September 23, 2011

iPads in the Classroom

Increasing the use of technology in classrooms is the latest push with high hopes of increasing student engagement and students taking responsibility for their learning, and ultimately raising performance levels in the classroom and standardized test scores.


It is a great way to engage students in their learning as they are excited and wanting to use new and innovative ways to learn.  One of the greatest tools to use in a classroom for students of all ages and abilities, is an iPad.  


iPads have been distributed to many schools across the country to enhance student learning and the use of 21st century skills.  Each iPad has an "App Store" where there are applications for teachers and for students of all ages and abilities on the iPad that are available to download for free, and even more that you can pay for!!  From flash-cards to touch-screen white-boards, to iBooks, to games where students can practice their skills, iPads have the amazing ability to motivate and engage students as well as teachers.   





Some of the best apps for elementary school students in grades Kindergarten through 2nd Grade include:



         
  A digital story reader for children who can read along with the story as it is read to them.  A fun and engaging way for students to learn to read or practice their fluency. 


  • Doodle Buddy


An interactive whiteboard that provides different color pens to use, stamps of images,        backgrounds, or self-uploaded images.  Students in 1st-Grade love to practice writing number sentences using this inter-active, touch screen white-board.



Another interactive white-board that not only engages students in their learning, but also allows for teachers  to teach a lesson and record everything they write on the iPad and say.  The recordings can later be uploaded to the Show Me website to be viewed by other teachers or students who missed out or need a re-teach.


  • UnderSea Math

This app is a great way for students to  practice simple addition problems.  Students are given a "board" of tiles, each tile contains a different addition problems.  There are also tiles along the side that contain different numbers that are potential answers.  Students must drag the answer onto the addition problem.  If the answer is correct, a piece of a picture will be revealed.  When all the problems have been solved, a whole picture will be revealed!

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