iPad Apps for English teaching and learning In our prospective iPad project in our English and Media faculty we are currently trailing the best apps to use in the teaching of English and Media Studies. Here is a useful top ten list (with a few extras with honourable mentions!): Pages: The basic word processing package that is really essential for any and all types of writing. Easily transportable by email to Dropbox etc. with the capacity to convert to Microsoft Word if required. Safari: The essential internet browser for the iPad for all required research essential to presentations etc. Dropbox: The best Cloud app to save work and create an accessible area to share work, ideas etc. iBooks: The essential e-reader and book library for the iPad. ExplainEverything: A brilliant app for individual or group presentations. iFPoems: A fantastic anthology of poems is available on the app. iMovie: A smooth and easy app that allows students to create films instantly, with an array of editing facilities. I hope these ideas are useful.
5 Ways the BYOD Model Can Benefit Special Education Classrooms We have a love-hate thing going with the idea of a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) classroom. We love that each student in a BYOD classroom has the ability to work on the technology with which they are most comfortable. And we really love that teachers don't have to deal with the logistics of school-owned technology. But we really don't like the fact that teachers in BYOD schools have to adapt their lessons to work on a variety of mediums and with a variety of platforms. That said, there's a lot to love with the BYOD model, especially when it comes to special education. Benefit #1: Students Choose the Tech That Fits Them Best We all have our technology preferences and the last thing a student needs is to get used to one type of technology at home and be forced to use another at school. Benefit #2: Students Can Download the Apps They Need The big catch with school-owned technology is that oftentimes students aren't allowed to download applications to the devices.
iPad Apps that work with Smartboards The iPad looks amazing when projected onto a large screen. The students in a 1 to 1 iPad classroom gets to see the apps at work. Have a look at the list below to see if any of these might be useful in your classroom. If you have others that should be added to this list please leave a comment with the name of the app and we will add it to the list. Doceri: FREE Turn your iPad and classroom computer into an Interactive Whiteboard with Doceri. Imagine the freedom to move around the room, interact with your students and never turn your back to the class. SplashTop: $5.49 AU This is the ONLY remote desktop app that streams video and audio from your PC or Mac, allowing you to interact with your PowerPoint, Keynote, Word, Excel, Outlook, Quicken, IE, Firefox, Safari, World of Warcraft, and other PC / MAC applications. Exploriments Series:
Free Apps to Support Vocabulary Acquisition by ELLs One of my favorite aspects of integrating technology into instruction is the availability of resources to support students with different learning needs. Students who are struggling can benefit from the excitement and engagement offered by a tool like the iPad. Teachers of English-Language Learners (ELLs) can use technology to promote growth in their students. Developing a strong vocabulary is an important area of focus for ELLs who are building their reading comprehension. Kids' Vocab by MindSnacks This is one of my favorite literacy apps for all students, and it is a great tool for ELLs. English First High Flyers EF High Flyers is an easy-to-use game that helps students learn new vocabulary words starting with numbers and everyday objects. Flashcardlet If you're looking for a way to load your students' iPads with custom vocabulary, check out Flashcardlet by Quizlet. Futaba Have you had success using technology to support English-Language Learners?
44 Smart Ways to Use Smartphones in Class (Part 1) - Getting Smart by @JohnHardison1 - This week an online article grabbed my attention. Its title read “94 Percent of High School Students Using Cellphones in Class.” I immediately scoped out the heading and thought to myself, “Finally, teachers are beginning to embrace the powerful little gadgets.” However, it did not take me long to realize the researched article took quite a different slant. One quotation in particular caused serious professional introspection on my behalf. I understand the tougher task of using regular cell phones in class versus internet ready smartphones, however , I could not disagree more with the above quotation. A blessed trip to the ISTE 2011 conference in Philadelphia helped me devise a BYOD classroom management plan and opened my eyes to the infinite educational potential of smartphones in the classroom. However, one of my toughest baseball coaches once said, “Potential and a dollar will get you a Coke.” Use Smartphones to Collaborate Use Smartphones to Communicate Use Smartphones to Create
5 Must-Know Tips For Deploying iPads In Your Classroom If you’re looking to deploy iPads in education, you may think that it’s just a matter of expense and storage. Those things are big, but they’re not the biggest problems you’ll face. In fact, this is one of those situations where money is the least of your troubles. I was chatting with an Edudemic reader this week who wanted to know a few tips and tricks about deploying iPads in his classroom this coming school year. How many devices can use one Apple ID? This is a question that pops up all the time. But long story short, it varies. Basically, you should plan on using free apps for the most part as these are easy to install on any device you have, no matter how many Apple IDs you have / need. How do I store all these various devices? There’s more to storing all these devices than just locking them away in a cabinet you already have. In order to properly store, you’ll also want to have the iPads, Macbooks, iPod Touches, Android devices, etc. all charging at the same time.
BYOD Begins With Trust and Respect I have written extensively over the past couple of years about our Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiative at New Milford High School at the Huffington Post and on my own blog. It has been interesting to look back at all my blog posts to see how far we have come with BYOD at NMHS. My first ever post on the topic just provided a small glimpse at the possibilities inherent when students are empowered to use the technology that they already posses to enhance their learning experience. Image credit: It was our desire and quest to create a school culture and learning environments that were more reminiscent of the real world that our learners would soon be a part of that drove change in this area. After critically analyzing our process and the culture of NMHS it was decided to change how we went about allowing students to access the Internet.
10 iPad Apps for Web Curation Curation vs. Aggregation? Curation is such a necessity these days. The overwhelming wave of information we are exposed to is drowning us in facts and opinion. I tend to use more than one of these and in fact there are days that I would use three or four. Pearltrees: FREE Pearltrees is a place to collect, organize, discover everything you like on the web. Flipboard: FREE Flipboard creates a personalized magazine out of everything being shared with you, from Instagram photos and Facebook updates to Tumblr posts and articles from your favorite publications. Zite: FREE Zite is a free personalized magazine for your iPad that automatically learns what you like and gets smarter every time you use it. Scoop.it: FREE Scoop.it lets you easily publish online magazines by curating content on your favorite topic.
Four Smart Ways to Use Cell Phones in Class Digital Tools Teaching Strategies Erin Scott By Jennifer Carey A good rule of thumb for any classroom use of cellphones: the lesson/activity must be engaging as well as productive. Here are some ideas: IN-CLASS POLLING/QUIZZING. IN-CLASS BACK-CHANNELING: Backchanneling refers to the use of networks & social media to maintain an online, real-time conversation alongside spoken remarks. Backchanneling can be a great way to give quiet students a voice, to introduce additional facts and insights during a lesson, or simply to encourage “conversation” during lecture or group readings when you don’t want to actually interrupt the presentation. While Twitter is probably the most popular medium for backchanneling news and entertainment events (using #hashtags to create an instant network), teachers may want a more controllable platform than Twitter provides. Poll Everywhere can also be used for this purpose. IN-CLASS READINGS AND HANDOUTS. ORGANIZING RESEARCH. Related