Follow @ed_apps   Watch this youtube video/digital story on Biomagnification.   Pretty good, right? Well, I think so. It’s concise, accurate, and fun to watch. The cool part? It was made by a student for a school project. So, how come my students’ video’s were never this exciting? No, it’s not because my student are lame! When I first started consulting and helping other teachers make digital stories, I quickly found out how underwhelming it was to watch 10 videos all on the same concept. Then, by accident, I found...

Follow @ed_apps The iPad definately has some drawbacks, and I’m not always a fan – but the fact of the matter is that the form-factor of these instant-on, long battery life tablets have lead to a whole new meaning of access to technology. After you watch the music below, check out the list of 8 wild apps that make the iPad a powerful and creative machine for the musically inclined. MadPad HD ($2.99) – MadPad HD is basically the control panel for everything you are doing – it allows you...

Follow @ed_apps A couple of days ago I posted “5 Apps for Media Creation in the Elementary Inclusive Classroom”. Which there is definitely some overlap with respect to apps which could be used across various grades, I thought I’d expand on the app possibilities by sharing a few more that would work well in the middle school/junior high and senior high areas. With apologies to those who read the previous post, I’ll include some of the framing inclusive education ideas in this post as well. In the inclusive UDL classroom, accommodations are...

Follow @ed_apps In the inclusive UDL classroom, accommodations are made to allow students multiple ways to share what they know and how they feel. When using iPads with students, consider apps which allow students opportunities to create media which demonstrates understanding and lets them show what they know and how they feel. This is a very engaging, challenging, and meaningful way for students to learn and for teachers to understand and assess what their students comprehend. Here are 5 iPad apps which help students create media in different forms:   Skitch (FREE)...

Follow @ed_apps   If you’ve recently gotten an iPad or a set of iPads in your school and you’re not sure what to do with them, here are four things you can do right away:   1. Share content or apps on your projector Certainly the least interactive and engaging for students, this may be one of the easiest ways to get your group of students participating with content from your iPad. Apps like Qwiki or Google Earth that share information visually and interactively; Sharing photos or videos shot in...

Follow @ed_apps   When I found out our school was going 1:1, I was very excited.  I felt ready to ntegrate technology due to coursework I had taken through our local writing project, Prairie Lands Writing Project.  This learning track is structured around 21st Century learning.  We experienced many technology integrated writing assignments to better engage students in the writing process.  One of my favorites was creating Book Trailers.  The Book Trailer was introduced as an alternative to the traditional book report. We all know how traditional book reports work: ...

Follow @ed_apps   The purpose of this post is to help teachers who are very new to their iPads understand basic operation to be able to begin using their iPad in their classroom with students.   In this post: Connecting to and surfing the Internet Using Email Taking Pictures and Video Apps Installed on your iPad Finding and Installing New Apps Organizing and Finding Your Apps Connecting to The Internet   Surfing the Internet With Your iPad Adding an Email Account   Finding and Installing New Apps   Organizing Apps...

Follow @ed_apps Ok, so you passed on AppleCare, and now you need some other form of ‘insurance’. Here is a quick review and comparison of different case price ranges and what my recommended options are. I’ve personally used dozens of cases of all sorts of price ranges, and so here is my experience. If you have some more suggestions, please include them in the comments below! None-Folio Style <$10 Range For less than $10, I haven’t seen anything better than a $2 case from the dollar store (soft silicone sleeves...

Follow @ed_apps The Top 10 Make A Movie of What You Learned: Make a movie of the sessions, ideas, resources, people and anything else you’ve seen. When you go back to your school to share, you’ll have something to actually show everyone. Get more help with iMovie here. Read The ISTE Digital Conference Book Save your back – leave everything in the hotel room  and just carry your iPad. Now you can access an enriched version of the conference program through ISTE’s conference app! Scan business cards The CamCard app...

Follow @ed_apps Every teacher seems to fully acknowledge how quickly and comfortably the average student adopts new technology. The truth is, students learn how to have fun on an iPad pretty quickly, but they don’t always learn how to trouble shoot, be safe, and learn effectively right off the bat. Having a team of students that are well trained in iPad support can help build leadership amongst your students, and will help alleviate the stress on both students and teachers as they learn to adopt this new technology. Lesson 1:...