iPadsbyhuss wiki
http://ipadsbyhuss.wikispaces.com/
 
Conference
 
The first thing everyone knows, but we all need reminders of is that the kids are for more advanced than we give them credit for.  Second, if you tell them what you want, they generally will give it to you. I told the kids I wanted them to stop waiting for teachers to show them how to use all this great technology.  It was now their responsibility to get out there and figure it out.  I told them about all of the emails I get about all these new presentation tools that are free on the Internet.  I would set up a username and password and they would need to figure out how to use it.  Fo that point forward, PowerPoint was banned.  I was floored with not only their ability to learn new programs, but to teach each other AND to analyze what worked and what didn't and WHY!
 
Management/Rules
  • My desk is as close to the middle as I can get it.  The LCD cord limits the areas I can have a desk. 
  • No emailing during school hours
  • No taking pictures or video without permission
  • iPads stay on the desk, never in the lap
  • They must ask permission to bring iPad to me.
  • No hands on iPads while I am talking. 
  • They may not download any apps or music
  • Kids need to have access to an email address
  • Kids may not create accounts for online presentation tools such as Animoto or Linoit. They will have to get their parents to create it for them.  
  • My goal is to use my PTA grant to purchase an account with LanSchool. This program allows me to view all iPads at one time from my screen. I can black them out if I want them to listen to what I am saying and I think I can send them a sight I want the to look at.
Parent Involvment
  • Parents must help monitor their child's activity on he Internet
  • Parents must monitor email.  There are lots of teachable moments about digital citizenship. 
  • Parents need to encourage students to solve problems on their own and encourage their child to discuss issues with me on their own.
  • Parents need to monitor any account based sites that we use.  I have supplied the usernames and passwords for many of the programs we use.  This gives me the ability to monitor what is being created.  I am afraid that this job will get to be more than one person can handle with a class set of iPads.  I may have to allow parents to create accounts for their student under the agreement that they will monitor the usage. 
Things I am still learning or questions to ponder...
  • Blackboard- I am guessing that Blackboard would be a great option for a class set of iPads.  Unfortunately, I have not yet had the time to learn how to use it.  I am working on that this summer.  I like Edmodo, it is easy for the kids to communicate quickly and easily with me at any time, but it I think Blackboard has more options.
  • iBooks Author. Although I have created several things, I still need more practice getting the iBook to the iPads.
  • I think I want the kids to have their own Kindle accounts.  This way they can purchase a book if they wish to.  A parent will be required to set the account up for them and discuss how they are to purchase a book.  I do not want to be responsible for this.
  • If the kids have their own iTunes accounts provided for them by their parents, they can put the redeem codes in when we purchase an app through school, but we can delete the app from the iPad and it will become active again.
So let's start simple and first look at what apps are a MUST...
If you are a principal, you have to decide what apps you are willing to buy and/or how much you are willing to spend.
 
If you are a teacher, you have to look at what you are willing to spend out of your own pocket and what you feel are the most important apps to purchase. Everyone's opinion will be different.  Some ight think they need a writing app while other think a n ore taking app would be more useful.   If you are sharing iPads with a couple of teachers, you might be able to split the cost and only have to pay for five apps each. 
 
VPP (volume purchasing program)- when you buy iPads, you really need to start with at least 20 for your school to be able to take advantage of the volume purchasing program.  You will get an apple account frothe county and you will follow some directions to set up your account.  You will have to enter your school credit card number. We used the local fund card.  I found an app that I wanted to purchase.  It was $4.99 retail.  I looked it up using this account and found that it was $1.99 if I ordered at least 20.   PTA sent an email telling us that we could apply for an end of the year grant.  I did and they approved it. PTA wrote the check to Cheathamhill Hill and our bookkeeper put the money in the proper account and I was able to now order the app. 
Evernote- (free)  My classroom revolves around evernote.  This can work like an online portfolio. It can read any kind of format. If something can't open directly into Evernote, you can take a screen shot of it and put it in that way.  I am under the impression that blackboard works the same way and has even more capabilities, but I am not there yet.   Evernote also has an email address attached to each account that is specific to Evernote (husstrainging.a207dd6@m.evernote.com).  With this you can send out an assignment or a reading assignment or a list of questions.  The students are then able to send their work back to me with my evernote email address.  However, it does not work exactly like email because it does not say who it is from and you can't hit reply.  
Note-Taking
 
When we begin the year, we set up notebooks for the different subjects.  We usually have either real notebooks or a binder with dividers.  Since common core has everything broken up into units, my goal was to have a notebook for each unit of study and I wanted it to be easily accessible and easy to organize. I found an app that I like called SmartNote. There is a free version and a version for $3.99 retail.  The paid version allows you to download as many paper templates was you like.  The free version allows you to download one per week.  You can have lots of notebooks and in each notebook you can have a different type of page.  It can be blank, graph paper, lined paper, and even some note-taking templates. 
    
In SmartNote you can...
  • Email your notebook or a page from your notebook
  • Open it in Evernote
  • Save to a photo album
  • Copy
  • Export as a PDF
  • Export as an HTML
  • Insert from the camera roll
  • Resize pics
  • Insert pic from a camera
  • Put a time stamp on it.
There are lots of widgets available for use as well...

Negatives-
  • You can't paste or insert anything from outside the app unless it is on the camera roll.
  • It is not a good app for typing a paper.
 
Paper
  • This app is free and works like a white board.  They can do draw, do math or take notes.
  • Saves as a file.
Negatives-
  • You can't type in this app
Bamboo Paper
  • There is a free version and one for $1.99 retail.
  • The free version only allows one notebook, the paid version allows you to have many.
  • It is great for setting up notebooks, but it is kind of limited in different capabilities.
Neu.notes
  • Great for doing this in math. 
  • Saves each one so the teacher can go back and see what the student was doing.  
Negatives-
  • Isn't compatible with Evernote. Need to use screen shot
ShowMe
  • You can look up different topics on show me and see a brief recording.
  • You can record something and have students look it up
  • Students can record their own work and show it to the teacher at a later time.  Example...a student is having trouble with adding fractions. Have them do the problem and record it.  Go over to them and watch how they did it to see where they ae going wrong.
Negatives-
  • You can't upload the recording to Evernote.  You can only upload a screen shot.  
Any of the note-taking apps can be sent to Evernote with a screen shot if it isn't compatible. 
 
Writing Apps
 
Write 2- $2.99 retail- worth it
  • Links with Dropbox
  • Can organize as folders and files
  • Can open in Confer teacher app
  • Can open in Teacher Notes
  • Keyboard has numbers along the top and the basic essay writing function of a word processor
  • Has auto correct spelling, but not spell check
 
Writing- $1.99
  • Keeps as docs, not as files and folders
  • Email as a attachment or as text of email
  • Very basic
Writer's Studio- $2.99awesome book writing app
  • You can use many text boxes or just one and you can make it as big as you want
  • Can add music
  • Can add voice recording
  • Can insert pics from camera roll
  • Can email as a PDF or a movie
Book creator- $4.99 retail $2.99 VPP
  • Downloads as an ePub and can be opened in iBooks
  • Cannot print as a PDF
  • Kids could write content pieces and then open in iBooks
Teacher Apps
  • Essay grader $5.99 or $.99 for lite version
  • Groovy grader-free
  • Teacher notes- free
  • Confer lite- Free Or $14.99
  • Writing prompts- $1.99
Other Usefull Apps
  • Socrative
  • Teacher's assistant
  • Memeo or GoDocs- google docs app
  • Doc scan

 

 

 

Curriculum Web
 
Example Lesson on iBooks
 
Questions