My Most Used iPad Apps and Links List

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

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

• Create a City
• Virtual Knee Surgery
• The Amazing Adventure of the Food Detective
• PanWapa World

Creativity- Drawing

• Create Sand Art
• Pointillism Practice Page
• Matisse for Kids
• Keith Haring Coloring Book
• Create an imaginary jungle scene
• Online Coloring
  Choose from a wide variety of coloring pages. Ex. Aesop Fables, Fairy Tales, Greek Mythology, Animals, etc.
• Bomomo
  Like abstract art? A different kind of painting tool. Try it out.
• National Gallery of Art
  Interactive Art that you can make online
• Kerpoof.com
  Make a picture, story or movie
• We are Multicolored
  Design and create your own flag. Learn about the symbols and significance of world flags. Remember not to give out your full name when you publish your flag. Use your online identity, avatar’s name or first name only.
• PaperCritters
  Create digital Paper Toys
• GirlSense
  Social Network Site. You will need to sign up for this site. Ask your parents for permission first!
  Games, Fashion Design Studio, Create your own Boutique.
• Cloud Dreamer
  Use your powers of make-believe to conjure up a cloud of your own design.
• ArtPad
• Shidonni
  Draw your own critters, then animate them and create a virtual world for them

Digital Storytelling

• Microsoft Photostory
• Windows Moviemaker (comes pre-installed on your Windows machine)
• Create your Own Wildlife Movie
  from National Geographic
• Myths and Legends
  Create your own myth or legend. Record even your own voice
• Junior Net
  Make your own movie

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

• Tux Typing 2 (free to download)
• BBC Practice Typing
• http://sense-lang.org/typing/
• Fun School Super Speller Play a game and improve your typing speed
• Krazy Keyboarding for Kids
• Stack Cups
• Key Seeker Keyboarding for Kindergarteners
• Super Hyper Spider Typer Hungry lizards with words on their backs are after Berry the hairy spider!

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

• History Games for Kids
• OLogy
  American Museum of Natural History: Archeology, Einstein, Biodiversity, Astronomy, Earth & Genetics

Geography

• Need a map? Use the Map Machine from National Geographic
• USA Map Tetris
  Test your knowledge about the States in the USA
• GeoSpy Game
  National Geographic: Identify continents, countries, states and provinces
• GeoNet Game
  Test our knowledge about the USA or the world
• Do you know all your States in the USA?
  Are you smarter than a Third Grader?
• GeoGames
  Build Planet Earth, Cities and Countries
• USA- States and Capitals
  Check how many states and their capitals you know
• Where on the map is?
  Flash Games to locate states and countries- Europe, Middle East, South America, Central America, Africa, Canada, Australia, Find the Difference
• Map your World
  Very cool site. Find out how maps became flat. Can you find countries when the map is “upside down”?

Research & Reference

• Encyclopedia Britannica
  We will be giving you a username and password for this site, so you can access all the information at home.
• Math Dictionary for Kids
  Great visual dictionary for mathematical terms.
• Sensible Units
  Convert measurements into real objects
• Copyright Issues
  Get some answers to your Copyright questions

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

• Make fun and customized pictures
• Create your own M&M character
• Transform yourself into a Dark Ages History character
• Text to Speech Generators
  • Ottogram- Dress up an Otter and have him say something
  • Design your own Pirate and have him say something
• Create your own comic strip with
  • Captain Underpants
    
  • Tell-a-Story-Builder
  • My Comic Strip

Top Ten Elementary “Learn by Playing” Sites

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.