TechieTeacher5280

Adobe recently released a free new iPad app called Adobe Voice . If you use iPads with your students or for yourself, you should check it out! It's an extremely simple and user friendly presentation tool that is great for teachers and students alike. It has several different combined background/transition options, but not an overwhelming amount and has a nice little music library divided by theme/mood. Users can use the available graphics, upload photos, or add text to one of a few different slide formats, record audio for each slide, and either use the provided music or upload their own. It even has a few pre-made story structures, such as "Teach a Lesson", "Show and Tell", and "Explain Something". It also has a built in tutorial that walks you through how things work the first time you use it. No need to spend time teaching students what to do! Best of all, it's so easy to use, even a Kindergartner could use it! The only real downside is ...

It's hard to believe that March is already here! Did you know it's National Reading Month? To celebrate, Auryn, Inc . is giving away a free interactive reading iPad/iPhone app each day of March! Today's interactive book is by Dean Koontz . It not only reads to you "karaoke style", highlighting each word as it goes along, but also lets you record your own narration, write your own text, color in the pictures, and much more! Take advantage of this amazing promotion and download each free book daily! Be sure to get the full version, not the Lite one. This will be great for your primary classroom or your own children! I am downloading them myself even though my little munchkin is still 8 weeks away from being born. :) Check out the free book schedule below and don't miss out!

Well, it's been a while since my last post, but in my defense, I've started a new job...and created a new life! I'm pregnant! Very exciting, but the two combined keep me busy and exhausted! That said, I wanted to share some of my new discoveries around the use of iPads in the classroom. There's little doubt that instructional technology can transform learning. The tablet (iPad) is a powerful tool that allows students to access the Internet as well as use apps to support their learning. Ideally, the iPad should be used for more than just skill & drill. That’s not to say that you should never use it for this purpose, however this should not be the primary function of the iPad. iPads should be used to create, collaborate, research, differentiate, and explore! Avoid activities that could be easily done without an iPad; take full advantage of its power! Now, as those of you who have read my previous blog posts know, I started out as an iPad cynic . I started to co...

Recently I posted about my first impressions of the iPad for education and in general. As you may recall, I was underwhelmed. At the time, it seemed to have more down sides than up. I won't rehash that post here, but feel free to check out that post to see details . Since then, I attended an iPad and iPod in Education Seminar presented by Apple. To be honest, I went to the training with a fair bit of skepticism. Because this seminar was put on by Apple, I expected it to be an obviously biased presentation on the power of these tools in education, little more than a sales pitch. And while yes, there was some pitching, I have to admit that I was won over by the potential of tablets and became much more fond of the iPad I've been piloting. Two things increased my enthusiasm for the potential of tablets in education. The first was the data that the presenter shared with us from  Canby School District.   Students used iPods/iPads in a variety of ways. Some simply using them to ...

As iPads gain in popularity, those in education are looking at ways that the iPad may improve teaching and learning in the classroom. Our superintendent has placed iPads in the hands of several district employees to see if our district might want to add these tools to our arsenal of instructional materials. I was given an iPad to test out several months ago, and thus far, I must say I have mixed reviews. When I first received the iPad I was excited to try it out and see how it could help in my classroom. Honestly, I had debated getting one for personal use as well, so this was a great opportunity to take one for a test drive. I hit my first obstacle when I learned that the wireless network in our school reaches everywhere, it seems, except my classroom. Although the district is working to remedy this issue, this severely limits how I had hoped to use this tool in my teaching. As a result, I started researching apps that could be purchased that would accomplish the same tasks I'...

This past weekend, after months of research and waiting, I bought myself a new cell phone--though "cell phone" is really quite the understatement. This is really a handheld playground that happens to also be a phone. I have been with Verizon since I first owned a cell phone and was debating between their Droid Incredible, or switching to AT&T and getting the iPhone. I have a phenomenal old plan with Verizon and their reception in my area is far superior to AT&Ts, but I couldn't help but drool over the iPhone. However, after much research and talking to people who have owned both phones, I decided to stick with my carrier and get the Droid. Boy, am I happy! So far, this phone is amazing. It's extremely user friendly and there are tons of great free apps online. Two of my favorites that have educational uses are Google Skymaps and Trippo Mondo by Cellictica.