Math vs. Zombies

Math vs. Zombies

You can find this app in the iTunes store for FREE!! Zombies are attacking and you can turn them back into children by solving math problems. This app gives good practice for 2-3 digit mental math addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems. 

This and That

Sorry that I haven't posted for awhile, I was in the process of finishing my Scholarly Project to complete my Master's degree. I noticed some activity on my TNT page and realized people are still using this blog as a resource...so I better start posting!

Well I've come across some apps to add to my collection and thought I would share....

5 Dice: Order of Operations Game

iLive Farm Fresh

~~word problems with vivid pictures and video links

iBrainstorm

~~I wonder if teachers could use this to create lesson plans, I've seen a sticky note lesson plan book, it might work

Have you ever heard of IPad Direction Sheets? Here is a link to a wonderful website with interesting ways to use your IPads. Technology Tailgate

I've Been Motivated Today

Thanks to some great 4th-8th grade teachers, I'm feeling a little motivated today! It's been awhile since I've posted to this blog and I apologize. Here is a couple apps that are worth checking out...

Cargo-Bot (FREE)

Program a robot crane to move boxes.....sounds easy, wait until you try it!

Hidden Objects Crosswords (Free)
Fun twist on bringing crosswords and hidden objects together!

Three Tips for Introducing the iPad to Students

It's hard to believe, but summer is over and students are already in their desks. Where did the time go? This post will give you some tips for introducing the iPads to your new students. 

Welcome back to school everyone!

Tip #1

AirPlay using AirServer

Having the ability to roam the classroom with your iPad in hand, can best be done with Apple's AirPlay. The low price makes it a must for classrooms with Activboards or Smartboards. AirPlay will make demonstrating iPad rules and procedures easier.

For more information on the AirServer software the click visit the website at: http://www.airserverapp.com

Tip #2

iPad Scavenger Hunt

Use an iPad Scavenger Hunt to help introduce iPad to your students. Below are a few examples that I found online and can be done with partners at any grade level.

Downloaded from www.olecommunity.com

Few examples of Scavenger Hunts:

http://ipadschools.wikispaces.com/iPad+Scavenger+Hunt

http://primaryipad.weebly.com/ipad-scavenger-hunt.html

Tip #3

iPad Contracts and Use Policy

Students are better users of technology when they know the do's and don'ts. Consider going through your expected behaviors while using the iPads. The example below came from a site on the internet. I like this example because student can see pictures of the behaviors they are expected to display.

http://www.centergrove.k12.in.us/Page/7136

Cover Up Math

 

Cover Up Math  (Free) is a great app that works with students on solving multi-step algebra problems. To begin, the player chooses a level and pulls down the lever, which spins and gives the player a problem. 

If students are not yet fluent, they can use the "cover up" feature to work each step of the problems. These problems can be a good way to work on mental math with higher-level algebraic problems.

   

Algebra Card Clutter

Algebra Card Clutter  (Free) gives users a fun way to practice fluency of a variety of rational numbers. The object of this activity is to touch the cards in the lowest to highest order. This app gets more challenging as the player makes their way through each level. Players have the option to select levels with a list of each level and their focus.  

What a great way to practice with rational numbers...Enjoy!

Yikes!

It's July 10th and I haven't even posted for this month yet...that means I have been enjoying summer break tooooo much! I noticed some activity on the blog today and wanted to welcome comments or suggestions to pages or posts. I would like this space to be a place to share ideas! .....as long as they are positive comments ;)  I'm interested to find out who is looking and reading my posts. It might even be fun to do a Skype chat with your school, if anyone was interested. To all of you...thanks for checking out the iPads in K-8 Education blog.


I have been working on making the Common Core State Standards page more user-friendly, so look for that page to change in the near future.


CCSS Math Page

Strip Designer

This afternoon I decided to mess around with the app Strip Design ($2.99). I have seen this app used with students and math, so I thought I would try it out. Here are some of the ideas I came up with....

Have students go around the classroom and find 3D shapes, take pictures, and then create a comic strip.

This app can even create a poster, doesn't look like a comic, but is a way to scaffold the project for some students.

Have the students create characters or take pictures of themselves. Then create math problems for the class to solve.

Again, students can find math in their classroom and create a problem for their peers.

This is more of a science activity...have students go outside and take pictures of leaves, plants, or trees. Then have them write down characteristics of each plant and investigate specific sites. If you have a few sites that you would like students to use for this project, what about creating a link to your diigo site....

Diigo Bookmarking....

Identifying Plants Project Resources

The above is an example of a link to a teacher's Diigo bookmarking site. Students could use these resources while working on the "Identifying Plants" project. These lists can even be embedded into a website, wiki, etc....like the one below...

IPad Quick Tips

Clip Art from Icon Bug: Author is YOOtheme

Tomorrow will officially be the last day of school for the summer, at the wonderful school I call TJES. I'm writing this post today because many of you (teachers, etc.) will be putting your classroom things away for the summer. If you are fortunate to have multiple devices in your classroom, here are five quick tips......

1. Clean out the Photos and Videos that are not needed anymore or that can be saved in a file on a jump drive or teacher computer. This will also free up space on the iCloud for next years student projects
2. Which is our second tip...clean out any contents in your iWork folder (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps) on the iCloud that you are finished with and can be stored in another place. Go to the following url: https://www.icloud.com/ on your computer and it will make transferring your documents easier. 
3. Give your IPads a fresh new look for next year by changing the wallpaper. I usually try to change the wallpaper on the IPads around holidays. Students mention the different wallpapers and keeps things fresh and new! Here are a couple of wallpaper apps: Cool Wallpaper HD (Free) and Skins and Shelves (Free)
4. Clean your iPads...let me know if there are other teachers out there that can't stand the finger smudges on the screen. Here is a link to the proper cleaning techniques from Apple: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3226 If your case that holds the IPad has seen better days, I just take a Chlorox Wipe and wipe them down.
5. If your IPads will be sitting for an extended period over the summer months, the best things to do for your battery is to store it at a 50% to 75% charge..the exact words from Apple are as follows: 

Apps for a Windy Sunday

What a windy day in North Dakota, I'm staying inside and playing on my iPad! Found a couple apps worth sharing....


Word Stack (Free)

World of Physics: Fluids (Free)

Paper by 53 (Free)

Sticky Words (Free)

Panorama 360 Camera (Free)

Kaleido Paint (Free)

Five-O (Free)

New Math App Page

The  NCTM annual conference in Philadelphia this past week was filled with many math ideas!! The iPad sessions I attended gave me a list of apps that could be usefully in teaching math. I have decided to create a separate page that will hold a list of apps and also will break the CCSS into each strand. I hope it will be helpful.....

CCSS Math App List

Fossil Apps

The following are two apps that students enjoyed when we learned about fossils after school on Monday:


Dino Digger ($.99) In this app the player slides a couple fingers back and forth to uncover a dinosaur fossil buried in the sand. When most of the fossils are visible the dinosaur comes together and players can then see what the dinosaur would look and sound like. Students enjoyed listening to the sounds of the different dinosaurs and became good at recognizing what fossils created what dinosaurs. I would recommend this app, simple and players had fun with it!

Dinosaurs: The American Museum of Natural History Collections (Free) Many, many great photos of dinosaurs and fossils. Good discussion starters!




Tools4Students ($.99) This app provides graphic organizers that only work on the iPad. To add onto this activity students could use the an organizer and choose two dinosaurs to compare and contrast. Below I took a screenshot of what that organizer would look like. 


Compare/Contrast Graphic Organizer:

Math In The News App

Math In the News (Free) This app would be a benefit for any math teacher who wants to teach students where math is found in their everyday lives. The teacher could project this app for the whole class and lead their class in Math Talk. Here are a few screenshots of the app...

    

Super Excited!!!

This week our school received new iPad3's, we are super excited! The camera takes sharper photos and anything you view looks great! Slowly I will be transferring things from the iPad2, having the "iCloud" makes that process so much easier. If you have multiple devices in your classroom you probably know about the iCloud and how it makes an old "icky" task of loading apps to each device a blessing. The iCloud also can be a way to manage your calendars, contacts, emails, and iWork documents. If want to check the documents that your students are working on, it's pretty easy---- log into iCloud on the computer. Here are the steps....Have Fun!


Go to the following URL and login with your iTunes username and password:
https://www.icloud.com/


Your screen should look like this:

All the iWork documents from Pages, Numbers, and Keynote will be available:

 My favorite feature is the "Find My iPhone", you can manage the location of all your classroom devices and look how specific the locator gets:

Easter Apps and More

Easter Bunny My Face (Free) Do this with all your students and put on a bulletin board with a clever saying like "We are hopping for books". Let me know other ideas for this app..comment below.

Easter Twinnoo (Free) You will be doing two things at once, on the left side you will be solving simple math equations and on the right you will be looking at two eggs and tapping on the egg that shows the correct color if the eggs were combined. This game uses both of your hemispheres in your brain. This is harder than it looks.

Move the Turtle ($2.99) Haven't played this app, but it looks like a it would be a way to teach students about programming...might be a Gifted and Talented app!

Simple Physics ($.99) Every middle school teacher should get this app for their students.  

Exploriments: Simple Electrical Circuits ($.99) This app shows how simple circuits work, allows the user to open and close switches. In my opinion, this app should not replace the hands-on activities using wires, batteries, and lights, but I could see the teacher projecting this app on the Activboard or SMARTboard and working through some of the activities with students as a whole group before they worked on the hands-on activity. The following link will bring you to the Experiments webpage with the other apps that they have created...worth checking out.
Exploriments Website

Amanda, thanks for suggesting the next three apps:
Tap the Frog (Free) Strategy game with lots of levels and activities.
Lakota Toddler (Free) Teaches Lakota language
Ojibway (Free) Learn to speak the Ojibway language