Our iPads are not fully loaded with apps, and since our
school hasn't set up an Apple Volume Purchase Program account yet, I make do
with what few free apps we have.
So far, I've been able to clock 20 days of iPad use in my
English Language Arts class. How have I
been using them? These are the apps and
activities I've used with my students.
1. Students used a sticky
note or mind mapping app for character analysis. Students could choose from ABC Lite, PoppletLite, iBrainstorm, iCardSort Lite (there used to be a free version), Stickyboard, Idea Sketch, Mindjet, and SyncSpace.
2. Students used
GoSoapbox.com to ask questions and to vote for the most thought-provoking
ones. They can also answer each other’s
questions. Additionally, GoSoapbox.com was
used to brainstorm different thesis statements for their upcoming essay. GoSoapBox events were set up for each thesis, and
students had to join an event to submit their supporting evidence. Lastly, they critiqued each other’s
contributions and had an opportunity to defend their choices if their quotes were
deemed irrelevant.
3. Students used
Edmodo to join or start a literary discussion on our current text. Soon, they were initiating discussions on
their own at home without waiting for me to assign a topic. (Update: In the fall of 2012, I switched to Schoology and never looked back. Read my blog on my experience with various learning management systems, and why I chose Schoology over all the rest.)
4. My students used
Kidblog to write app reviews, reflect on their readings, and explore
intellectual topics. A number of them
ended up writing more than double the amount of blogs assigned. These became my distinguished bloggers, and I
had the class vote for the coveted title of “Blogger of the Month.” I plan on awarding this title once a month.
5. Students also used
Nebulous Notes Lite to write responses to the literature we were reading. The integration with Dropbox was an added
plus since students could just upload their files to Dropbox. Because I set up a shared folder on the iPad,
everything they put in that folder would just instantly show up on my laptop or
iPad.
6. Students also used
Dropbox on the iPad to follow my presentation slides, access handouts I
created, and read speeches and poetry.
If my district’s network didn’t have such a rigid firewall, I could’ve also
used Idea Flight or Join Me for this purpose, but alas, I couldn’t. (Update, the Nearpod app is a great way for students to follow along a presentation. You can also add quizzes, polls, and drawings to elicit active participation.)
7. I used GoogleForms to ask questions for anything I wanted to know, such as their daily
technology use, their choice for “Blogger of the Month, how they felt about
using iPads in the classroom, etc. I
called it the “Student Pulse.” It’s a
great way to know what they think about anything relevant to their learning.
8. My students used
Socrative to take quizzes, polls, or answer questions. The “Exit Ticket” feature is great, and you
can get a spreadsheet of their responses emailed to you. Plus, you can randomize the questions on a
quiz!
These are just a handful of activities I’ve had the
opportunity to try with my students. Like
I said, without the AVPP account set up, our app collection is a bit sparse right
now. However, I feel that my students
have accomplished a lot in just 20 days.
Imagine what they can do if we could use iPads every
day.
Right now it’s just a dream of mine. But I hope to make that into a reality soon.
Update: As of the 2012-2013 school year, I began teaching in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Dreams do come true in schools after all.
Update: As of the 2012-2013 school year, I began teaching in a 1:1 iPad classroom. Dreams do come true in schools after all.
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