Padlet

I have been trying out the website www.padlet.com with my class and with the teachers at my school.  We have been researching in nonfiction text in our reading workshop lessons.  As I began to model the skill of questioning in our new topic, I had the students type one wondering they had about butterflies to begin our study.  They used the iPads to type onto the wall I had created on our padlet site.

The webiste was very easy to setup and easy for the students to use.  I created a QR code for the students to scan which took them straight to our wall.  Then they could double tap anywhere on the screen to add their question.  I displayed our wall on the SMARTBoard and the students loved seeing all the questions popup as they were typing.  Here is what our wall looked like when we finished.

Created with Padlet

Here is a screenshot with directions to help get you started with this website in your classroom.  Click the image below to save the directions for yourself.

Book Creating Apps

I recently worked with teachers at my school on two free book creating apps.  I've tried several book creating apps, but for the free apps these are the best ones I've found.  Both apps are great and easy to use in the classroom.  I prefer the Book Creator App because I feel it has a few more features and more options for exporting your books off the devices.  I created this handout for our facutly.  It shows a screenshot with directions for each app and QR codes to tutorials and ideas to get everyone started.  Click the image below to save a copy for yourself.

Fiction or Nonfiction

One of our standards is to explain the major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information (RL.1.5).  We have read lots of different books and talked about the craft and structure of how these types of books are different.  We have analyzed different books on paper, with our Senteo clickers, and now with the iPads as well.  Here are two examples from my students that were created in the Pic Collage app.

Dr. Seuss Apps

These are some fun apps to celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.  Also most of the Dr. Seuss book apps by Oceanhouse Media will be on sale for the week of his birthday.
Truffula Shuffula - free
In this app, you help the Lorax match 3 or more objects.


Dr. Seuss Band - $0.99
In this app, you play different horns to the Dr. Seuss melodies.

Dr. Seuss Camera - Cat in the Hat Ed. - $1.99
With this app you can take pictures with the Cat in the Hat.  You can create cards to email to others as well


Lorax Garden - $0.99
In this app, you help the Lorax regrow the Truffula tree forests.

The Official Lorax App - free
With this app, you can add a Lorax mustache to your pictures.  You can also make the Lorax mouth move while you talk.


5 bestselling book apps are on sale for $0.99 that are regularly $3.99-$4.99
Cat in the Hat
Green Eggs and Ham
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish
Dr. Seuss's ABC
Oh the Places You Will Go

I created a handout with this fun app information to send home with my students this week and to send out to the teachers of my school.  Click the picture below to grab a copy for yourself.

Measurement Apps

As we begin to work on measurement in class, I have tried out a few free measurement apps.

Measure This app by Clever Goats Media
In this free app, students are given several different measurement tasks to perform which allows them to practice measurement terms such as smallest, biggest, least, and most.  This app allows students to practice measuring items with a ruler.  Here are a few screenshots from within the app.
Students select the item that is the smallest or biggest.

Students can practice finding the group of objects that has the least and most.

Students can arrange objects by length from longest to shortest.

Students can measure height and length by moving the ruler to the different objects on the screen.

Measure Length - Tiny Chicken app by TapToLearn Software
In this free app, students use a clear ruler to measure the animals on the screen.  The students select a unit with which to measure.  This app allows you to measure with centimeters, inches, or millimeters.  Then you move the ruler to measure the given animal.  Students tap on the correct measurement at the bottom of the screen.  Here are a few screenshots from within the app.

Happy Measuring!  Do you guys know of any more measurement apps?

Telling Time Apps

We are working on telling time in class.  I have found a few good FREE apps for practicing reading clocks that we use in our iPad center.

Telling Time - Digital Clock by Photo Touch by Grasshopper Apps
In this free app, students click the digital clock from the audio prompt. As the clocks are matched correctly, more clocks will appear on the screen each time.  This app is adjustable for difficulty levels in the settings, as you can turn on and off certain times to meet the needs of your students. Here are a few screenshots from the app.

Tell Time - Little Matchups Game by Grasshopper Apps 
In this free app the students match the digital to the analog clocks.  As the students correctly match the clocks, more clocks will appear on the screen at a time.  This app also allows you to adjust the difficulty level in the settings.  You can turn certain times and the audio hints on or off.  Here are some screenshots from the app.

Wake the Rooster by Telling Time: Tiny Chicken by TapToLearn Software

In this free app, students need to set seven correct alarms to wake the rooster.  The students move the arms of the clock to the correct time.  This app will become progressively harder as the correct time is set by the students.  Here are a few screenshots from the app.

Telling Time Quiz by Innovative Mobile Apps

In this free app students, students select the clock that shows the given time.  More clocks will appear on the screen as the correct time is selected.  This app has 18 levels for the students to master and unlock.  Here are a few screenshots from the first two levels.

If you know of any more good, free telling time apps please let me know.

100th day with Aging Booth App

The 100th day of school is always one of the most fun days of the year for primary students.  For many years we have written about what we think our lives will be like when we are 100 years old.  Sometimes our school even dresses up as 100 year olds to celebrate the day.  This year I learned about the Aging Booth App.  In this app, you take your photo and then it will age you.  It costs $0.99 but was worth the price for all the laughs.  We took our photos with the app and then uploaded the photos to our blogs.  On our blogs we typed about our lives as 100 year olds.