Cheers,
Lesley
It’s official… Facebook and YouTube will be blocked for MAP testing. While I don’t know how to help you with the former, I can help you with the latter. Play Tube is a free app that lets you download YouTube videos so you can play them later, even if you aren't connected to the internet. I've used it a couple times and it hasn't failed me yet. I even have a few workout videos downloaded so I can sweat it out no matter where I am. However, the downside of this app is that the videos do take up your gigabytes so you'll have to be careful with the number of videos you choose to download and perhaps even delete them when you are finished using them. That part might get a bit tedious, but it's better than planning to use a YouTube video to introduce or explain a complex topic and then realizing that the school's internet is down or YouTube is blocked. Now if the power goes out, you are on your own! (Or you can have your 20-some students huddle around the iPad to watch.) Either way, I hope you find Play Tube to be a useful app.
Cheers, Lesley
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Recently we had a PD session dedicated to using technology in the classroom and the app I got to use was 30hands. 30hands is a fun app that allows you to take pictures and add narration. It’s very easy to use. Here's a quick tutorial from Brittany Bowers that explains the app quite well: It’s really an easy app to use, so here’s my brainstorm of some possible uses:
Cheers, Lesley It’s that time of year again… I’ve assigned the semester project to my 9th graders (they’ve actually been working on it for a few weeks now). I’m using the same semester project I did last year, hoping it work better than last year. If you’re unfamiliar with my semester project, I asked my students to choose a book (a book that I have deemed appropriate for their ability level) and they are blogging about what they have read. Last year I made my students make a Weebly website but this year I let them choose. Most did choose Weebly, though, so we’re getting a good feel for the latest version of the Weebly app. As I’m sure you know, I’m a big fan of Weebly—it’s the site I use to maintain this website. I had tried to use the app in the past, but it wasn’t the most user-friendly so I stuck with the computer version. However, Weebly has made some drastic changes to their app and now I’ve been using it with my students on a weekly basis. The app makes editing one’s Weebly site significantly easier than editing via the website on an iPad, so if your only device is an iPad, you NEED the Weebly app. I, however, have had a different issue since I started all of my Weebly websites with the computer version. Since I did that, I am unable to edit all parts of those websites through the app. I’m not sure what the issue is, but I’ve had to stick with the computer version for the Weebly sites I have had for years now; therefore, I haven’t really been able to assess the efficacy of the app except through working with my students. So what is the final verdict? Well, the Weebly app is great if that is where you started your website. For those of us who have used the computer version for many years, well, we’ll have to wait until a few more bugs are fixed and stick with the computer version for now. Either way, Weebly is a wonderful resource for any classroom and my students have enjoyed creating something that the wider world can see and use. Cheers, Lesley iOS 8 came out last week with a few nice changes (including the fact that it actually downloads an app with tips about the system onto your device). Here's a quick little video that will help you see what you can do with iOS 8 on your device: If you'd like to learn more, install the update and check out the tips or see these articles for more tips and help:
With these resources, I'm sure you'll adjust to iOS 8 in no time. Cheers, Lesley Every English teacher should have SwipeSpeare, especially if you teach Shakespeare. And it's even better than before! Here's the basic premise: Here are the features everyone should know about: 1) This is a tool you can use on your iPad, an android device, or on a computer (though it appears that on a computer, the plays are rarely free). 2) Not all plays are free. (But "The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet" is! Let's hear it for the 9th grade ELA curriculum!) Be sure to check before you use this app in class. 3) You can choose the original text or a modernized (or translated, as my students like to say) version. I like to ask students to use the original text because all one has to do to get to the modernized version is swipe one's finger across the screen. But the best part? Now you can do it line by line! When I used this app last year, the whole scene would change. I really enjoy the ease of moving back and forth from the original text and the modern version, and my students appreciate this tool as well, especially as they adjust to Early Modern English. As you can see, I really like this app. I think it's a smart way to help students learn to appreciate Shakespeare. Yet even if you aren't an English teacher, you can enjoy this app. Perhaps you are a parent and you'd like to help your teen-aged child who is struggling through Shakespeare or perhaps you'd like to brush up on a play before seeing it live. Whatever the reason, if Shakespeare's works will be in your life, so should SwipeSpeare. You won't be sorry. Cheers, Lesley I don't know about you all, but lately the internet at school hasn't been my friend. Students taking quizzes via our Moodle have had to step outside or at least get closer to the door to get a good signal. I'm sure we've all managed to find ways to survive with our lackluster internet service, but I would like to share one solution I have found, especially when you want to share a video from YouTube. Play Tube is a free app that let's you download YouTube videos so you can play them later, even if you aren't connected to the internet. I've used it a couple times and it hasn't failed me yet. I even have a few workout videos downloaded so I can sweat it out no matter where I am. However, the downside of this app is that the videos do take up your gigabytes so you'll have to be careful with the number of videos you choose to download and perhaps even delete them when you are finished using them. That part might get a bit tedious, but it's better than planning to use a YouTube video to introduce or explain a complex topic and then realizing that the school's internet is down. Now if the power goes out, you are on your own! (Or you can have your 20-some students huddle around the iPad to watch.) Either way, I hope you find Play Tube to be a useful app. Cheers, Lesley As the school year begins, I would like to remind you all about guided access. It’s a great tool when you are sharing your iPad with others. As you know, I use Teacher Kit and instead of having me enter all of my students’ email addresses and their parents’ information, I have them do it for me. All I have to do is set the guided access feature on my iPad and I know my students won’t be able to spy on me or do anything inappropriate/unexpected with my iPad. I did have one student change his name to Ninja something, but that was easy enough to fix. Using guided access is much better than having someone open my Facebook or Twitter account and post on my behalf. Now I know we learned about guided access a couple of years ago, but let me refresh your memory. Follow these steps to set up your guided access: Step 1: Open “Settings.” Step 2: Select “General.” Step 3: Select “Accessibility.” Step 4: Now scroll down until you see the heading “Learning” and “Guided Access” should be there. Step 5: Touch the button to turn guided access on. Step 6: Set a passcode. Step 7: Be sure to turn on the “Accessibility Shortcut,” a handy feature that lets you turn it on and off as needed. (This is especially nice when you lend your device to a student on short notice. Then it’s just three clicks of the home button and guided access is set. Easy!) That’s it! You can share you iPad with students, your children, nieces and nephews, etc., and know they won’t get into something you don’t want them to. I hope this review is helpful for you, especially as we collaborate with others. Cheers, Lesley As we prepare for our morning meeting, I'm sure some of you are concerned about having too much time or not enough time to cover everything. While I can't help you with the latter, I do have an app for the former: Ask Me Anything for teens (AMAFTFREE). This is a very simple app with a simple idea: you tap the screen and you are given a question to discuss. For example...
All you have to do is tap the screen and a new question will appear. It's very easy to use and I haven't seen any repeat questions... yet. :-) I like this app because I think it will help us learn more about our students and our morning meeting groups. Plus, it's an easy time filler, right? You can even project the question on the board with the Apple TV so that our ELL students can work on their reading skills. Basically, it's a win-win with this free app. Get it today and try it out for tomorrow's meeting.
Cheers, Lesley It is the best day, people! Literably is now an APP for the iPad!!! Remember when I wrote about Literably before? It's a site that allows you to assign your students reading passages for their lexile level. Then the students read the passage aloud and the computer will grade their reading and show you, the teacher, where they made mistakes and if they self-corrected. This is something the students can also see and something you can show to parents. It is cool stuff. However, before one would have needed a microphone attached to the computer. Now with the app, it will be much easier for us to do this at school, assuming each student will be able to find a quite place. :-)
Literably has also made some improvements--there are now pictures that go with the story and comprehension questions that follow. Yet to see the results, the teacher will have to use the original website. The app is for students and the website is for the teacher because that is where you can see the student's reading accuracy and speed and the reading comprehension question scores. That is the part that has not changed. If you haven't used Literably before, now is the time to try it. I encourage all elementary and middle school teachers to try it. Our students are spectacular readers, so this would be one way for them to see their improvement and share that with parents. Check it out for yourself! Cheers, Lesley We're all trying to help our students expand their vocabularies, right? I've done the bookmarks, word walls, flashcards, quizzes, and blah, blah, blah. Some methods work better with some students than others, but I think I have found a tool that will work even better because it can be directly related to the SAT (something my students will take in the future and something the high achievers are already thinking about). ProfessorWord is a website that allows you to install the program on your toolbar (mind you, you will need to ensure your toolbar is visible) and it will highlight words that are used on the SAT and ACT exams. It will also allow you to highlight unfamiliar words and it will define them right there for you, so there's no need to open another app or tab to search for a dictionary. I've only begun using ProfessorWord, but I'm sold! I've begun encouraging my students to use it and I am looking forward to ProfessorWord's future plans to include personal vocabulary lists (which won't be as easy to lose as those bookmarks I've been assigning). Below is their YouTube video that will explain just how easy it is to use. If you teach high schoolers, this is something you and your should start using today. Cheers, Lesley |
About the AuthorLesley is an English teacher who is passionate about using connectivism in the classroom and preparing students and teachers for using the tools that are available to them on a regular basis. This blog will focus on iPad apps and Web 2.0 tools that can enhance and diversify learning. Leave a comment and let me know what you think or what you'd like to learn about! Archives
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