Carmen


 * //Assignment 1//**

I am amazed by all of the apps that are out there! I am looking forward to spending more time exploring what is available. The apps for the classroom (Arkansas) looks like a great resource. I also found aseries of podcasts about thewriting process. Interesting stuff!

//**Assignment 2**//

__Content/educational Apps__

I will admit - I chose all "free" apps so that I could actually play with them all, since I am not at liberty to purchase anything to put onto the iPad that I am using. Also, I'm looking at many of these as a parent of a 1st grader and a 2nd grader as well as from the perspective of a former 2nd and 3rd grade teacher.

1. Inspiration Lite - This is an app that you can use to make graphic organizer or outlines. When I taught 2nd and 3rd grades, we used graphic organizers to help organize information that we had learned as well as to help us to plan for writing projects. I can see using this app either as a whole class or for individuals/small groups. It keeps the information all neat and organized. You can move between a "map" and an outline format - good for kids who look at things in different ways.

2. iLearn Continents - Not a great app, buy my 2nd grader liked it. It's designed to teach and play a game about the continents and oceans. There is no depth to it, but I could see that kids would enjoy using it. It is good in that in the "teach" mode, it shows and says the name of the feature, using more than one sense.

3. MeeGenius - I was looking for "reading" apps and found this one. It has some free ebooks, but you can also purchase more. You can either read the book to yourself or have it read to you with the words highlighted as they are read. I think my 1st grader would like this as the books are about at her reading level. The school that my kids attend have some classroom using the "Daily 5" and I could see how ebooks could fit very well as either a read to self or listen to reading choice.

4. Postcards! - It think that this one would be a lot of fun to use in the classroom when studying different places. Kids can put a picture on one "side" and write on the other. It could be a fun assessment opportunity for them to tell someone what they've learned as if they are currently there. They could then "mail" it to me as well as others. It would be quick way to show parents a sample of their children's' writing and of what they are learning.

5. Splash Math - Grade 2 Math - Seems like an app kids would like that gives them practice on skills such as number sense and place value. As a parent or as a teacher you can set it up to email you weekly updates on how the child is doing with the skills practiced. I could see using it in a classroom as a way to give kids non-paper/pencil practice and also as a parent to give my kids a "fun" way to keep from losing their math skills over the summer. To me it seems a little repetitive and it seems very skill based, not much in the way of deeper thinking or problem solving.

6. Dragon Dictation - Could have some great possibilities in the classroom. Aside from allowing kids who may have difficulties with writing to use it for getting their words in print, I think it could be neat to use as a whole class to "document" a class discussion. It could be passed around to document what they've learned or what they would like to learn, or any other class discussion that would be useful to have documented. After practicing with my own kids, it would also encourage children to speak clearly in order for their words to show up as spoken; something I think I may have my son practice this summer.

7. Sock Puppets - My kids were very drawn to this one. It would be such an engaging way to have children demonstrate what they've learned or to retell a story. As far as my own kids - I could see it being an extension of their pretend play with their stuffed animal friends and a great way to expand their imaginations.

8. ScribblePress - A writing a drawing app - kids could the fill in the blank stories or create their own, then illustrate and "publish" their book. I think it would be a draw for kids who are reluctant to write to see their books "published" immediately. They could also create silly/mad-lib type stories.

9. Too Noisy - This would have been a great one when I was in the classroom. I liked for my students to work together on a variety of projects, and while many were not bothered by noise level, there were many that were. This would be a visual representation of our noise level to help everyone to self monitor better. The sensitivity can also be adjusted depending on what students are working on and what level of noise would be acceptable.

10. Teacher Notes - This looks like an app that I would have really used! It is a way to keep anecdotal notes on individual students, which is great in itself. But it can also take pictures, movies and audio clips and keep it all organized. I remember trying a variety of strategies for organizing my anecdotal notes - a sheet of paper for each student on a clipboard, sticky notes later sorted and attached to child's record, etc. This would keep it all together, but easy to access and allow for more information in each "snapshot" of the child's work.

App to Evaluate: Postcards! iPad App Evaluation Guiding Questions Education Apps • **For what age group(s) is the application appropriate?** I think this could be used easily for 2nd and 3rd grades - I'm sure older as well. • **How would a teacher incorporate the application into the classroom?** It could be used as an evaluation of student learning - for students to be able to summarize learned content into a very brief "postcard" format. • **Does this app allow you to do something you were unable to do in the past?** This could just as easily be done as a paper and pencil activity, but I think the use of an electronic device makes it appealing to kids. • **Does the app address more than one learning style (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)?** no • **Can more than one user account be set up?** No, but many Postcards can be saved and mailed. • **Does the app allow for progress monitoring of multiple users?** Not directly, but students could be required to email the finished product to the teacher, and could also be sent home to parent(s) so that they could see what their child is learning. • **Can student data be sent to the teacher or parent via email?** See above. • **How much instruction will need to be provided on use of the app?** I don't think it would take much instruction. • **Will the app meet the needs of all students in the class or will it be used with a specific subgroup?** I think it could be used for all students that I had in the past - the writing expectations could be adjusted to meet different needs. • **Does the app provide enough positive reinforcement to hold the interest of the students?** I don't think it could be used very often - but once in awhile I think they would like it. Especially if they received an email back responding to their postcard. • **How will this help a teacher organize and manage information in the classroom?** All of the student's postcards could be grouped into an email folder for assessment.
 * Utility/organization Apps**
 * • How will this app help you to work smarter, not harder?** It may not - just a more fun way for kids to show what they've learned.
 * • Does the app have an easy to use format?** Yes.
 * • How would this app benefit students?** Kids often get overwhelmed at the idea of writing a lot - if it's in a postcard format, they are limited on space and have to choose their words well.

Final thought - I think that Postcards! would be a nice one to pair with Fotobabble to give kids a choice between writing and speaking to show their learning. Both allow students to include a visual (drawing, photo).

__Personal Applications__

1. BlockFab - HD - This is a quilting app. My daughter has been waiting for a very long time for me to make a quilt for her. This sounds like a really neat app - can view different blocks arranged in different configurations. Also helps to calculate how much fabric is needed.

2. NoiseBox and Baby Noise Box- These are white noise apps. In my family we are all white noise addicts. This will be great for going camping or to a hotel to "even out" the noises for everyone to fall asleep.

3. Pandora - Thanks, Mike! Now I can get my 80's music anytime (and throw in some 70's just for fun). My kids decided that they like John Denver, Simon and Garfunkel, and America.

4. Daily Workouts and Daily Yoga - These would be a good one for me to start using. I used to walk a lot and practice Yoga, but have not done either regularly for quite awhile. You can enter the length of time you would like for your workout to last and which area of the body you would like to emphasize.

5. AllRecipes - This is a recipe app that allows you to put in ingredients that you would like included as well as ingredients you don't want. It also lets you enter any dietary restrictions - then lists a bunch of recipe ideas. We could use some new meal ideas in our house!

//**Assignment 3**//

Yellow Submarine, adapted by Charlie Gardner

Tuesday Night Miracles, by Kris Radish