Top 5 Bottom 3 Apps Used Daily

One of the great parts of my day is listening to the Scott Van Pelt & Ryen Russillo radio show on ESPN Podcast.  A segment that they complete every Tuesday during the NFL season is the Top 5 Bottom 3.  A sort of power rankings for the NFL.

Inspiration.

I have downloaded more than 500 free & paid apps since integrating iPad/iPod apps into education in 2008.  Periodically, I will create some iPad/iPod Power Rankings known as the Top 5 Bottom 3. A sort of power rankings for the TTL, Teacher Tech League.

Top 5 Bottom 3:  Apps Used Daily on My iPad

Top 5

Mail - Generic, but with my technology integration specialist teaching position, I can always provide technology instruction support through email.  Our school district has also set up a certificate that can be installed so that all contacts can be imported.  This provides every staff members email, including groups of staff members.

Twitter - PLN. Enough Said!

Evernote - Through IFTTT, I have every favorited Tweet traveling to Evernote, Pictures of meeting notes on a whiteboard can be saved, and resources found during researching can easily be pulled up to show teachers ideas and resources.

Skitch - create bumber pages for all video tech tutorials and recording of iPad apps and tech tools being implemented with students.  Follow up videos are great for showing other teachers how teachers in their building are implementing the tech tool.

iMovie - easiest app for creating video footage of efficient tech tool implementation with students


Bottom 3

3.  Reminders - preloaded on iPad, have never opened it, would delete if I could

*No video, I don't ever use it!

2.  Messages - preloaded on iPad, this is NOT my method for communicating with staff, again, never opened it

*No video, I don't ever use it!

1.  Game Center - preloaded on iPad, would order the iPad without it if I could! Moved it directly to the last page of my iPad!

*No video, I don't ever use it!


So there it is! Thanks to the SVP & Russillo show, my first Top 5 Bottom 3 daily used iPad apps.

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Bamboo Connect Pen

Mrs. Heck is creating some mathematics videos for a student who is unable to attend school at this time.  Using SMART notebook, Bamboo Connect Pen, SMART notebook video recorder, YouTube, and her blog the student has a personal tutor that understands the content.

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TED app For Choice Learning

TED

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QR Codes Provide Quick Individual Tutor

After two meetings and about an hour and a half of planning, this activity came to fruition today in class.  We used the Scan app, which seems to be the fastest app in the land.

See the process and the teacher's reaction.  The teacher was able answer students' questions on an individual basis, because each student was a different pace.

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Menu Of Learning With Computers

Last week, one of our teachers explained how the "Menu of Learning" works in her class while she uses iPads.  This week, I was invited into see how Mr. Krause uses the "Menu of Learning" with computers.

Thanks to our great staff at PHS sharing ideas and resources helps our students achieve success.

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Best Learning Experiences of 2011-2012

Taking an idea from @coolcatteacher as seen below...

I asked each of our students the following question,

"What was your best learning experience of the year?"

I created the entire movie on an iPad with iMovie and can't be more thrilled with the result.  Not only by their answers, but by the quality of the video.

Some students gave detailed answers, some shortened them up.  Either way, I am thankful I took the time to ask!  My advice would be Vicki's advice, "Take one day to LISTEN to your students talk about their best learning experience in your classroom this year."

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Bamboo Connect Pen Helps In Video Creation

Bamboo Connect Pen 

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PowerCam HD camera app and One Minute Videos

Students completed their "Affects of Westward Expansion on Native Americans" study by forming an opinion on whether the treatment of Native Americans was an example of a holocaust.

Students used their Draw Smart Venn Diagram app to create a one minute video on whether they believed or didn't believe that it was a holocaust.

The process of recording a video was enhanced by the options on the PowerCam HD app.  Students had fun choosing an effect to be incorporated with their video.

We used Dropbox to upload it to a folder in which we could view the video.  Some students even had time to email their video to their parents using the public link feature in Dropbox.

Finally we used a Google form placed on our iPad to use while watching the videos.

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Instructional Reteaching Tool

I've always struggled with the best way to provide positive, individual feedback for assessments.  For the most part, students complete assessments quite well.  With the four or five students that struggle, giving them positive, constructive feedback is crucial.

Today, I created a video that discussed in detail steps to solve particular problems from the assessment.
I used SMARTboard notebook software, Camtasia, and a mouse.



Students watched at their own pace.  After they changed the answers on their paper, I conferenced with them individual about specific questions pertaining to the concepts.


I believe this to be a better method than large group discussion with all 26 students.  It doesn't force students who understand the concepts to view demonstrations of information they already know.

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Individual Teaching After Assessment

In the old days, I would teach the review the entire quiz with the entire class.  Even if students would have a perfect paper, they would need to sit through explanations of items they already knew.

Using iPads, allows for a video to be created with helpful tips to solving problems of the day.  In the mean time, students receive one on one instructions to reteach items that were not understood on the quiz.

Works perfectly!

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