Content Objects for the Classroom

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I began my journey this week in looking for apps for the iPad.  Next year, all of our incoming freshmen will have iPads that were issued to them at the beginning of this year.  In order to prepare myself for what is to come and to make use of the technology that they will already be familiar with, I wanted to explore various apps to better teach my future students or if in the library, to better assist students and teachers with new ways to use this prevalent technology.



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The first one I came across is from iTunes called Good Reader.  This app ($4.99) is one that allows large PDF files to be read easily and there is a feature that allows for annotation.  What I find limiting on my iPad is the highlighting in yellow.  This app allows for many different colors.  I have my students highlight certain items in a book we study in different colors. 

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For example, characterization is orange, themes or lessons are yellow, figurative language is blue, etc.  This app would be perfect for that and it also allows the user to make personal notes throughout.  This app is one that I will be downloading for my personal use for sure.  There is not really anything I found that I did not like other than the fact that the students will have to purchase it in order to use it.  As a Title I school, this could pose a problem. 

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Another app I found that could be useful especially for struggling young readers is K12 Timed Reading Practice.  For $1.99 users are given short reading passages and they are timed to help practice fluency.  It is a way to make reading fun and more like a game.  Since our students are now STAAR babies and have to take end of course/year exams with a strict time limit, this could help prepare them for that with less stress.  The only thing that I did not like about it is there is no comprehension check at the end of the stories.  Reading fluency improvement is important, but without knowing if there is also comprehension, the app falls a little short.  Hopefully there will be a comprehension component added in the future.

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An app I discovered that would be very beneficial to high school student and perhaps middle school students in advanced courses is Sound Note.  With this app you can take notes and draw on your iPad while it simultaneously records audio as well.  What is great is that if a student misses a point or gets behind in the note taking process, they can tap on their notes where the gap is and the audio will fill in what they missed.  Notes can also be shared through email or downloaded to a computer.  If a student missed a class, they could easily obtain all the needed notes from a fellow student in the class.  As far as I can tell at this point, there is nothing lacking in this app and it could apply to any class.  It is an excellent idea and app!

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With today’s students lacking in background knowledge and a varied vocabulary, Wordfoto is an app that can help remedy this but with so much more interest than rote vocabulary.  It is like Wordle except there is a photo.  The student can type in words that describe, define, or are synonymous with the word.  It could also be used for creative writing.  Students could type in descriptive words to describe what they see, create words to use as poetry with the picture, etc.  There are vast possibilities for classroom use with this app.

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Stick Pick is one of my favorites for teachers.  It provides “cans” filled with virtual popsicle sticks with student’s names on them.  A stick is chosen at random and along with it there are Bloom’s question stems with a level of difficulty individualized to each learner.  Teachers are also able to rate each person’s answer from 0-5 and keep track of their scores and progress.  This app also keeps   teachers from asking the same students questions and also makes the level of questioning fit the learner whose stick is chosen.  Teachers can also create reports and send them to parents directly from the application.  Setting up the app for all the classes and students’ ability levels might be a bit time consuming.  That is the only drawback I see in the app, and I like that it can be used in any type classroom and any grade level.

To end this Tech Play 4, I wanted to also mention an article that I came across about a promising 17 year old young man named Alex Brick.  He saw the value of students and pocket PCs and began creating tutorials on the go with titles such as “Algebra at the Mall” so that students could receive tutoring no matter where they are or what times fit their schedule.  This young man is truly an inspiration and what a great idea!  Most of these applications that I have mentioned can be done in the same way. 

Some other uses for technology that I found while searching for the apps were different ideas that can be done now and with no cost to the student.  For example, if there is a unit that the students will be tested on, have them create a Power Point or Prezi in a small group to recap what they have learned and to serve as a review for the unit test.  They could also create a blog to use for creative writing or writing assignments and students could provide feedback much like we do in this class.  It could be a digital form of peer editing. 

There are so many positive ways that teachers can utilize technology to make learning richer and more fulfilling for both their students and themselves.  These are only a few of the many applications that are available to our students.  It is, however, up to us to locate and put them into place in meaningful ways.