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My Most Used iPad Apps and Links List

September 6, 2010 iPad, Lists 1 Comment

I must say that I enjoy reading other bloggers’ “favorite iPad apps lists”. I usually check some of their apps out and end up with some gems, I would have otherwise not found.

Below you will find a screenshot of one of my screens which houses the icons/apps/links that I most frequently use.

GoDocs

GoDocs syncs with ALL my different Google Accounts, when connected to wifi. It allows me to view my docs also offline. Unfortunately still not able to edit the docs. I am hoping that will come in a future update. The interface is great. Nice view of Google Presentations and Spreadsheets. Very convenient for me as I am walking around school and need to reference and share with teachers or students from my Google Docs.

Google Calendars Client

I really had issues viewing my various Google Calendars via Safari on the iPad, until I found this app. I can add my various Google Accounts and calendars that are shared by others with me. I can toggle them off and on, just like on a computer and add, drag and drop them on- and offline. This app has been VERY handy as I am walking the halls at school and get stopped by teachers or administration in order to make or change a meeting time.

Delicious

This is a simple shortcut bookmark icon to my Delicious account, so I have faster access to my bookmarks

Delicious Save

Since I have not found a specific Delicious App, I bookmarked the “Add a Link” page on my Delicious account, so, when I want to add a link, I can simply copy and paste.

Langwitches Blog

Simply a bookmarked icon to get me fast to the Langwitches Blog.

Around The World With 80 Schools

Simply a bookmarked icon to get me fast to Around The World with 80 Schools site

Curriculum21 Ning

Simply a bookmarked icon to get me fast to the Curriculum21 Ning.

Shelfari

Simply a bookmarked icon to get me fast to my Shelfari account.

Twitter Times Langwitches

Simply a bookmarked icon to get me fast to the TwitterTimes Langwitches page.

Flickr

Simply a bookmarked icon to my Flickr PhotoStream

iBooks

My e-reader for book purchases through iBooks

Kindle

My e-reader for books purchased via Amazon.

Social (Facebook)

After having looked at my Facebook page for months with the small iPhone app that was only available, I am happy with this newer app to view and interact on Facebook.

Twitter

I have two Twitter apps (Twitter and Twittelator) on my iPad, since I have not decided which one I like best. This app seems to pull more than the 20 latest tweets at a time. Not sure yet,  if I like the sliding parts when you click on links or profiles within a Tweet.

WordPress

I use this app frequently to delete Spam comments that have made their way past my Spam protection plugins. I have not used it much to actually write posts. I don’t like that when I start drafts, they do not synch with my drafts folder when I get back to my laptop….or maybe I just have not figured out how to do that.

InstaPaper

This app collects website links to be able to read later on-or offline. Very helpful, since it is integarted with the Reeder App, I use to sync my Google Reader RSS

List n’ Do

Great app to create To Do lists with  due dates. I like that it has subtasks and plenty of space to type in notes for each task.

iThoughtsHD

iThoughtsHD is actually the most favorite app on this list for me. I have started using it to

  • take notes and meetings
  • notes as I am reading through books
  • outline for blog posts
  • outline for conference presentations and workshops

NoteTaker HD

I found this app to work well for me, if I want to take quick handwritten notes. I have gotten used to using my Stylus pen. This app allows me to jot down notes, organize them and email them if I wish too. I have also used this app to take notes at meetings and really enjoy not having to lug around my laptop to be able to have digital notes.

GoodReader

Finally, I have one place to store, manage and access all my pdf files. This app makes it a pleasure to work and view pdf files. I am able to download web based pdf files, by simply paste URLs of them into the app, then file them away into folders. The app makes viewing pdf files very attractive and  as easy as looking through a book. Very nice. I have added all my How-To-Guides and Teaching Units that I have created for Langwitches. I am able to access them in one convenient place as reference when I am talking to teachers in my building or at workshops and conferences.

Twitterlator

This is my second Twitter Client. I really like the interface of  Twitterlator. One of the downsides is that it downloads the last 20 Tweets and it is not easy to get to older tweets in my timeline. I used this app, when I was tweeting from a conference and really liked to how easy it was to insert the conference hashtag. It made “fast and furious” tweeting easy :)

Reeder

Absolutely love this app to sync my Google Reader subscriptions. Since I started using the app, I can actually can stay on top of my subscriptions. It allows me easily to skim over new items, star interesting ones and the most useful part of this app for me is, that I can

  • copy the link location
  • directly save to my Delicious account
  • save to my Instapaper account
  • send the link to Twitter
  • e-mail the post or link

All without having to leave the app. This integration allows me to organize, save and disseminate resources to my network.

What are some of your favorite/must have apps on you iPad? Please share.

Web-based Activities & Resources for Elementary School Students

May 19, 2009 Links, Lists 8 Comments

Here is a growing list of interesting sites to explore for elementary school students. Please add any favorites of yours in the comment section.

Elementary Learning Sites

  • Learning your Alphabet
    Help a monkey shake coconuts out of the tree
  • Count Us in Games
    Games designed to help children understand basic number concepts
  • Between the Lions
    Get Wild about Reading
  • English & Math & Science
    from BBC
  • Early Reading Skills
    Educational Games
  • Spelling City
    Enter your own spelling words, then select: Test me, Teach me or Play a Game
  • Reading Website for emerging Readers
  • 50 One Stop Online Learning Activities by Scholastic
  • Sight Words with Samson
    Kindergarten & 1st Grade
  • ABCya
    Activities include earn the alphabet , uppercase to lowercase letter matching, categorizing, mouse manipulation, drawing, addition, subtraction, counting money, keyboarding practice, identifying computer parts, and much more! Customized for different grade levels
  • WordGirl
    What is your favorite Word? PowerWords ,and Dunk Huggy are just a few games you can play on this site
  • Academic Skill Builder
    Play online games, while practicing multiplication, division, addition, words, vowels, etc.
  • 4Kids.org
    Coconut Vowels, Demolition Division, Word Frog, Word Invasion, Alien Addition, Word Viper, Meteor Multiplication, Minus Mission, Word wizard, State Finder, Coloring Book, Musical Instruments, Beekeeper Game
  • Spin and Spell
    Practice your spelling skills. Similar to Wheel of Fortune
  • Word Central Play games from Merriam-Webster- Robo-Bee, BIGbot, Jumble Kids
  • Puzzle Blocks
    Puzzle play and problem solving. Playing with games and puzzles helps hone our ability to recognize and understand categories, patterns, and associations. Being able to recognize patterns and find new ones helps us bring together what we know to find a single solution to a problem.
  • World Play
  • Word World
    by PBS
  • TVOKids
    Art & Music Games, Adventures and Sports, Puzzle and Words, Math and Science Games
  • Sesame Street Games
    An amazing amount of games from the beloved Sesame Street. Learn about Rhymes, Sorting, Letters, Numbers, Shapes, Math and much more…

Simulation

Creativity- Drawing

Digital Storytelling

Programming

  • Scratch
    Scratch is a new programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art — and share your creations on the web. Scratch is designed to help young people (ages 8 and up) develop 21st century learning skills. As they create Scratch projects, young people learn important mathematical and computational ideas, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the process of design

Typing Programs

Games

  • MyDinos
    Go Questing, play games, make buddies
  • Elephant Odyssey
    On a journey through time, you’ll learn the ways of the mammoths and their modern day descendants, the elephants. Go back 200,000 years and test your skills.
  • Drawminos
    Design your own Domino game. Position each domino piece or ball perfectly
  • Fantastic Contraptions
    A fun Online Physics Puzzle Game
  • Zoopz
    Games that make you think
  • Cubescape
    Stack some cubes
  • LineRider
    Learn about cause and effect
  • Connect All Four
    Game of Strategy
  • I do Dog Tricks
    Type in a command and watch the dog do tricks
  • FancyPants
    Practice your hand-eye coordination. The pants may not look like much to you, but to a stick figure, they’re stylin’ threads! Jump on spiders and find your way to the next level!
  • Animal Planet Games
    have fun playing animal games
  • Lego.com Games
    Indiana Jones Adventure, Deep Jungle, Speed Session. Cryst Alien Conflict, Castle Battle, Lego City
  • Fun School
    Pre-School through 6th grade Activities and Games
  • Crickweb
    Series of fun games
  • Blobs
    Fun game that makes you think!
  • CBeebies
    Fun and Games from BBC: Rhyme Maker, Character Maker, Sharing Stories, Make your own picture stories, Talking stories and more
  • Prongo Games
    Lots of different games for ages 3-12

Social Studies

Geography

Research & Reference

Science

  • Earth & Sky for Kids
    Science News and Podcasts for kids.
  • Solar System Jigsaw Puzzle
  • Pest World for Kids
    Come explore the world of pests. Then you can use your knowledge to outwit the pests in your world.
    Remember, that you DO NOT give out your name or e-mail address, unless you are WITH your parent.
  • The Science Museum
    Building Bonanza, Energy Flows, ID-fit, and more…
  • EekoWorld by PBS Kids
    Learn about the Environment, Air & Water, Garbage & Recycling, Games, etc.
  • Tinker Ball
    Build a track for our ball by tinkering with everyday objects.
    Exploratory play is about asking questions: “What happens when I do this?” “What if I did it this way?” Experimenting with materials and pushing their limits encourages us to consider a wide range of possibilities when problem-solving. Playing around with objects and ideas helps us see that there may be more than one solution.

Generators

Top Ten Elementary “Learn by Playing” Sites

February 22, 2009 Elementary School, Links, Lists 5 Comments

Here is my Top Ten “Learn by Playing Sites list for Elementary School age kids. No particularly order. They include links from categories, such as drawing, simulations, digital storytelling, programming and puzzle solving.

http://langwitches.glogster.com/LearnByPlaying/

  1. Kerpoof
  2. Linerider
  3. Scratch
  4. Fantastic Contraptions
  5. Virtual Knee Surgery
  6. Art Pad
  7. Wildlife Film Maker
  8. Tinker Ball
  9. Glogster Edu
  10. YOUR favorite “Learn by Playing” Site

As you may have noticed, Number 10 in this list is YOUR favorite “Learn by Playing” for Elementary School students. Please add the site and link in the comment section.

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Sowing the Seeds for a More Creative Society

Fantastic Contraptions-1

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Professional Development

Walking the Walk: Action Research

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consistency

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iPadApps-DigitalLearningFarm

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5th graders-storykit

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Learning About Blogs FOR your Students: Part VII – Quality

blogging rubric

This is Part VII in the series “Stepping it Up: Learning About Blogs FOR your Students” Part I: Reading Part II A: Writing Part II B: Student Writing Part III: Commenting Part IV: Connecting Part V: Reciprocating Part VI: Consistency Reading, responding, assessing and monitoring our students’ progress on their …

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The Digital Learning Farm in Action

The Digital Learning Farm and iPad Apps

iPadApps-DigitalLearningFarm

I previously published a chart of Bloom’s Taxonomy and iPad Apps, which I use regularly when planning projects or look to reinforce certain skills and literacies. Since I also rely heavily on The Digital Learning Farm concept (based on Alan November’s work), I felt it was time to create a …

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Screencasting Apps for the iPad

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Global Education

Walking the Walk: Action Research

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c21-podcast

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Blogging With your Classroom

Walking the Walk: Action Research

back-up-tak-with-action

I have been blogging for 6 years now… I have written extensively about blogging (131 posts categorized “blogging” on Langwitches) I have shared two guides for teachers to start blogging with their students “Stepping it Up: Learning About Blogs FOR your Students” Part I: Reading Part II A: Writing Part …

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Learning About Blogs FOR your Students: Part VII – Quality

blogging rubric

This is Part VII in the series “Stepping it Up: Learning About Blogs FOR your Students” Part I: Reading Part II A: Writing Part II B: Student Writing Part III: Commenting Part IV: Connecting Part V: Reciprocating Part VI: Consistency Reading, responding, assessing and monitoring our students’ progress on their …

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Learning About Blogs FOR your Students- Part VI: Consistency

consistency

This is Part VI in the series “Stepping it Up: Learning About Blogs FOR your Students” Part I: Reading Part II A: Writing Part II B: Student Writing Part III: Commenting Part IV: Connecting Part V: Reciprocating I have seen many teachers start blogs (professional and classroom ones), only to …

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iPads

The Digital Learning Farm and iPad Apps

iPadApps-DigitalLearningFarm

I previously published a chart of Bloom’s Taxonomy and iPad Apps, which I use regularly when planning projects or look to reinforce certain skills and literacies. Since I also rely heavily on The Digital Learning Farm concept (based on Alan November’s work), I felt it was time to create a …

(23 Comments)

Continuing to Learn with the iPad- Storytelling

5th graders-storykit

In an attempt to document the trials and errors of using a classroom set of 20 iPads in our K-8 school, I am adding a new post to the collection of iPads in the Classroom: Transliteracy- QR Codes and Art Working on iPad Fluency with Lower Elementary Students Step-by-Step: How …

(29 Comments)

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qr-code-jamie

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Digital Storytelling

Transliteracy- QR Codes and Art

qr-code-jamie

Transliteracy is defined on Wikipedia as The ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks. The modern meaning of the term combines literacy with the prefix trans-, which means …

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TBAW-project

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Teaching English through Film and Screenwriting…

YouTube

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