Social Bookmarks

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http://www.delicious.com/cmtraweek

Apps in the Classroom...

While researching for this week’s blog I came across a page on the apple site specifically about apps for the classroom.(http://www.apple.com/education/apps) I was so excited! I have only had my iPhone for a few months.  I have apps for my daughter on it, but never thought about looking for apps to actually use in the classroom.  First of all I know my students would go nuts over an iPad and the ability to use it in the classroom.  We do not have any at our school so it would have to be a personal one if used in the classroom.  After doing this research, I may be asking for one for my upcoming birthday.  One thing I learned about an iPad was that you can hook it up to an HD tv or HD projector.  That would be awesome to use as a tool for teaching, but also as a way to teach students how to use an iPad.  I would also have to transition the students into using it because at first I would be the only one using it until they can prove to me they are responsible.  An Otterbox case would be my next purchase for sure. 

The first app I found was MathBoard. (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mathboard/id373909837?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4)  The cost is $4.99, but if compared to the price of flash cards or manipulatives is a good deal! I like how it looks like an actual chalk board, which many of my students have probably never seen actually used in the classroom but that is besides the point.  This app can be used for K through 5^th grade because it starts with simple addition and subtraction and moves on to multiplication, division, squares, square roots, and cubes.  You can limit the numbers on the problems and the number of problems.   You can also set a time limit for a quiz.  I would use this app as a math center once the students are able to responsible enough to use it.  Since I teach 3^rd grade I would use the multiplication part of the app and use the timer.  After taking the quiz, the students would be able to review their incorrect answers and retake the quiz until they get 80% correct.   Another great aspect of this app is how it has multiplication tables that students can look at if they need to review before retaking the quiz. 

The next app is The Presidency (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-presidency/id370072846?mt=8), and best of all it is free! What teacher doesn’t love free things? This app would be a great resource to use while learning about our U.S. Presidents.  It gives the basic information on each president including date of birth, years in office, the political party, and photographs.  I would use this as part of a research center rotation.  Again, the students who use the iPad must be responsible and have proved to me that they can handle it.  I would give each student or a pair of students a president that they must write a short report on.  I would start them each in a center and the ones using this app would be able to pull up all the information they would need for their report.