Audioboo

Audioboo is a free app that allows you to record your voice.  Each recording is called a boo.  You can listen to the boos in the app or on the audioboo website.  The app will also create a QR code to share your boo with others.  
The use of this app has been a great addition to my classroom, as it added an authentic reason and an audience, for practicing reading fluency.  Students were motivated to practice reading a book over and over, paying attention to the author's punctuation and intention of each sentence.  The students were excited to record and share their reading with their classmates.  Also, with the QR codes provided by each boo, I can quickly print the codes and attach them to our books for an instant listening center.  Another idea for using Audioboo in your classroom, would be to have students create a boo about their work displayed in the hallway.  Then add the QR code to the student's work to hear them talk more about the writing or project on display.
Here is a ThingLink I created with some resources and ideas to get you started with this app in your classroom.



Here is a sample audioboo recorded by one of my students reading a favorite Mo Willems book.

listen to ‘Gracie Today I Will Fly’ on Audioboo

iMovie Appreciation Gift

One of my students was working so hard on the iPad today during centers.  He had told me he was making me a surprise.  He turned in his project just as the bell was ringing to go home and this is the sweet gift he left me today.

He used some of his nonfiction reading research work, center work, and made some new items just for his project.  I'm totally amazed at his work in the iMovie app, on which I hadn't even given any previous instructions.  He told me he was teaching himself all about it today.  He asked me very few questions about the buttons within the app today as he worked.  His video shows me how easy this app can be for even the youngest students to use.  I'll definitely be adding this app to a whole class lesson soon.  I think I know who my iPad expert will be for this lesson.  I'm totally amazed!  This was the best teacher appreciation gift ever!

Nearpod

I have presented about using the Nearpod app in the classroom with the teachers at my school.  I thought I would share some of the resources I gathered with you guys as well.  This is a great free app to use in your classroom.  They even have some free lessons available on their website to get you started with this app in your classroom.  Click the ThingLink below to learn more about nearpod.

ChatterPix Kids App

My students have a new favorite app, the ChatterPix Kids App.  This is a great, easy to use, free app where you can take any photo and make it talk.

We had concluded our first round of nonfiction research and were ready to teach each other what we had learned about our topic.  I had my students create an image in the ChatterPix Kids app to teach each other about their topics.  The students selected an image from the website www.Pics4Learning.com.  This site has safe, free, copyright friendly images for students to use in creating projects in the classroom.  Students scanned the QR code below with the iPads to get to the website to find a photo that correlated to their topic.

Click the image to save a copy to use in your classroom.

Here are screenshot directions to get you started with this app.  Click the image below to save a copy for yourself.

Need some ideas for using ChatterPix Kids or Padlet in your classroom?  Here is the Padlet wall our school created with some ideas to get you started. 

Created with Padlet

ThingLink App

I presented a technology staff development for my school this week on the ThingLink app.  This is a free app where you can make your images come alive.  I thought I would share a few resources here about this great tech tool for you guys as well.  Below is my ThingLink about ThingLink for our faculty which gathered resources and ideas to help with this tool.  Click the image below to learn more about ThingLink.

I also created a few screenshot directions to help.  Click the picture below to save a copy for yourself.

Telling Time on the iPads

Our first grade standard for telling time is tell and write time in hours and half-hours using analog and digital clocks (1.MD.B.3).  One way we practiced on the iPads was in the Explain Everything app.  I sent the students a blank clock face in the Showbie app.  My students opened the blank clock in the Explain Everything app.  Then I would tell them a time and they would create the hands on the clock to show the correct time.  We also sang "What does the Clock Say?" as we practiced telling and writing time.

I found this blank clock face as a freebie on TPT.  Click here to grab a copy for yourself.

Pronouns ThingLink

We have been learning about pronouns this past week.  I thought I would share some resources I found on the web for this topic.  These are a few free games, songs, and activities I hope you can enjoy with your class.