YouTube for Schools:
YouTube has recently launched a way for teachers to utilize all of the educational content on YouTube in a way that is safe for students. They call it YouTube for Schools and it is free of all of the comments and linked videos (that are often inappropriate), so that you can just concentrate on the learning benefits of the videos that you use. See below:
One Teacher's Reflection:
Recently, Ingrid Boyd had her grade 4 students prepare their book talks in a more innovative way than she had in the past. Instead of putting pen to paper, she had the students create a simple podcast using the school's iPads. After the experience, she sent the following reflection to me in an email:
"I'm attaching a couple of podcasts for you to check out. Just listen to the first 20 seconds of each if you have a minute. The first is by a boy who is not a strong reader at all, and he struggles to write clearly. But listen to his expression! He spent 30 minutes sitting in my office with his iPad, recording over and over until he was happy with his final result. The second one is a good student who also did a good job.
So really, the content hasn't changed from what I've done with grade 4 in the last five years - they're using appropriate vocabulary (i.e. genre, setting, character) to discuss their book, making some judgements and justifying them, and reading an excerpt. What has changed is the medium with the added technology...and now there is very little difference between the final product that these two students created. The second difference is the way the students approached the task. They wrote their scripts over the last 3 days in preparation, but today, for over an hour, every student was focused, on task, excited and also supportive of each other as they helped problem-solve. Mike and I just circulated and watched them create!"
While I was thrilled to hear about what a teacher has done with her students, what struck me the most from this email was Ingrid's commentary on how the use of this innovation evened the playing field for all of her students regardless of any learning differences. I read about this all the time, but it is nice to hear about it first-hand. Thanks Ingrid!
What's "APPening?"
Motion Math: An independent study looking at the impact that this App aimed at helping kids understand fractions showed that, "fifth graders’ fractions test scores improved an average of over 15% after playing Motion Math for 20 minutes daily over a five-day period, a significant increase compared to a control group." In addition, “students’ self-efficacy for fractions, as well as their liking of fractions, each improved an average of 10%, a statistically significant increase, and almost all students rated Motion Math as fun and that the game helped them learn." If you are interested in checking out this APP, go to: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/motion-math/id392489333?mt=8
Literary Analysis Guide: With this App, your students visualize how the elements of literature develop style and meaning in their writing or in the literature that they are reading. Developed by a university professor who was looking for a way to better illustrate the impact of the elements of literature, the App is arranged graphically around three wheels (Poetry, Prose & Rhetoric). Check it out!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/literary-analysis-guide/id379338747?mt=8
Pocket CAS Pro: This is an advanced graphic and scientific calculator App. for the iPad. I'd love to know how it measures up to the ones currently used in our classes!
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/advanced-graphic-symbolic/id366949178?mt=8
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