A Useful Speech Impediment Aid

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/verbally-turns-ipad-speech-impediment-aid-disabled/

Verbally – Turn the iPad Into A Useful Speech Impediment Aid For The Disabled

This is an article that talks about a new free app called verbally that is for people with special needs.  This app can be used for people who have muscular dystrophy, apraxia, stroke victims and even ESL students.  The app has preloaded words and phrases that you can press and it says it aloud.  You can also type your own phrase or word and even add the preloaded words and phrases in with it.  When you want it to read your phrase, it will ask you if you want a girl or boy voice.  You cannot personalize the app which is a drawback but for a free app it seems very functional.  The app has a prediction feature which allows you to add your contacts and other personal information to create more accurate predictions.  It also includes a repeat button and a button that when pressed the words are spoken as you type.  The most useful feature could be the button that makes a chiming sound.  When somebody is not able to talk it gets others attention for them.  Overall I think this is an awesome app that can help many people.

The iPad for Teachers

http://www.techlearning.com/default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=533

The iPad for Administrators and Teachers by Vicki Windman

This is a blog that is different from the others I have looked at.  Instead of just how the iPad can improve students learning it tells us how the iPad can benefit the teacher.  There are many functions that the iPad can assist with including a grade book app and even a plan book app.  The teacher can make lesson plans on the iPad and add links to webpages and assignments.  They can use the grade book to track students’ attendance and grades.  There are other apps that enable you to read a pdfs.  You can use sticky notes to take notes and there is an app that lets you read and edit Google documents.  Another interesting app that the author talked about is the teacher assistant app that lets you track students behavior and other noteworthy things about the student.

I like how this website told what the teacher can use the iPad for in the classroom.  I would find having an iPad very useful when keeping track of student information such as grades and attendance.  I also think it would be great to make all your lessons using the iPad as your plan book.  It would keep everything in one place and easy to find and could be synced to a desktop computer. 

The iPad

http://www.ipadinschools.com/338/ipad-changing-schools/

The iPad is Changing Schools

This is an article about the ways the iPads are changing the way a classroom works.  It speaks of many pilot programs including one in Knox County that provides iPads to students.  These classrooms are using them for everything including taking notes and tests.  Some other ways the article mentions is to write papers and develop presentations.  I like the idea of using iMovie and other apps to make presentations but I am curious how students are writing papers on them.  The keyboard seems hard to type an entire paper on but maybe the next generation will be more adept to doing this. 

There are apps for pretty much anything you could want or need to do in a classroom. Teachers can use organization apps and students can use apps for subject content.  There are games to enhance their learning.  There are apps that help children with special needs and even apps to track health and fitness.  I think the iPad is a great resource in the classroom as long as the children are still learning collaboratively and given hands on experiences.  One of my concerns with them is the social aspect possibly being taken away from children and the possibility of the children venturing off to other apps and websites while the class is in the middle of a lesson.

Managing a Classroom Set of iPads

http://ipadschools.wikispaces.com/Managing+a+Classroom+Set+of+iPads

Managing a Classroom Set of iPads

This is a website about how to manage iPads in a classroom.  Students should each be given their own iPad that they grab from the charging station and return each day.  This will give the students ownership over their iPad and they should be taught how to care for the iPads.  The teacher should put screen protectors on them and even a case might be a good idea. 

This teacher suggests having one to two days practice with a new app and then all questions should not be asked during the lesson.  I like the ideas of having each student have their own iPad and the protective features for the devices.  I think it is too unrealistic for students not to be able to ask questions until after a lesson.  I feel like if the student got behind in the lesson because they could not figure out a feature on their iPad then they would stay behind and not understand the content.  As a teacher I want to integrate technology but my students learning the content is much more important to me.  This website gives an idea about setting up the iPads.  The teacher will need to open an iTunes account and add the iPads to the account and then download apps. 

Kindle Fire

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/education/the-kindle-fire-will-enable-the-next-generation-of-11-education-apps/4699

The Kindle Fire will enable the next generation of 1:1 education apps

This is another article on the Kindle Fire.  It mentions the how the Kindle is of a good size at 7 inches.  It is a perfect size for big and small hands and fits easily into bags.  It has traffic optimization which allows many Kindles to be used at one time.  I am not familiar with a lot of the technological vocabulary used in this article but it speaks a lot about the processor that the Kindle Fire uses.  I like that this article is so positive about the Kindle Fire and its features.  I also agree that the size of the Kindle Fire is better for younger children’s hands.  An iPad is so big compared to a child’s hands. 

The Amazon Kindle Fire

http://edudemic.com/2011/09/teachers-kindle-fire/

How The Amazon Kindle Fire Fits Into Education

This is an article about the Kindle Fire when it came out.  It talks about the specific features that the Kindle Fire contains. It does not have much storage but that is supplemented by the Amazon Cloud storage and it has to have a Wi-Fi connection for the internet.  The Kindle Fire uses the Android operating system and users have access to the android app market.  One comment the article makes about the apps available to the Kindle Fire is that they limit the apps to high quality and that do not contain offensive material.  If this is true, this is great for a classroom.

The Kindle Fire is really awesome and definitely has a place in the classroom.  I like the smaller size of the Kindle Fire compared to the iPad.  The Kindle Fire can be used by students as an e-reader and students can have access to many apps along with having internet access.  These could be used many ways in the classroom.

Kindle Change Education

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752572

Will the Kindle Change Education? 

While this is an older article about the Kindle, It still has many good points.  At this time the Kindle was the one of the few e-readers available and it was very expensive.  The kindle can be used to distribute books and reading materials to students even when multiple children would like to read the same book.  This means that for even a reading group of 5 children can all read the same book.  The Kindle also offers alternatives to books such as magazines that might entice children to read more. 

Another point I had not considered is that this would make students back packs lighter.  The Kindle also has a text-to-speech feature which would be beneficial for children with special needs.  I like that the teacher presented in this article noted that the Kindle was a resource and did not take over the classroom.  I do not like children sitting in front of any digital screen for long periods of time but I believe with good instruction this can be avoided.  Teachers can incorporate this technology in the classroom but the students still are involved in hands on activities and learning through experiences.

Textbook Rentals

http://allthingsd.com/20110718/amazon-tries-taking-the-kindle-to-school-again-with-textbook-rentals/

Amazon Tries Taking the Kindle to School, Again, With Textbook Rentals

This is a very short article on renting textbooks through the Kindle.  The textbooks are much cheaper this way but only available for a certain time period.  An interesting aspect is that you can see the highlights and notes after you have returned the book.

I really like that your notes will still be there after the rental expires.  This is something I had worried about especially for novels.  If a class has to read a piece of literature but the test is not for a few weeks than they will need to have their notes.  I think this program is mainly meant for college students but I am sure they could be used in all the grades.  Having the textbooks and the apps all in one device also would be a benefit.  I really like the idea of renting books for students and for myself.

Nook Tablet for an Elementary

http://www.maxextent.com/blog/evaluating-the-nook-tablet-for-an-elementary-school

Evaluating the Nook Tablet for an Elementary School

This is a review of the Nook e-reader for an Elementary school.  The school was contemplating whether it would be a good decision to buy a class set of 30 Nooks.  The school was trying to save money by not buying 30 copies of a regular book.  This author claims that digital versions of books are just as expensive as regular books so it they are not cost efficient.  This article goes on to explain that e-books are not as useful as presented.  Some books will read aloud but that is pretty much the extent of it.  This author was not impressed by Barnes and Noble’s presentation.  They apparently stated that these would be useful for the school because they introduce technology.  This author says that it is not good enough to have technology just because.  Although this article started off very negative, it does show some positive points.  Nooks and other e-readers are durable, some Nooks have internet access, Nook books can be used on other devises, and Nook has its own apps.  At the end of the article it eludes to the fact that the Kindle Fire is the better investment.

I do not have access to a Nook e-reader.  I understand that the Nook is mainly just for books and it is probable good for that but for a school I think the Kindle Fire would be the better choice.  I find it very interesting that this article states the exact opposite from the last article I read about the Nook as far as pricing is concerned.  I would find it interesting to compare the prices for e-books along with other e-reader’s books and regular books.  This article says that the Nook has apps for children but I wonder how many are available.  I personally prefer the android market and would be interested to see how the Nook apps compare.  If these were the schools only choice for an e-reader than I think they would be a great asset but compared with the alternatives they would not be my first choice.

E-reader Technology with Nook Club

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/2011/03/27/20110327gilbert-school-e-reader-nook-club.html

Gilbert school embracing e-reader technology with Nook Club

This article is about a principal and librarian who created a book club in an elementary school.  They gave several students a Nook for two weeks.  The students were able to take their Nook home and read electronic books bought by the school. The six grade students rotated with the goal that they each would read at least one electronic book by the end of the year.  When the first set of students was done with the Nooks, they trained the next group of students.  They hoped that by giving students this technology they would become interesting in reading.  The Librarian stated that the e-reader is not a substitute for books but just a way to motivate students to read.  According to this article e-books are cheaper than paperback books.  Also, because all the Nooks are on the school account the librarian only has to buy the book once for all the Nooks.

I like this Librarian’s view on e-readers.  I like that it is a motivational tool and not taking the place of actual books.  I see a huge problem with children staring at any screen for long amounts of time.  I feel that actual books are better for the children’s visual health.  I like the idea of the Nook club but would not like my child staring at any e-reader screen all day.  This librarian has the right idea I think.  Get the children interested in reading and then maybe they will enjoy all types of books.  I think this type of e-reader club would be a great asset to a school.  I also like that the e-books are cheaper.  I did not know that you only had the buy the book once per account.  This would make a class set very efficient.  I see that these are useful but still do not think they are better for children than actual books.

Earth

 I had heard of Google Earth but have never used it.  From what I have seen it is really interesting.  You can look at the oceans from the waters surface, under the waters surface or even explore the ocean floor.  Another feature Google Earth contains is the ability to look at maps from the past.  It shows what a location looked like decades ago.  The most interesting aspect I have seen is the feature to look at Mars.  You can see the surface of Mars and even see where scientist have explored using rovers and landers.  All the features that you can use on Earth you can also use on Mars including historic maps.  This program is full of surprising things you can do.  You can see the sun rise and set in certain locations even.

Google Earth can be a useful resource in the classroom.  The idea sheets give a lot of ideas for integrating it into your class.  One idea is to have students practice identifying states and countries.  Another interesting idea is to have students identify where they live and then write about their home life.  The students can then look at the map and see where there classmates live and how their home is like or different than theirs.  For older students, they can create an overlay for migration.  They can show how different people groups have moved and what the migration pattern is currently.  This idea is from the middle school idea sheet but I think it could also be adjusted for other grades.  This program can be used in so many ways and in all content areas.

One of the links I looked at was the Google Earth for Educators website.  This website has a lot of information for teachers to integrate this program into the curriculum.  It has many ideas for the various features such as having the students use the 3-D Building feature to look at famous architecture and even public landmarks.  It also gives ideas by content area and even lesson plans.  This website also shows some samples of student work and has a discussion forum.  Using Google Earth in the classroom is it a great way for the students to create experiences with the content area and to learn collaboratively.

Maps

I have used Google Maps quite a bit especially when travelling.  There are still several features that I have never used.  I have never used the traffic overlay feature where it tells you where the highest concentration of traffic is on on your route.  Another feature that I find very interesting is the ability to make your own maps.  You can create a route and even put in stops noted with icons or pictures.

In one of the lesson plans that I looked at,  the class used it for a math lesson.  They made a route and put in stops using pictures and captions.  At each location they noted how they encountered math and how they solved it.  This is only one of many ways that Google Maps can be used in the classroom.  This can be a very useful resource for a teacher and learning oppurtunity for students.

Images

I used Picasa to crop this picture.  I used the cropping feature and added a border to enhance the picture.  I also added a watermark to my picture sense it is a picture that belongs to me.  In my opinion the watermark is one of the most important features because you can say not to copy.  I take a lot of pictures and the watermark insures that it is accredited to me.  Between the watermark and changing the resolution so it is less desirable, it lessons the chance of somebody using your picture when uploaded to the internet.  Another feature that I found very useful is the image processing features.  You can change the colors and effects of your pictures such as negative, black and white, and soft focus.  It changes the entire look of your picture and makes it look more professional. 

I like using flikr to search for photography ideas but would rather use snapfish for my online photo gallery.  For my personal photography, I use Windows live gallery.  It is very similar to Picasa but I feel it is easier to use. I like that on my windows computer it was already downloaded and all my pictures automatically open in the windows live gallery.  I can then crop and customize before sending them to be printed at a store using the same program.  It works very well for what I need personally.

Sites

https://sites.google.com/site/mrsatchleys2ndgradeclassroom/

This is a class website for my fictional 2nd grade class.

Revised

Game-Based Learning

One game that I played is Game Goo.  I found this game very interesting.  It incorporated curriculum standards such as opposites, spelling, and poetry.  It is very colorful and easy to use. There are many mini games and each have a funny story that you use knowledge to help the character complete a task.  I think it would be useful for reinforcing these language arts standards and other skills for Elementary students.

Another game that I found useful, is Spelling City.  You can play different games but the main feature is to put the student's spelling words into the program.  You can then take a spelling test, vocabulary test, play games or use flash cards using your list of words.  I find this very useful for elementary students to practice their spelling words or vocabulary words. It comes up with sentences using the words and you can even print out handwriting worksheets.

Searching

On Google, there is an advanced searching feature which allows you to search more precisely.  This feature allows you to use search terms in various ways.  It gives you multiple boxes to specify which words or phrases must be in the result.  A feature that I find interesting is being able to specify reading level when searching.  If you are searching for an article for a 5th grade class to read, you can set the reading level to basic.  After you search it tells you what percent of the findings are in each reading level so if you can adjust it to get more results.

Using Google search engine you can search for images.  I have always been a little freaked out about this feature because of the possibility of images that appear being immodest.  I now know how to filter this using the advanced search option.  Along with a lot of other features it allows you to filter the images.  It also allows you to search for images that are black and white or contain a certain color.  This would be great to use for a class if you need something like an orange butterfly or a black dog.  You can also control for what region the image came from, type of image and size of the image.

Using Google custom search you specify the places that your students can get their information from.  I have this feature on many websites used to search within their website but did not realize how useful it could be in a classroom.  You can do the free version on your class website and then the students can search in a safer environment.

iPad Apps

Draw App

This app is very simple and gives you colored pencils and a place to draw.  It does have 3 games built in but you would not have to use them.  I like it because it is simple and can be used for multiple ages.  I would use this app as an evaluation tool by students drawing or writing there answers to questions and then holding them up.  Most  teachers use small whiteboards but I think this would be quicker and simpler.  The teacher can see if the class understands the concepts and which students need extra help.  Students could also use it to draw a part of a story or to predict what comes next in a book.

Leaf Snap

This app is really cool because you take a picture of a leaf and then it tells you what kind of tree it came  from.  It would take some training for the students to be able to use it but it would be great for students.  I would have students go outside and each bring back a couple leaves and then use this app to take a picture and figure out what kind of tree the leave came from.

Puppet Pals

This app lets you choose puppets and backdrops and record your movements to make a puppet show.  This would be a really cool app for all of elementary and even some of middle school students would enjoy it.  I like that the students can be creative and would help in language arts as well.  I would have students create a puppet show and then let them share it with the class.

Drawing

Using Google Docs Drawing feature is easy and seems very useful for children.  You can make drawings using shapes and lines and also insert text boxes and word art.  Using this program, you can upload pictures from your computer or from the Internet.  Students could upload a picture of their self even.  In the lesson plan, "Book Buddies,"  the students make a book using Google drawing and a painting program.  This is a great activity for elementary students to learn the sequence of a story and other language art concepts.

When studying a story, students can make a drawing about the story.  They could also make their own story using this program.  Students can work collaboratively in groups to create a drawing with the live editing that Google Docs features.  A teacher can use this program in multiple content areas.  It also has math equation symbols so it could be used for that as well.

Delicious

I found the Delicious website very easy to use.  It took only a few seconds to create an account and seems very useful to bookmark websites where they can be accessed anywhere there is Internet.  This website reminds me of pinterest where you pin websites instead of bookmarking them.  The basics seem to work very similar but Delicious is much more in depth.  When using the word clouds in the search feature things about actual clouds showed up and bookmarks referring to memory and media.

Google reader seems like a lot of information in one place which could be helpful or overwhelming.  I could see using this personally as a site to obtain news.  In a classroom, I could see looking at the website with the students but feel it is too much for them to really be able to do an assignment alone with.  In high school, I could see teachers using this website all the time.  They would be old enough to do assignments and projects based on this website.

Surprisingly the one I like the best is the library thing.  I love how you can find other people who are reading the same thing as you.  I think as a teacher you could get suggestions on good books to read to your class.

Forms

I found this very difficult to use.  Creating the questions and sending it was easy but getting it to self grade was very difficult.  I understand why it might be useful in a college course but as an elementary school teacher it does not seem as useful.  I might feel differently if I worked with it more.

I like how the lesson plan about graphing used the Google docs forms.  I like how the students just answered the questions and it made it into a graph.  This seems like it might be useful in a younger classroom used like this.

Gmail, Calendar, and iGoogle

A feature that Gmail has is that you can set up a filter.  When using the filter, you give it a word or phrase and tell it what you want done with those messages.  If you want all your mail from a teacher forwarded to a separate email address all you have to do would be set a filter up with the teacher's name and tell it to forward to a certain address.  Another feature that Gmail has is that you can add a label to messages.  When you are reading your emails, you can add labels on certain messages so they are easier to find later.

One feature that I found interesting with the google calendar is that you can get reminders text to your cell phone.  I use my phone way more than an actual computer so having my events text to me is an awesome feature.  Another feature that I found interesting was that you can use the calendar without the Internet.  It is only a read only version but at least you can still see your events,

I actually had an iGoogle homepage at one time and did not care for it but I can see its advantages for some things.  I like that you can add the different apps like the weather and even games.  A feature that I was not aware of is that you can get your email displayed on your iGoogle page.  This puts everything you need in one spot which is convenient.

Spreadsheet

When using the Google Docs Spreadsheet feature, I found it very similar to Excel.  It seems like you add data and formulas the same way which I found to be very easy.  I really like how you can use templates that other people have already made.  While I appreciate that more than one person can work on the spreadsheet at one time, it concerns me that the data can be changed.  I used to work for an organization that did parenting research and we had spreadsheets of our data.  We had procedures in place to prevent one person from messing up our entire spreadsheet of data so I can not imagine more than one person being able to change data at the same time.

In the lesson plan, "Introduction to Scientific method Marble Stacking Using Google Spreadsheets,"  the teacher used a spreadsheet for the whole class to put in there hypothesis, method, observations, and conclusions.  I like how this teacher projected the spreadsheet onto the screen so the students could see as they worked with each other.  I see myself using this kind of lesson plan when working with upper elementary students to learn math and science concepts. 

Browsers

I looked at Safari, Firefox, Google Chrome and Sea Monkey.  Firefox and Chrome both have tabs that are presented as soon as its opened whereas Safari and Seamonkey tabs have to be added by the user.  Chrome and Seamonkey both have only one bar for address and search.  Safari has two boxes one for search and one for addresses.  Firefox has two boxes but the address bar will search in google if you only type search terms.  Chrome has independent tabs so if flash crashes in one tab all your tabs don't crash.  According to Rachel, Firefox will slow your computer down because it uses a lot of memory.  Just while using it during class I observed that it is slower than Chrome and Safari.  Seamonkey also has a button on the toolbar to print which is a good feature if you print a lot directly from the Internet.  I also took a quick look at Sunrise and noticed that the favorites come up as a sidebar which I really like. Also, in Sunrise you can take a screen capture and save it to your desktop very easily.

Presentations

Google presentations is a really neat and easy way for students to make presentations.  It is different from PowerPoint because it has built in chat so students can work collaboratively.  It uses real time editing so students can not only work together but also edit the presentations along with the teacher.  Google presentations uses google images when searching for pictures to add to the presentation.  This makes adding visuals much easier and quicker than PowerPoint.  PowerPoint usually has to be purchased but Google presentations is freeware.  The downside is the presentations are only online so students will have to have access to the Internet to work.  From what I saw the presentation themes seem more basic than PowerPoint with less options.

In the middle school lesson, "Consumer Product Testing Experiment," the teacher used Google documents in many different ways.  The students created a survey, input data into a spreadsheet and then made a presentation.  This teacher let the students create a presentation instead of the teacher making a presentation.  The students were given directions to use colors, percentages and charts.  The students used words and visuals in there presentations.

Keyboarding

http://www.typing.madefun.net/nacvik.php
This website works pretty well except the last of every line messed up and the results were not in English.  This could be a pretty big drawback when trying to teach students to type.  The results would not be accurate or easy to read.  This website is free to use which makes it a great resource for students. It goes through many variations of the letters which would help students get familiar with the keyboard.

http://www.freeonlinegames.com/
This website had many games on it.  I played a game called farm defender that is designed for children. The game was about typing individual letters quickly.  I also played a game call trash typer.  This game was about typing entire words but seems to be very relatable to the student's lives.  The games on this website do not seem like they would be suitable for beginners but I think after students have the basics they will be a great resource for them.

http://www.typingmaster.com/individuals/bubbles.asp
This website contained a game called bubbles.  This game uses a very common theme for children (fish: Nemo) to make typing fun.  Many children will be able to relate to this game and would love to play this game.  The purpose of the game is to type single letters to pop the bubbles.  This would help students familiarize their self with the keyboard by them playing a game that is fun.

Documents

Google Docs is a lot like other word processors but with the benefit of being able to have more than one person working on a document at one time.  This can benefit a teacher in many ways.  If your students are working in groups, they can each work on the same document at the same time.  Also, teachers or peers can edit students work immediately.  Teachers can even see how students are doing on their work as they are working rather than wait for the work to be turned in and then realize that the entire class did not understand the assignment.

Google Docs also has the capability of chatting with others.  If students are editing each others papers, than they can chat with each other about what needs to be changed.  You can also collaborate on a document by sharing the document with someone else.  They then will be able to edit the document.  Many people can work on the same document at the same time.  This will work great in the classroom when doing group work and having students edit each others work.  I think the collaborative feature will be a great benefit in the classroom.

I looked at several lesson plans that used Google Docs.  In one lesson plan, the teacher had each student make a website with Google Docs.  I like that Google Docs is not just typing documents but rather can be websites or various projects.  This teacher used Google Docs in a way that let the students  create which according to Bloom's Taxonomy is high level of thinking.  In another lesson plan, the teacher uses Google Docs for students to make predictions and respond to they book they are reading as a class.  This enables the students to work together but each share their predictions and ideas.

Mac

I have been a computer user my entire life.  I had a computer in my home even as a small child.  I have primarily used Windows with very minimal Mac experience.  I learned that the Mac track pads can be used almost like the touch screen of an iPad. You move your fingers up to go down and down to go up. It is like you are grabbing the screen and pulling it up or down.  I also learned that you can zoom in using the mouse even if your zoom is not on.  Also, the Mac features full screen apps.  I had never seen this feature before.

Blog

In the blog, Practical Theory:  A View from the Classroom, the author talks about effective teachers.  He discusses characteristics of a good teacher such as using students' inquiry.  He also discusses how good teachers make students feel empowered.