home Keeping Students Engaged in a 1:1 Project-Based Classroom [guest post] Image approved for copy by Creative Commons. Source: When laptops first arrived in my classroom, I worried about classroom management. I was worried for nothing. Students make a plan. Much of the time, students think they have a plan. Instead, ask What are you trying to learn? When you ask about learning and communication, you are signaling that the content is more important than the technology. Students set time-bound goals. Create an outline for my essayWrite my introductionFind three pictures about…Do my voice recordingFinish four slides of my Power Point/KeynoteFind at least three database articles on…Draft at least three paragraphsUse Google docs to peer-edit so-and-so’s essayUpload my story to Voicethread Tasks should be specific. Laptop screens are “fisted” or “put at half mast”. Teachers don’t lecture much in a project-based learning environment. Ask students to “fist” their computer (or “put the screen at half mast”).
Tech Tools for Students with Learning Disabilities: Infusion into Inclusive Classrooms By: Jane Quenneville (2001) The potential for assistive technology in general education classrooms for students with disabilities is great. Its benefits include enhancing academic achievement in written expression, reading, mathematics, and spelling; improving organization; and fostering social acceptance. Support technology provides many benefits by facilitating writing for students with learning disabilities (LD) who often find the writing process frustrating (MacArthur, 1996). When students have the opportunity to accommodate writing challenges, they are more successful in the general education classroom. As defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997 (IDEA), an assistive technology device is "any piece of equipment, or product system. . . that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities" [Part A, Sec. 602(1)]. Computer supports for writing Talking word processors Word prediction Concluding comments
Best interactive iPad books of 2011 for kids of all ages - iPhone app recommendations - Lisa Caplan All of these best iPad books for kids use digitization to enhance the reading experience, not divert attention from it. Where there are frills, I prefer to see them focus on education instead of playtime. There are great books for pre-schoolers but also for older kids, a somewhat under-served sector. And, for those aimed at school-aged readers, I primarily looked for educational offerings, since there are iBooks, eBooks and digital comics for fiction fans. Here are eight amazing iPad reading apps for kids from 2011. The order is based on approximate audience age, not preference. Another Monster at the End of This Book… Starring Grover & Elmo ($3.99) This classic Sesame Street book is a sequel to The Monster at the End of This Book. The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore ($4.99) This adaptation from the short film which shares its name, was the most delightful surprise of the year. Auryn - The Little Mermaid ($0.99) There’s No Place Like Space! The Gwaii – 3D Comic Book ($1.99)
Classroom iPod touches & iPads: Dos and Don'ts Do delete content. Since you are mirroring the computer's iTunes Library onto the iPods, deleting items from iTunes will delete them from the iPods. After you no longer have a need for a podcast, video, or audiobook, delete it so it is not taking up room and cluttering up the iPods. Do configure the Music app for easy access to playlists and podcasts. Collaborative Whiteboard Apps for the Classroom Interactive and collaborative - Whiteboards are a great way for teachers to explain concepts to their students. With the ability of some iPad apps to record, you ensure that students who did not develop understanding of the concept the first time have the opportunity to watch and listen again and again. Working in small groups or brainstorming as a class, collaborative whiteboards are a great way to share ideas. Work in the same room, on the same network or even from different parts of the country. No matter what you are working on these interactive whiteboards are a great way to document or record your thinking process. Educreations: FREE Educreations turns your iPad into a recordable whiteboard. ShowMe: FREE Turn your iPad into your personal interactive whiteboard!
Back Issues Say No to Retention Retention Does Not Work From a parent: Except of an article by Jayne Matthews Published in the Baltimore Times It did not seem possible, but my son's second year of first grade was even less successful than his first. His kindergarten and first grade teachers had given me many reasons for his inability to read: he was not paying attention in class, he chose to guess at words instead of taking the time to sound out the letters, and he was a "slow" learner with a poor memory. These explanations were puzzling to me. I totally disagreed with the idea that his guessing at words was a choice. To read the entire article, go to: www.dys-add.com/SonRetained.pdf From the professionals: Grade retention does NOT improve academic performance. As Senator Paul Wellstone stated: "The bad effects of retention have been clearly established. The American Federation of Teachers says: "Social promotion and grade retention are mechanical responses to an educational problem. The U.S. 1. 2. 3.
50 Must-Have Educational Apps It’s time for holiday road trips and you know what that means: driving, flying, cranky kids, and… teaching opportunities! What’s that, you say? Well, there is so much downtime during the holidays where kids and adults spend hours just passing the time… why not try out some new apps on your phone? Many of these apps were found by The Teaching Palette, be sure to check out their fantastic site for more helpful resources! From learning the ABCs to doodling, there’s plenty of terrific apps out there that will pass the time but also educate. *Most of the links below are to the iTunes store which will open another window and/or iTunes. Great Apps For Kids (And Adults) Alphabet Animals Perfect for your talented toddler, this game is packed with colorful animations, animal sounds, and tons of tips for learning their letters. WordSearch Kids Kids search and highlight vocabulary words by tapping the first and last letters. Mad Libs Just as goofy and fun as your remember. SmackTalk Annoying?
School Library Learning 2.0 55 Beautiful Apple iPad Wallpapers - Noupe Design Blog May 31 2010 This is the age of iPhones, iPods and iPads, people simply love to have these amazing inventions of information technology. Apple iPhones have created a state of euphoria among its users with its amazing features and iPad is another product from Apple team that will let you browse internet, watch video, listen music, read books with just a finger touch. We are sure some of you have already purchased it and now want to customize it. For this you must be looking for some beautiful wallpapers that will match with the theme of your iPad. So here is the collection for you. Beautiful iPad Wallpapers LeopardDownload Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px Calm Lake Download Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px Wooden StyleDownload Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px iPad Wallpaper 1364Download Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px Closer To GodDownload Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px Planet Earth Download Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px Purple Plant CloseupDownload Wallpaper: 1024px × 1024px Wood iPad WallpaperDownload Wallpaper: 1600×1920
Literacy Journal: Only 1 iPad in the Classroom? [for additional ELA/Reading specific apps and ideas see Reading on the iPad] Is only one iPad in a classroom worth it? This question keeps reappearing on the EC Ning and in other blog spaces. The answer is easy: YES, especially if the teacher has access to a Mac desktop or (preferably) laptop and a wifi network in the classroom. It is an even larger YES if the Mac device has the most current operating system. If more iPads are in the future, you might want to check out iPad App Reviews and iPad 3C's: Some Planning Questions. Setup and Projection You will definitely need to set up a unique Apple ID (iTunes acct.) with a password that is kept secret from the students. OK - I have apps, now what can I do with them?
K-5 iPad Apps for Analyzing: Part Four of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy We are all born with a natural curiosity that relies on our ability to analyze. It is how we initially learn to understand and make sense of our world. When Benjamin Bloom writes about the fourth learning stage, analysis, he primarily refers to our ability to analyze written content. Every day, a barrage of information enters into the lives of our students through the Internet. Assisting our youth with critical thinking skills has never been more important. Analysis of the Elements: Differentiating This component requires the ability to dissect content, identify its parts, and differentiate between them. Analysis of Relationships: Attributing The relationship between the parts is what forms content. Analysis of Organizational Principles: Organizing All content has structure and organization. Analyzing Apps that fit into the "analyzing" stage improve the user's ability to differentiate between the relevant and irrelevant, determine relationships, and recognize the organization of content.
The Complete List of iPad Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials The Apple iPad is an amazing tablet, and to help you get the most out of it, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of every tip, trick, and tutorial for you. Read on for more. Note: This article was originally published earlier this year, but we’ve updated it with a real lot more content since then, so we’re republishing it for you. We’ll be keeping this page updated as we find more great articles, so you should bookmark this page for future reference. How to Maximize Your iPad’s Battery Life So you got yourself a shiny new Apple device, but you’re so addicted that the battery is running out way too soon—what you need is a couple of tips to keep your battery running for as long as possible, and we’ve got them here. How to Maximize Battery Life on Your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch How to Lock the Screen on Your iPad with iOS 4.x How to Lock the Screen Orientation on Your iPad (with iOS 4.2) How to Pause an iPad App Install How to Force Reboot and Quit Apps Multitasking on the iPad iPadPeek
An iPad in Every Classroom: Teacher Tested, Student Approved! « Wired Educator We’ve moved! Wired Educator’s new site is: really want you to see the new site. It looks better, reads better, and contains our most recent articles.Please consider:• Subscribing to our email updates at the new site.• Bookmarking our new site address.• Adding our RSS to your feed.• Recommending our new site to a friend. On opening day I stood in line at my nearest Apple Store for the release of the iPad. Sure, I was anxious to experience the latest and greatest from Cupertino, but I also wanted to test its capabilities in the classroom. For the past two weeks I have been evaluating the iPad’s capabilities in my seventh grade English class. •Where does the iPad fit in education? First and foremost, the iPad is a great addition to any classroom. Fast and Easy to Use: When I passed my iPad around the room there was absolutely no instruction needed. Great Content Viewer: The iPad is an incredible device for viewing content. It’s on INSTANTLY! Like this: