http://www.macstories.net/reviews/ipad-handwriting-apps-penultimate-and-noteshelf-receive-major-updates/
Three mentioned are:
Notability (on sale this week, Jan 16th, 2012)
Penultimate
Noteshelf
Handwriting Apps
Jan 17th, 2012 by Brad Edwards
Appitic
Jan 17th, 2012 by Brad Edwards
“How To Survive In Your Native Land”
Jan 17th, 2012 by Brad Edwards
James Herndon wrote How To Survive in Your Native Land around 1974 based on his experiences in a middle school during the late ’60′s.
I read this book a few years after I started teaching in 1969. It was, in fact, in the book cabinet, multiple classroom set, when I arrived in the school I stayed with in 1976 for the next 23 years. Why it was there, I don’t know, and I never used it with my students. Possibly it was for teachers.
I was interested to see that student sexting isn’t anything really new….it was being done with a photomart photobooth back then!
I read this book again just last week, bracketing a 39 year career in education as a classroom teacher.
Not much has changed in our schools during the past 45 years. We have initiatives, we have technology (or maybe not), we have training and inservice. But the way humans respond to our educational system has not changed.
I wonder why, after all the work, all the programs tried out, all the money spent. I wondered recently if all the money spent on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan would have made a difference in our schools if only 10% of it were spent on our schools, teacher education, etc.
I doubt that it would. We have to remember that we are dealing with human beings who have agendas, unique ideas, communications issues , and are not moldable or malleable.
And that’s just the problem. Schools push from the top down, not learning about how people learn from the bottom up.
The assembly line, industrial model is still very much alive in our schools. Desks are still in rows and not chairs around tables, rigid learning structures are still in place (If we’re reading Milton, it MUST be January!), technology is still a pull-out instead of a pull-in, and the sad list goes on and one.
Question:
What has to happen to get all schools to make the fundamental changes needed to prepare middle school students for a job that may not even have been invented when they graduate from high school?
100 iPad Apps
Jan 17th, 2012 by Brad Edwards
Here’s another list of 100 iPad apps, this time from the Palm Beach school system:
http://edudemic.com/2011/11/ipad-middle-school/
In case you missed (I know I did) last week’s post by Edudemics, here’s the list of 65 iPad Apps for Middle School:
http://edudemic.com/2011/11/palm-beach-apps/
An Educator’s Guide to Twitter
Jan 15th, 2012 by Brad Edwards
Just came across this site:
http://tinyurl.com/7gvpcmj
With tabs, it’s a clear and easy way to get information about how Twitter works, and how it can work in the classroom.
Top 10 Sites for Educational Apps
Jan 13th, 2012 by Brad Edwards
From
http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&EntryId=3617
“Top 10 Sites for Educational Apps
The wave of the future is here, especially for education. Terms like 21st Century Computing, BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), and Cloud Computing are mainstream. The introduction of mobile devices, iPods, netbooks, and more specifically, the iPad, has brought technology to more students than ever before. A one-to-one computing environment is not only a possibility, but also a reality in more school districts than people realize. With all that being said, below are my 10 favorite sites for finding educational apps.
- APPitic - Great site with over 1300 reviews done by Apple Distinguished Educators. These apps have been tested in different grade levels with different instructional strategies.
- Mind Leap - Excellent site with reviews built on a five-star scale. Reviews are done on a wide range of subjects and offers a nice breakdown of statistics such as educational quality, engagement factor, and shelf life.
- Best Kids Apps - Site with great reviews on iPhone, iPad, and Android apps. These reviews have a basic age rating and a nice image to go along too.
- Mac App Store - Probably the most comprehensive list of apps around. This application from Apple is the ideal place to find and purchase apps. Works on Snow Leopard OS and above.
- Fun Educational Apps - Ideal place to find reviews of apps for the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. This is one of my favorite sites to find in-depth reviews with lots of pictures of the app.
- Smart Apps for Kids - Designed by a dad on a journey to find the best iPhone & iPad apps. These apps are reviewed on a four-star scale and offer a nice “bottom line” for those who don’t want to read the whole review.
- Best Apps for Kids - Wonderful site that does a great breakdown of an educational app, with reviews done on a scale of one through five. Offers readers advice on whether they should purchase the app or not.
- Teachers with Apps - Great site with reviews of apps that include videos and images. Ideal for teachers looking to find that perfect app for the classroom.
- Apps in Education - Nice collection of iPad apps that are reviewed by subject. These reviews are brief and to the point.
- I Education Apps Review - Designed as a community effort of reviews posted by a variety of users. There are even student reviews to give a unique perspective on the use of an app.
Bonus - Teach with your iPad - Wonderful wiki that lists a ton of apps by subject, type, and grade level. A must see!”
iPad magazine for “NewsStand”
Dec 28th, 2011 by Brad Edwards
“Edudemic was founded 18 months ago as a way to discuss, share, and try out the latest education technology. It is now a 200,000-strong community of teachers, education administrators, and technology buffs looking to learn about and try the next big thing.”
Not available as of 12/28-11,but keep checking back with Newsstand app.
QR Code Treasure Hunt
Dec 28th, 2011 by Brad Edwards
Visit http://www.classtools.net/QR/index.php
and follow their instructions. Teachers make a simple 5 question quiz with answers. The website is a QR code builder, that square code symbol you’re now seeing on UPS packages, magazines, newspapers and other places. It’s not replacing the bar code, but adds more information.
Once students have the QR code reader app on their iPad(or other iOS devices), they can then “read” the five question codes the teacher has printed off and posted around the hallways.
Good practice for 21st century learners!
iPad Apps in Education
Dec 26th, 2011 by Brad Edwards
Some good information here.
InstaMapper: Find your iPad or iPhone via GPS
Dec 21st, 2011 by Brad Edwards
Instamapper is a free service that lets you see the location of your iDevice. As long as it can transmit GPS coordinates, you can locate where it is. Useful for your offspring’s European travels (see Gabe’s blog, boss’s son, not mine), or simply to locate your iPhone where you left it at the restaurant or at the mall…..
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