Group items tagged

"One of the frustrating things I found in teaching online last semester was the lack of direct contact with students. The class felt impersonal, despite my efforts to give it life. I found that especially frustrating when I graded assignments. The feedback seemed cold and distant, even as I as I tried to point out strong areas of writing and multimedia projects. I overcame this in part by using my iPad to add audio comments to grading. This was a revelation to me. Using an app called iAnnotate, I could write comments on PDFs but also add voice comments, allowing me to make grading more personal but also add details that I otherwise wouldn't have included."

"Hot on the heels of iBooks Author's release, publisher Jumsoft released Book Palette ($2.99), which adds 10 new templates to iBooks Author, and that number is expected to grow with future updates."

"One question I seem to get a lot about the iPad is what apps do I recommend that are free. I am hearing from a lot of teachers that they have no way to add paid apps and thus are stuck trying to find free apps. My experience is that many free apps stink. They have many adds, require in app purchases to be useful, or are just junk. I tend to stay away from most free apps. So what are you to do if the district controls adding paid apps? My suggestion is to build relationships with the decision makers. Don't just ask for a bunch of apps, instead provide documentation and purpose for a few apps you would like to have. I know this process takes time and effort but if you can show the purpose and learning you have a much better chance. If you need lesson ideas I suggest checking out my Pinterest page, and three of my favorite Pinterest pages: iPadsammy, TechChef4u, and Sue Gorman. Look for apps and lesson ideas there and modify them to fit your standards and kids. If I was starting from scratch this is the $10 iPad app setup I would push for in my kindergarten classroom. (I will be posting a $20 setup later)"

"Dolphin Browser HD for iPad, the excellent alternative browser for the iPad, has been updated again today, to Version 3.0. This update adds polish to some of the unique features of Dolphin Browser HD - namely its webzine pages and its gestures that are used to access frequently visited sites."

If you have stacks of magazines that you never find the time to read, or dropped subscriptions because you never read the magazine (and grew tired of being pestered to renew as soon as you subscribed), then Longform is for you. To use a potentially dated print mag metaphor, Longform is a digital Utne Reader. Longform.org's editors choose articles for the Longform feed. A reader can add additional subscriptions to a wide range of publications including the New Yorker, Esquire, Businessweek, and the Atlantic to customize her feed. To use a potentially dated print mag metaphor, Longform is a digital Utne Reader. Longform.org's editors choose articles for the Longform feed. A reader can add additional subscriptions to a wide range of publications including the New Yorker, Esquire, Businessweek, and the Atlantic to customize her feed."

"Following last week's major release of iOS 6 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, Apple quietly rolled out Apple TV Software Update 5.1 for the second- and third-generation Apple TV. This latest update for Apple's set-top box builds on the user interface enhancements introduced earlier this year, adds support for the Shared Photo Streams feature introduced in iOS 6 and adds several other enhancements including improvements to AirPlay support."

Yes, you can clip from your ipad or iphone screen into Evernote using this handy app. "Once you're done clipping, hop back over to EverClip to organize your note. You can select any combination of the clippings to add to Evernote, rearrange them, add an additional photo or text note, then export it to your default Evernote notebook."

"SoundCloud, one of my top five alternatives to Aviary, has just released a nice update to their iPad and Android apps"

" Take a look at the RCA USB Wall Plate Charger, a gadget which does exactly what it says on the label. The charger is simple, and all the better for it. Round back is a standard 3-prong plug, which mates with any grounded socket in your or anybody else's home. On the front of the rather utilitarian-looking box is a pass-through three-pin socket and a pair of USB ports. One of these ports will supply 2.1 amps of juice to charge the thirsty iPad, or you can hook up two of any other USB-powered device."

Story Me is a free iPad app for turning your pictures into comic strips. Story Me provides more than a dozen layout options to which you can add pictures from your iPad's camera roll and or from your Facebook account. via Pocket

Story Me is a free iPad app for turning your pictures into comic strips. Story Me provides more than a dozen layout options to which you can add pictures from your iPad's camera roll and or from your Facebook account. via Pocket

"What is digital storytelling? Students can tell their story in a digital manner the same as they would orally or on paper. Digital storytelling is simply applying one's creative ideas in a manner that allows him or her to add multimedia (video, images, and audio) to their voice. "

"Since the beginning of September we have been trying to maximise the use of 1:1 iPods in year 6 in all areas of curriculum. The potential of enhancing teaching and learning in mathematics through the use of this technology has been particularly interesting. We have been developing the creative use of a range of Apps to support progress, engage children and add relevance to maths teaching with positive outcomes (10 Practical ways to use Apps in Maths) We have also explored a wide range of maths specific Apps which have helped pupils mainly in the areas of number fact and tables recall. (Apps for Maths) Recently we have extended the use of the iPods to allow them to support independent learning, and play a central role in effective formative assessment."

"Stylizing text with bold, underline, or italics in the iOS Mail app is easily done with the same tap-and-hold contextual menu that also allows you to select text, block quote, and insert photos. "

"Calendars help you keep track of what you're doing and when, which is why it's always been one of the core apps on mobile devices from the earliest PDA (personal digital assistants), to the latest iPhones and iPads. That why, when iOS launched in 2007, it included a Calendar app. Whether you simply use Calendar by itself, or whether you sync it via iCloud, Google Calendar, Microsoft, or something else, it's the default way to add and find appointments and events."

"Great apps for educators and some just for fun too! In true "smackdown" fashion we will continue to add the apps that we believe can be most helpful to educators as we discover them. So follow the boards and Get HappY!"