iPads Mania

This will be the last tech tool tip of 2011-2012.  As many of you integrate technology into more and more lessons, you may consider creating a digital hub for your classroom.  A digital hub (see my classroom blog) can be a place for your students to easily access links that you want them to use and YouTube videos that can introduce or supplement your lessons.  It can also be a great place to showcase student work.

The video provides an unbelievable list of blogger tutorial.

Also, Amy U. sent out an email about a great, FREE technology educational opportunity this summer.  I have created a video tutorial that explains and provides visual links.  Consider attending, it will be a great learning opportunity.

APOLOGY:  The links don't actually work in the video, they are all found below the video.

This will be the last tech tool tip of 2011-2012.  Hopefully, they have been helpful.  Look for more in 2012-2013!

Blogger Tutorial Playlist
SITA
SITA Registration
SITA Session Lineup
SITA Individual Session Registration
edCampGB (Thursday, August 2)

The quickness and creative options with the iPad camera have really opened the door for authentic learning.  We have been studying the volume of a rectangular prism.  I made a comment to the students to find a picture of a real object and apply the formula for volume.  I gave no other directions than that.

It was great for students to act immediately to find an object in our classroom and school and take a picture.  Students immediately inserted the picture that they took in to the Skitch app, added the measurements, and calculated the volume.

So. Much. Better. Than. Black. Words. On. White. Paper. In. Our. Book.

Taking an idea from @coolcatteacher as seen below...

This idea came to me this morning.  Create an assessment using Explain Everything.  It's Pythagorean Theorem which always works better with real pictures.  Upload to YouTube. Create Google Form for completion by student.  Embed all into classroom blog.

The whole process took less time than copying and pasting into a paper copy.

Seriously, Awesome!


BYOD


On a side note, student walked into class today with a broken arm.

The arm he WRITES with...

No problem with the iPad Whiteboard app...


Finally, when the class is over I simply change the blog post to "Revert to Draft" and it is removed from my blog.  Students are absent, when they return I will "Publish" it again.  EASY!!!

In order to place a real feel on this, students took iPads outside to discover triangles in their world.  Students found real triangles which they applied the Pythagorean Theorem to find a third side.  We also used estimated measuring tools (hands and shoes) to find the lengths of the legs.

After we found the measurements, students used the Skitch App and paper/pencil to calculate the hypotenuse.

Students discovering the legs and the hypotenuse of a triangle use the Skitch app for mastery.
Skitch App was used...

Students use NOTES app and explains how they access the notes from home.

I have actually never thought of it until today!  We never blogged a preview of what we were GOING to study.  Today, we Googled the one word that was written very large across the first page of our chapter in math.

"Inequalities"

Students found as much as they can about everything on this subject and placed a chosen amount into a blog post.

Throughout Chapter 7, our students have been creating study flashcards for mathematical concepts.  Today, we created two last cards.



We introduced them to the ScoreKeeper XL app...


And finally let them review and compete against each other in preparation for the assessment.

I have been looking for reason to use MadPad Hd in our school.  Sure, it's fun, quirky, and creative, but how can I apply it to education?

I decided that to review the concepts students would create a one minute video describing specific math terms from our "factoring quadratics" unit.  Terms that needed to be included were...

• root
• vertex
• factor
• symmetry
• Zero Product Property
• generic rectangle
• Quadratic Formula
• Standard For for Quadratics
• Radical-Square Roots

...and one student demonstrated:


...the time could not have been better spent.  Students loved using the app because it was a unique tech tool that provided a new experience with "old" concepts.


New tech tool review concepts...


A student demonstrating how to record a clip...


A student's recording...


Who knew reviewing for math concepts could be so much fun...


This lesson typifies my year.  I have concepts that I need students to experience.  Use a tool to get the engagement, thinking, questioning, and creativeness fibers in students' bodies moving.  This was not only engaging for the student, it was wonderful to hear questions asked be students about the concepts as they were creating.

OUCH!  Could I never go back to a review where students complete 30 problems in silence.  Lord, I apologize for thinking that 30 problems in silence was a great way for students to review.  Nevertheless, that was then (10 years ago) and this now.  Let the creative fun begin!

Day 2 Brought This





Some Final Products From Students
Students uploaded their final products to DropBox...EASY!!!

Student 1
Student 2
Student 3

Yesterday, our students volunteered a day's worth of time to help elementary students learn about bike safety.  I decided to video and take pictures of the entire process, but wasn't really sure what I would do with the images and video.

On the way home, I decided this would be a perfect excuse...err reason for me to purchase the iMovie app for iPad to discover its features.  One other video editing app that I have used in the past is REEL DIRECTOR.  I like it, but it is rather cumbersome to use.

I really enjoyed and became proficient at using iMovie for iPad in a within 1 hour of first use.  The timeline and features that go with it are efficient.  The themes are a nice addition.  Adding video was extremely easy as it is located in the list of videos.  Same with pictures and songs.

I really like how sound from video clips mutes the song of the entire movie while it is playing.  Adding voice to a video clip is easy as well.

I also purchased Extras4iMovie, and Scroll Credits.  Both apps have an incredible amount of additional backgrounds and clip art.  I used the Extras4iMovie to create the scrolling edits at the end.  I nice feature.

I will be using iMovie more than Reel Director from now on based on the fact that my user experience with iMovie was better than Reel Director.

"Being Less Helpful" (credit Mr. Meyer) rings loud and clear in today's learning activity.  I did guide the students with six questions that needed answers, but failed at giving them everything.

Check That.

They have everything: access to the knowledge of the world (iPad/internet), previous days learning factoring of quadratic equations, the value of the Quadratic Formula, 150 applications on the iPad, a mind to question, and each other!

What More Can A Person Ask For?  Besides a really fast car!

Watch the learning experience unfold through the video that was taken!

Tools that students used to solve and create:

• Safari
• Graphing Calculator App
• Pic Collage App
• Skitch App
• Whiteboard App
• Paper and Pencil
• Whiteboards

I love this stuff!

The entire 24 video playlist is below, but won't work on an iPad.  Get the direct link to the playlist!

I like having the ability for students to have real pictures and experiences in math class.  The availability of the internet ALL THE TIME through our iPads or BYOD provides great opportunities.  Today, students completed an assessment on percent of increase or decrease.  I used a real example from Overstock dot com for students to determine the amount of percent they received as a discount.  In addition, students needed to discover how much gas prices have increased from the 1970s until today.

Students also had extended learning.  I was able save the district some money because I uploaded a PDF of a previous learning opportunity to Google documents.  This created a link for students to view the problems and place the work in their own notebook or digital tool.

Great activity!  Really allows for students to reflect on the entire Quadratic Formula process.


Student Example
Student Example

I have found the Explain Everything app to be a great resource for students to process immediately after they learn a skill.  If I would ask them to explain it in their notes, they wouldn't.  However, putting it on a digital medium boosts the interest and creativity level.

We upload them to our classroom Dropbox account, and I assess.



We've used Explain Everything for other things such as here, here, and here.

Our students recently dissected a worm and used the Skitch app to label all the parts.  There was something about the color that the students liked in the app.  As you can see, students utilized it to the fullest.  These pictures were posted to the students' professional portfolios.

Episode 14 SCOtutor For iPad GET THE APP
A great app for iPad professional growth:



Example Of Segment From The Video

The Side By Side app has become a great tool for students wanting to have one eye on their MarketWatch stock portfolio and one eye on resources.

See how they use it.

Teaching percent of discount from our book can be BORING!  The text book gives us all the information and students regurgitate the steps to solve.

In our class, we had a small discussion about the two different ways to find the percent discount.  Students can either subtract at the beginning or subtract at the end.  After some direct instruction of about 5 minutes, students reflected on the process through a blog post.



After that, students were introduce to the great resource of Amazon.com.  This is a useful site in that they give you "the original price" lined out and the "discounted price" in red.  We viewed two different items and had students find the discount in percent.



After students had two problems with their partners to work on, it was their time to shop.




We did not complete the process, as students still need to take a picture of their item and reflect on the process in their blog.  Tomorrow, we will finish!

Next time you have mathematical problems, consider making it as real to students as you can.  Helping less and making the students think is a great tool that the iPad can facilitate!

@KristinStrauman hit me up on Twitter with a great question:  What is the best overall note taking ipad app for students-- able to type and HW?

Obviously, this calls for student input and a blog post!

PaperPort Notes or Noterize  (FREE)
Written about here, and here!
This app allows for typing, annotating with handwriting, and importing pictures and pdfs.


ScratchWork  (FREE)
This app is outstanding because notes with texting and drawing can be right next to a screen of the internet.  Truly awesome!  Our students used it here.



DrawPad  ($1.99)
Allows for everything.  It does cost money, but may be an app that everyone can use.  Therefore, justified.


Totes Em Notes  (FREE for now)
Great little app that has cool graphics.  Can be used to type or text.
Our students have access to it, but I don't have footage of it.  I did find this...

Our students needed to write a letter to a disgruntled customer.