the iPad using this app. 

I was playing around with QR codes 2 weeks ago and I created some simple poem QR codes that connect to YouTube videos.  I printed, laminated, and hooked them on a ring and put them in my reading library for kids to have access during rest time and centers time.  They LOVE using the iPads to scan and listen/watch the poems and nursery rhymes!  Click on the picture or the respective stores to get this freebie!

TN              TpT

Does your school use iPads in the classroom?  If so, what kind of program do you have? A shared system? 1-to-1 iPads?  iPad carts?  I would love to hear what you have and what you do with them. :)

Tech Tip Tuesday (I bought a new iPad!)

Yesterday I bought an iPad to use in my kindergarten classroom this year!!  I love it and I've been on it non-stop!  The school district I worked with in Illinois provided teachers and aides to use iPads but the school I'll be at in China just lost their grant for iPad use in the Early Childhood Center (grades Preschool-Kindergarten).  :( I was so bummed to hear that sad news so I begged my parents to help me buy one!

Not the best picture of it in the box...

Here is a picture of many of the education apps I downloaded last night.

As you may noticed I downloaded a lot of "learning Chinese" apps.  I will be using them a lot as I try to learn a new language overseas!

Some of the education apps I downloaded to use in my kinder class are:

• BrainPop Jr Videos & Video of the Week
• CookieDoodle ($)
• Flat Stanley ($)
• LetterSchool 
• Toca Store (grocery store game) ($)
• Wheels On The Bus
• FarFaria (Collection of fairy tale stories)
• Shapes&Colors 

I was playing around and took a pic of my flat stanley. 

What do you have on your iPad that you use for educational purposes? I would love to know what you use your iPad for in the classroom!  I want to download more fun apps!

Additionally, do you use a special iPad cover for your kiddos to use? I'm considering in buying one of those big, rubbery cushion case covers to use in my classroom.  I've seen a lot of teachers/OT/Speech Path. use them in the past.  Just wondering if it was worth the buy!

And here's my new Tech Tip Tuesday find!  The app is called Field Trip.  Basically it's a cool app to show you hidden treasures that are in your nearby location that you can visit.  It helps you locate things to do.  The app is created by Google and I think right now until the end of July, there are a lot of free admissions to museums (mostly in big cities like NYC and San Francisco).  I'm excited to use it for free admission at the Field Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.

PS- Stay tuned later this week as I share tips for teachers (both brand new and experienced) who are searching for a teaching job because I know how tough it is nowadays!

Techie Tip Tuesday- Free Apps

I want to share with you a new website that I discovered recently over the weekend!

It's called Smart Apps For Kids.  It is a great site if you are looking for student iPad/iPhone apps.  I signed up for their email subscriptions to get their daily emails and they share FREE and reduced apps plus their reviews.  These apps are priced free or reduced because usually they are apps that are newer and they are trying to bring awareness.

Here is a screenshot of the freebie deal that is only for today!

Have your heard of StoryToys?  Today ONLY, they have 8 StoryToys apps (reduced from $4.99) that are FREE!  Today is International World Book day and they are celebrating by having all of these apps for free.  StoryToys uses classic fairytales, such as Snow White, Red Riding Hood, etc., and create interactive activities along with the story. These apps are both good for iPhone and iPad.

So why wait? Download now before the prices goes up!

Also, if you haven't already heard from the blogging world, 16 McGraw Hill apps in the iTunes Store are FREE!  I don't know how long they are free for but my students love the math apps.  There are grammar and math apps for varying levels.  Go check them all out, you won't be disappointed!

Pi Day Freebie and Other News

Do you teach/celebrate Pi Day in your class?  Did you know it's tomorrow?! 3.14 lands on March 14 every year!  Another cool tip is that it is also Einstein's birthday!

For the last couple years, I have used this neat Pi Day activity with all ages.  We make Pi Day bracelets.

This is an easy activity to do with elementary and middle school students.  Click on the pic below for the freebie! The freebie includes the student worksheets and a lesson plan for the teacher.  I would love to hear your feedback if you use this in your class!

TN Shop

Also, Teaching is a Gift, has a linky party for a lot of different and fun ways to celebrate Pi Day! Click {here} to check it out!

Have you heard about a new website that is about to come in the Education world?  It is called Educents.

If you like sites like Groupon, it is like that by for teachers, homeschoolers, and parents.  They will offer discounted products like learning tools, curriculum, educational toys, e-books, software, and lots more!  I'm excited for the site to launch on April 2!

If you sign up now, you will receive a $15 gift card to use on the site.  They email to you ASAP!  But you better hurry because in TWO days (March 15), they are lowering the gift card to $10.

So click on the logo above or {HERE} to learn more about Educents and don't forget to sign up for great deals for great products!

Tech Tip Tuesday

Looking for new apps to put on your classroom iPad?!  I was talking with one of our school's speech pathologists today and she showed me an app great for students with autism.  So forget the old-fashioned flashcards and get this awesome app!

My favorite app is called Word SLapPs Vocabulary.  This app was designed by a Speech Language Pathologist that allows you to teach any student at any pace.  You can use any image and save them to your own recorded questions.  My kinders are still learning all of their peers and adult's names so this was easy-peasy to take everyone's picture with their name voice-recorded.  This app is the best because you can easily personalize it. This app is $4.99 but they did a 50% off back-to-school sale in August. So keep your eyes open to see if they will have another sale.

This is what the app button looks like on the iPad.

After student's touch the correct image, they are rewarded with a fun, exciting sounds, animation, and/or visuals.  When you first download the app, it comes with pre-loaded animal and color categories.  You can buy pre-made categories from other people or you can create your own.  I just want to let you know that it is REALLY EASY to make your own! It takes about 10 minutes!  You can teach all kinds of words like nouns, sight words, action, and "where" questions.

Here are other images of what you can do such as sequencing and making stories.

To learn even more about this app check it out at the iTunes store here.

Stay tuned tomorrow because I will be posting my new Election Day unit at TpT and TN!! I finally completed it yesterday during my day off school!  I can't wait to show you guys this awesome unit!