Digital Storytelling with: Adobe Slate

The app I used for this project was Adobe Slate. This app is free and extremely easy to use! I plan on using this in my future classroom and would recommend it to others. This is the easiest app I’ve used when it comes to adding pictures or text. You really don’t need a tutorial this app is so easy to use, which is great for teachers because we like things that are simple, but work effectively. I like how you can choose which theme you want, so it works with any project you have to complete.

This app can be used to create book presentations or presentations about the author or genre. It definitely beats Powerpoint and it has a nice, sleek look. I used it to tell about Gary Paulsen and some of the novels he has written. This can be used as an introduction to a lesson I am going to teach. You could do this with any author and add their biography and/or famous works. Students can also pick out important themes from a novel and make a presentation about the theme/meaning of what they just read.

Having my students make one before I teach a lesson seems like a good idea. They could get basic background information and it would get them ready to learn more about the topic. This app is engaging and a great way to get students excited about learning. I chose this app over the others because I thought it worked the best, was easiest to use, and I liked the design the best on Slate.

I had a great experience using this app and it was simple. This app enhances a normal presentation and drastically improves it. I can’t find any faults with the app, everything works nicely! There is a wide variety of things you can do with this app. You really could use it to present just about anything. I will be using this in my future classroom and I believe it could work at any grade level because it is easy to use. You could also use it with subjects other than English. Students make one about an important historical event, a famous scientist, and many other topics.

Here is the url for my digital story on Gary Paulsen, in case you want to view it online.

ThingLink in Education: Gary Paulsen

For this project, I used the app ThingLink to create a biography and introduction to Gary Paulsen. This app is free, available on iTunes, the Thinglink Website, and it is fairly easy to use. I had a little trouble using it at first, but I figured it out quickly. I can see myself using this in my future classroom. This would be a good get-to-know-you tool at the beginning of the year. I can make one and have my students create one. I like this as an alternative to standing in front of the class and talking about yourself for a couple minutes. Students can add photos and videos of themselves, family, friends to show everyone. They can also use this to show what they did over the summer and give a short biography of themselves.

I do like the fact that the app is free because I don’t see myself paying for it. It is good for short introductions, whether that’s at the beginning of the year and I have students make them, or if I make one to introduce a topic. I made this one to introduce Gary Paulsen because he is a popular young adult author. If I teach middle school, I will probably have students read one of his books, or at least present them with that option. I thought the app worked well for this purpose, the students will know who/what I am talking about and I can use the links and image to introduce our next topic. I am honestly not sure what else I would use the app for besides an introduction. I know it can be used for other purposes, but I think there are better apps out there for bigger projects and presentations.

I found a tutorial for teachers to use, so they can use ThingLink in the most efficient way in their classroom. This comes straight from the ThinkLink website and it teaches you how to create accounts, how to use the app, and how to manage your students’ accounts, among other things.

The second tutorial I found is a YouTube video on how to use ThingLink. in under five minutes. This video goes step-by-step to show you how to use the app and all the different things you can do with it.

One way to use ThingLink is to have an interactive book talk. You take a picture of one book or a group of books, with similar topics/themes. Then add links to recorded booktalk. You can also have the students create audio ads or video booktrailers for each book and then link it to the cover. I like this because it allows students to learn more about each genre of book and it is an interactive project. Another idea was to take a photo of your classroom and send it to parents/students. They can get a peek at what your classroom is like. I think this is a good idea because it is important to keep parents involved and showing them your classroom can help get them involved. You can also provide a virtual tour of your school, which can be put on a school website. This can come in handy if a student decides they might transfer to your school; they get a tour before they actually arrive in person.

Overall, I think this is a good app to use and I will use it in my classroom. It does engage students and is a creative alternative to some projects. I think it is definitely worth researching and viewing some tutorials to see everything the app can do.

Using Apps in the Classroom: Tag Journal Lesson Ideas

Staying organized with notes and engaging students can be two difficult tasks as a teacher. The course I read on iTunes U has an app that can help you do both. Tag Journal is an app that allows students to take notes, for any subject, and it keeps those notes together. You can divide them by category, but all the notes will be in one app. I would have liked this as a student, instead of carrying around a notebook for every class, you have one iPad and an app that has just about everything you need. The app also has lesson plan ideas, which I believe students will find fun and engaging. I grew up enjoying school, so if something wasn’t relevant, I usually didn’t mind. I enjoyed learning. This is not how all students feel, but the app allows teachers to make learning relevant and engage students.

This post is about Tag Journal Lesson Ideas and you can find it under the iTunes U app, then click on the link that says “For Educators.” Once there, you can scroll down to “Using apps in the classroom,” and you have 18 courses, or iBooks, to choose from. The iTunes U app is free, along with all the iBooks and resources it provides. The apps in the classroom collection is just what it sounds like; resources for learning how to use apps in different classroom settings. There are many apps discussed, for all grade levels and subjects. The course I chose is titled: “Tag Journal Lesson Ideas” and right above this title it says, “Apps in the Classroom.”

Out of the 18 courses, my three favorites are Quality Writing through Quality Talk: Verbalization to Improve Writing, Explain Everything Lesson Ideas, and Tag Journal Lesson Ideas. These courses demonstrate how to use apps for screencasting and interactive whiteboards, which is very useful in a flipped classroom or for a sub. I really like how all the courses break down the ideas by grade level and subject, it makes things easy to find when you want to narrow your search for your specific class. These courses show great apps for enhancing education and getting students excited about learning. They are highly engaging and make students want to learn. They won’t even feel like they are learning because the apps are so engaging and fun to use. Many of the apps are visual with good graphics, so students won’t get bored.

The Tag Journal app was created to help students keep a journal and capture important moments. It costs $2.99 and I think it’s worth the money. The app allows students to take notes in class, record life events, thoughts, and ideas through text, photos, voice recordings, and short videos, plus more. Students now have a new way to document their learning, show their learning, and apply it to their lives. I like that the app can be used for any subject and it has many purposes. This makes it more convenient because all subjects can be at the students fingertips and it will be well-organized. There is no more switching apps when you switch classes. The app can be a field journal, lab notebook, and writing journal. Students can also reflect on events in their lives and connect them to class. One of the main keys to getting students excited about learning is to show that what they’re learning is relevant and this app helps do that. To get even more personal, photos can be added to the app.

One lesson plan idea is to use Tag Journal to create travel guides. Students can research and write about their neighborhood/hometown and write about things that would interest tourists. They can highlight points of interest, local business, and community resources, including photos, maps, and videos in their project. I like this project because it can help with multiple skills. Students can learn the history of their town through talking to local business people and doing research. Doing this will help them improve their research skills that can be used in other classes and later in life. Students can share their finished project with the school and possibly even the Chamber of Commerce in their town. This project focuses on research and writing skills, which are very important. You can even add math if you talk about how long some of the town’s amenities have been around and if you include prices of the activities.

The other project mentioned was to have students write about daily life and connect it to classroom concepts. Students will have to think deeply to make these connections and reflect on what they have learned. Being able to think about their learning and make connections will show that students really understand what is being taught and they know that it is relevant. It is important to make sure students know why creating a journal is important and that they know how to effectively create one. Writing in a journal everyday will help the students start thinking about their education and its connections to real life. When the assignment is over, you can make a class T-Chart showing “What We Learned” and “Connections.” Each student can add a couple entries and then there can be a class/group discussion about what was learned through this process.

I really enjoyed this course and I love the app, Tag Journal. I plan to use this in my future classroom and would recommend it for others to use. I believe it is highly important for students to understand that what they’re learning is relevant and it will help intrigue them to learn more. Projects are a great way to get students interested in learning and engage them. This app does a great job of doing both.

iMovie Trailers: Spooky Shakespeare Grammar

In case the video doesn’t play for some reason, here is the link to youtube: Shakespeare

The iMovie app is awesome! It allows you to create videos that are the same quality as a movie theatre. The app costs $4.99 and is worth every penny, in my opinion. I used the trailer feature for this video and I like all the options that come with it. You can choose from different settings and upload your own photos and videos. I also like that trailers are preset lengths because I can see assigning a project for students and having them go way over the required time because they are having a good time using it and learning. This app definitely enhances the video experience and I will use it in my future classroom.

This app lets students get hands-on with their learning. They can make a video of anything and add it to this app. I think it is a great tool to use for interviewing someone or reenacting a scene from a book or play. Allowing students to use this will get them engaged in their learning and it won’t even feel like learning. This app can be used in any subject area and with just about any grade level. I thought the app was easy to use and very customizable. I created a trailer to introduce a unit on Shakespeare/grammar. This is more intriguing than me standing at the front of the class announcing what the next unit will be. Students will have fun making and watching these videos.

I like how you pick a setting and then customize everything to fit exactly what you need. I can see myself using the movie feature in high school classrooms for sure and even middle school. I think a trailer would be easier for grade school just because they are shorter. Another feature I like is that the app not only lets you save the video, you can go back and edit a saved video if you need to. Some apps won’t let you change a finished project once you save it and this can be frustrating. It is also extremely easy to load to YouTube and share with others.

Overall, I was impressed with this app and the quality of video it had. I will be using this in my future classroom. It is an easy app to use and can benefit so many students. Students could use this to make a presentation, do a book report, interviews, and so much more. I highly consider checking this out if you make any videos at all in your classroom; it definitely beats the tools I used to make videos in high school.

Interactive Whiteboards & Screencasting, My First Screencast!

My first screen cast: Diagramming Sentences

I chose to use the app Educreations for my screencast. This is free and it is a quality app. It is very easy to use and I plan on using this in my future classroom. I like the idea of a flipped classroom and I think students can have a greater benefit from flipped classrooms. This app definitely makes flipping a classroom easier. By flipping a classroom, I believe students are better able to learn the material because they don’t have to rush through it. They can watch these videos however many times they need to, so they understand the material. I like that students have more time to go at their own pace. This also gives the teacher more time to focus on what the students really need help with and it is more effective.

The downside of the app is that the free version is limited. If you pay $11.99 for one month, or 99.99 for a year, you get more out of the program. Personally, I wouldn’t pay for it, unless I knew I would use it often, or if I had a flipped classroom. If you don’t want to entirely flip your classroom, you can use this app and make videos of lessons when you have a sub. This way the students hear your voice and see you explaining everything and they can listen to it later, if needed. I like this idea because things can get crazy with subs and classes don’t usually learn to their full potential when subs are there.

I really like how the microphone feature works on this app. You can start writing/drawing, then turn the microphone on to record you. You can turn the microphone off if you want to erase or change your writing. When you turn the microphone back on, it picks up where you left off and there are no pauses or awkward silences. You also don’t feel like you have to talk the whole time to fill space while you write, so the lesson becomes more concise. You can save drafts or save final videos when you are done. Everything is straightforward and easy to use, which is another aspect I love about this app.

Overall, I was impressed with the app and will continue to use it. I would encourage you to check it out if you have a flipped classroom or are thinking about having one. It really does make life easier, which is something all teachers appreciate.

Comics in the Classroom

I used the app Make Beliefs Comix to create a comic demonstrating proper listening techniques. Students need to know the traits of active listening so they aren’t disruptive while the teacher is giving a lesson. This comic is a good way to help with classroom management and it tells students the expectations you have for them, but in a fun way.

I thought this app was easy to use and it is free. Comics bring fun into the classroom and are a good alternative to other forms of presentations, like posters. Comics can get a message across, in a creative way, and they are fun to make. Students are more engaged when making a comic than when writing and pasting things to a poster board. Kids need a chance to be creative and comics can do that. I see myself using this app in the future. There are many comic apps out there, so you can pick the one that works best for your class. I will stick with this app because it’s easy to use and free, but I would consider changing if I used comics often in my class and needed something that could do more.

I like the feature on this app that allows you to go back and edit a saved comic. I think this will come in handy, especially with students if they make a mistake or just want to change something. It is better than having to start over from the beginning. I think the app has a good selection of characters and you can change their facial expressions, which is neat. The one downside is I would like the panels to be a little larger, it’s hard to fit multiple characters. I know each panel shouldn’t have a ton of characters but it seems pretty packed to me, if you have three characters and a couple word/thought bubbles.

Overall, I really enjoyed using this app and I will definitely integrate it into my lesson plans. The word bubble only allows so many letters to be used, which can help students condense their writing. Being able to condense your writing is an important tool and this comic really helps with that aspect of writing.

Week 10 Reflection: Tech Edge in the Classroom

The first Tech Edge video I watched was about reading expository text and apps to help students with this type of reading. Tech Edge videos are great and they have information I can definitely see myself using in my future classroom. These videos are free and available on iTunes and YouTube. The videos demonstrate awesome apps that can enhance the learning experience and they show apps for every subject and grade level, so all teachers and students benefit.

The app I chose from this video is Flipboard. It is your own personal magazine, where you can read stories and see photos and videos on any topic that interests you. The app creates a magazine for you based on what you like to read and follow. There are many stories to read and you can save them for a later reference. You can read actual magazines like The New York Times and PEOPLE magazine from this app. If you choose, there is a capability to connect to social media and view what your friends have on their Flipboard. This is a free app. I like this app because it can get students motivated to read and it can be used at any grade level because of the wide range of options to choose from. Many students dislike reading because they can’t choose the topic or they don’t think it’s relevant. Flipboard is a way to show students how reading is relevant and important. This app will engage students and help them enjoy reading. Teachers can even have students pick a story and do a report or some type of assignment on their choice. I will introduce this to my students for sure, and I plan on using it as part of a lesson in the future.

Tech Edge: Episode 147, Expository Text Apps

The app from this video is called A Novel Idea and it is a great tool for brainstorming and coming up with a plot for your story. It has a list of items, such as novel, scene, character, location, and idea, that can be edited and gives students a good foundation for their story. They simply start typing next to each word, or part of the story, and that begins their creative process. For example, next to the word “scene” the student can add the time, plot type, description, and tension level. The app is free for the brainstorming, but it offers an in-app purchase that allows you to sync between devices, export to YouTube and email, among other things. I think this would be a beneficial app to have as a teacher. Students can use it to start thinking about their stories and get an idea of what they want to write about. Starting the story is the hardest part for many students and this app lets them put ideas down and change/add to them as they progress. It starts off at a very basic level with the setting and characters, and students can continue adding and create an entire story. This app is great for students who need help getting started writing and since it allows the story to continually progress, it will work for all ages. Younger students can use it at a basic brainstorm level and older students in high school can use it to create entire stories that are multiple pages long.

Tech Edge: Episode 130, Advanced Writing Apps

This video showed apps that help organize your classroom library and keep track of which students have checked out a certain book from you. I think this can be useful, especially for English teachers because they tend to have a large collection of book in their classroom. As a future teacher, I plan to have my own classroom library and allow students to check out books from me. The app I liked best was Book Manager, which allows you to create a list of books you own, a wishlist for future books, and it had a feature where you put the barcode in front of the camera and it adds the book that way. This is easy because you just take a picture of the barcode and the book is added, you don’t have to type in every title. You can also type in where you store the book, so you know where to look if you can’t find it. The feature that would benefit teachers the most is the “loaned to” section because you can see which student is borrowing the book. I think this app is a neat idea and it could really be used for a school and personal library to keep track of every book you own. If I ever decide to keep track of who I loan a book too, I will definitely use this app.

Tech Edge: Episode 112, Classroom Library

One Best Thing: If Shakespeare Could Tweet: Transforming Literature with iOS

The One Best Thing iBook I read was from a teacher in New York, titled: If Shakespeare Could Tweet: Transforming Literature with iOS. The book was about using technology to help students understand Shakespeare’s plays. As a future teacher, I will eventually be teaching Shakespeare at some point and I thought this book had valuable information to use. It gave suggestions on apps to help students understand the older literature and help them take notes as they read. The iBook also integrated social media, which forces students to think like the actors in the play and to condense the meaning of a long monologue. This iBook, as well as many others, is free.

One app mentioned was Shakespeare In Bits. This app translates individual lines, gives study notes for each section, has plot summaries and analysis, tells about cast biographies and relationships, among other things. I like this app because it is free and is a much better alternative to Sparknotes. The app has accurate information and students can listen to the play being read aloud. While students should always read the play in the original form, this app is a great study tool and can help if a student is confused or has a question. I see myself using this app because I would rather have my students use a reliable source that I have given them, than search for answers on the internet.

iAnnotate and Notability are two more apps presented that can be handy study tools. iAnnotate costs $9.99 and Notability costs $3.99. The apps are very similar, so I would recommend researching them to see which one you would use more, before making a purchase. These apps allow students to mark right on the text, they can manipulate the text to annotate and personalize their own version. You can insert stage directions or notes on vocal inflection and the annotated script can be emailed to teachers and/or posted to a blog for feedback. These apps are great note-taking tools and students can highlight certain sections or write a question for referencing later. I would encourage my students to use these because many people do better when they can highlight and annotate text. It helps the student get a better understanding of what is being said and they will be less frustrated with the text.

I also like the idea of using Facebook and Twitter to help students understand Shakespeare. Both are free and can get students interested in the lesson. Twitter can be used to tweet the core message of a soliloquy and being confined to 140 characters means the students must understand what is going on and be able to focus on the meaning. You can ask students a question about someone’s line or action in the play and have the students tweet and answer. There is also the option of having your students create a Twitter or Facebook account as one of the characters. I thought this was an interesting idea because the students would have to think like the characters and they could tweet or post from the point-of-view of a character. They can also respond to each other’s posts. This idea engages the class, making the learning fun, all while making sure everyone understands what the play is about.

I found some very useful information in this iBook and I will be integrating it into my future classroom. There are great app ideas to help students understand Shakespeare, which is beneficial because so many students struggle with his writing, I know I did at first. I like how this iBook not only mentioned apps that can be used, but also demonstrated how the apps can be used. There were apps to help students while reading, apps for discussion/assignments, and apps for final projects. I highly recommend reading this iBook and I will be referencing it as I create lesson plans.

Inspiring Ideas for Teachers: Book Reports

I had to do some type of book report just about every year I was in school and they always seemed the same. We would read a book and then make a poster, write a paper, or do something to show we understood the book. I didn’t have a problem with the assignments because English was my favorite class, but I know many kids dislike book reports. Book reports are just a normal part of English classesand I know I will assign them in my classroom. The key is to find a way to intrigue students and make them enjoy the assignment.

The course I found on iTunes U shows how to liven up book reports and gives students options with their learning. The app and each of its courses come free, which is great because there are so many resources. You must have the iTunes U app to find the course, then you tap on the “For Educators” icon. This takes you to a page with multiple categories to choose from, you need to pick the one that says Inspiring Lesson Ideas. You can now select from different subjects and grade levels. The course I chose says “Middle School Language Arts” on the cover and “ESL Book Reports” below.

The Inspiring Lesson Ideas has 30 courses to choose from. My three favorites are Secondary Language Arts; Of Mice and Men, The Graphic Novel, and Middle School Language Arts; ESL Book Reports. Of Mice and Men has lesson plans for an in-depth study of the novel, it goes beneath the surface to get kids engaged, and there are activities using social media and iMovie. The Graphic Novel introduces students to this genre, using imagery to help students with understanding and creativity. It also has a lesson where students create their own graphic novel.

ESL Book Reports has 23 creative assignments students can use for their book reports. The three parts of a book report are: summary and personal opinion, character analysis, and the creative assignment. The first two parts are typical for any report and they are the more mundane sections. Part C is where students can begin getting really creative and having fun. Parts A and B are meant to be “traditional” part C is for enthusiasm and it gets the students using apps. The course even has a list of suggested apps to help the students. It also says the assignments don’t have to be digital, but it helps make the reports fun. The end goal is for students to show they read the book, prove they have thought deeply and made a reflection, and finally that they ultimately understood the assignment.

One option for the creative assignment is for students to make a travel leaflet, having tourists visit the setting of the book. They can include different activities for tourists to attend, talk about the people they would meet (the characters in the book), and many other options. I like this idea because it makes students think outside the box. They have to go to a setting and time period in which they have never lived and tell people why they should visit. It makes students come up with creative answers and use their imagination. This idea definitely enhances the quality of the book report. It can also help with a history class because they have to research the time period and find relevant information to help the report.

I really like this course and the information is valuable. I can see myself using this in my future classroom. I learned some useful information that can turn away the negative connotation a book report typically has. I think the students will also enjoy doing something more creative and they will learn more.

Week 7 Blog Reflection: 15 Unique and Creative Ways to Use iPads in the Classroom

This blog has great ideas for using ipads to teach. The ideas are creative and they can make learning fun and engage students. I like this post because it gave ideas to teach concepts in a new way, it gives the students freedom to choose what they want to do, and it is also more interactive than a typical lecture and note-taking classroom. I believe lessons could be more beneficial/relevant if teachers used more of these tools in the classroom because kids would enjoy learning more. Students would enjoy these projects and have fun, so it wouldn’t necessarily feel like learning. Students learn more when they can interact with the material. While lectures might work for some things, it is better to learn in a way that doesn’t involve a teacher constantly lecturing.

123D Catch is an app that can make any picture you take 3D. It transforms pictures into interactive 3D models and allows you to share the photos with anyone. All you have to do is take a picture of something from multiple angles and the app does the rest. The pictures can be shared through various forms of social media and if your school has a 3D printer, you can print out your creation. I think this app would work best in a journalism class and it’s free, so I think it ‘s worth trying. I would do more research before I used it to make sure it would be beneficial and not just waste time. I like the idea of the app and it allows students to be creative with their photos and make their own personal creations.

Another idea this blog had was to use the iPad as a game show-style soundboard. This can make reviewing a concept more interesting than studying notes or flashcards. The app suggested was Game Show Sound Board, which allows sound effects to be used and it has built in timers with varying speeds, so students can’t take forever to answer a question. There is also a scoreboard for two teams, if you want to have a class competition. I think kids in grade school would have more fun with this app because of the sound effects, but it could be used at any level. It is a free app, so you wouldn’t lose anything by trying it out. I want to do more research before I use it because it seems like a good app to have, but there could be something similar out there that works better. I do think it would be fun to have students review material in a game show fashion and this app does bring everything to the modern age where things are digital, rather than writing the answers and points on a white board.

The best app for me in this blog was Green Screen by Do Ink. This app lets students record videos or add still images; students can create their own video, or use prerecorded videos, photos, and art. I can see myself using this in my future classroom. Students can act out a play or novel they read, or just one section if there isn’t time for the whole story. This can be used to teach other students about a topic and for presentations. You can create something that is two minutes long, or create a full video if you choose. The app costs $2.99 and it might be hard to find another quality app at a cheaper price. This app allows you to add your own music to the background and the videos can be shared on YouTube and other social media. I think students would have a great time making their own video and they can customize it however they choose.

This blog had good ideas for making the classroom more engaging and I believe students would enjoy using these tools and benefit from them. I would want to research before selecting one, to make sure I was getting the best deal. The Green Screen app was awesome and there are many ways to integrate that into any classroom. I think kids in all grades would like it, but the younger students would probably have more difficulty using it.

Callie Windholz

Aspiring English Teacher