Podcast374: iPads for Differentiation in a Primary Classroom

This podcast is an audio recording of Jessica Asbury and Daniel Wessel’s presentation, “iPad: A Tool for Differentiation” at the MACE Conference on March 4, 2011. The recording is initially a little hard to listen to because the audio from played videos in the session compete with the presenters, but STICK WITH IT! This was a FANTASTIC session and you’ll want to hear everything Jessica and Daniel had to share. Jessica is a 1st grade teacher at Lansing Elementary School, and Daniel is the technology director for Lansing Public Schools. Refer to the podcast shownotes for links to referenced apps, a link to my text notes from this session, and (coming soon when I find it) a link to an iPhone-recorded version of the video shared at the start of this presentation.

Show Notes:

1. My text notes from this session, “iPad: A Tool for Differentiation“
2. Favorite Apps shared in this session:

• Free App Tracker (free)- Lists all the current discounted or free apps
• PowerTeacher(free)– allows you to access PowerTeacher from iPad
• Dropbox(free)- allows you to save at school computer and access on iPad
• On This Day(free)- Tells you important historical information about dates
• Discovery Ed( free)- allows you to access your United Steaming account
• Google (free)- voice activated search engine
• AR Finder ($2)- find the level for most books
• eCove General (free)- teacher tools such as Bloom’s checklists and hand raising counters
Student- Language Arts
• Story Chimes ($1-$2 each) – stories for children to listen to or read themselves
• iReading ($2 each)- more stories to listen to or read
• A Story Before Bed ($30 yearly subscription)- read stories to your class using webcam
• Hangman(free)- traditional Hang Man game
• Story Kit(free)- make your own electronic book
• StoryBuddy ($6)- make your own electronic book
• Wordventure (free)/Mad Lib (free)- grammar practice
• Word Quiz (free)- record your voice giving spelling test and student’s type answers
• AccelaStudy (free)- vocabulary practice
• Miss Spell (free)- commonly misspelled word practice
• Chicktionary (free)- use letter to make words against the clock
• Free Spelling Practice Apps- Graffiti, Dragon Dictation, Draw, PegLight, Sketchmania, PuzzleBaby ($3), Glitter Draw, Glow Draw,Audio Note, Whiteboard ($5), Light Signals, ASL-American Sign Language ($1)
• Teach Me Kindergarten and First Grade ($1 each) – sight words, math skills, phonics, tracks progress
• Time Reading K-12 ($2)- Fluency stories leveled K-12, tracks progress
• Sentence Builder ($4)- match the words to pictures to generate and read
• Story Builder ($4)- record your answers to the questions asked on photo to hear your own story
• Tales to Go (Free)- huge listening library with no tape player mess
• Sock Puppets (free)- plan a story, act it out and record the voices
• Voices 2 ($1)- record students reading to practice fluency then change their voice 30 different ways
• Read Me Stories (free)- books read out loud with words, adds a new book each day it is used
• Textropolis (free) – build a city by piecing together words
• Grammar Up (free)- practice reading tests 10 ten grammar areas
• LAZ Level Library ($7each)- sets of 12 books on given level. Reading A-Z Levels AA-Q
Math
• Coin Jar ($1)- practices estimation and coin counting
• Tell Time ($2)- practices analogue time skills
• Bubble Clock Time ($1)- pop the bubbles to practice telling time
• Math Spin (free)- addition facts
• Make Change ($1)- practice in giving correct change
• UnderSea Math ($2)- addition and subtraction practice
• Pizza Fractions ($1)- comparing fraction practice, 4th grade
• Motion Math ($1)- fun ball dropping game to practice fractions
• Kids Math 1st through 4th grade ($2 each)- leveled math practice
• Easy Chart HD ($1)- gather and easily graph information
• Pattern Recognition Prek-1st ($1 each)- make, name and continue patterns
• Everyday Mathematics by McGraw Hill ($2 each)- fun games to practice facts, and fractions
• Rocket Math (free)- practice money, shapes, and facts in outer space with rocket designed by you
• Sum Stacker ($1)- build stacks to equal correct totals, can practice with number words, Spanish, roman numerals, dice, etc.
Strategy & Creativity
• Faces iMake (free)- design faces using imagination
• iChess Lite (free)- play a game of chess with partner or against computer
• Four In A Row (free)- Connect Four
• Tangram Pro ($1)- great for both the left and right side of brain
• Cut the Rope ($1)- fun problem solving
• Lego Creations (free)- visual and spatial
• Lemonade Tycoon (Free)- build your empire one glass at a time
• RoboFree (free)- plan how to move your robot to the right ending spot
• Monster Mix and Match ($2)- promotes critical thinking, creativity and problem solving, design monster for fun writing assignment
Social Studies and Science
• United States Puzzle Map ($1)- race to beat the best score on puzzle of USA, has other maps, too
• Stack the States ($1)- answer trivia to play a Tetris like stacking game with the states
• Google Earth (free)- maps
• Planets (free)- space
• Science Glossary (free)- user friendly and easy to read
• Science Facts (free)- for the brainy fact finder, the info will amaze
• Solar Walk ($3)- explore space with amazing pictures that will capture anyone’s interest
• Geo Walk ($1)- explore the world through amazing images, just click the city
• Star Walk ($3)- hold up to the sky to line up the stars and see the constellations.
• Magic School Bus ($8)- Explore the ocean with interactive book, really neat!
• Brain Pop (free)- watch a new educational movie a day
• Oregon Trail ($1)- figure out how to survive while traveling west

Special Education
• Proloquo2go ($190)- assistive communication that includes augmentative and alternative communication, easy to use.
• Model Me Kids (free)- videos for modeling social skills
• Language Builder ($4)- record ESL students talking about the given photograph
• E Touch English Lite (free)- great for building ESL vocabulary
• eCove SPED (free)- timers, checklists, counters and scales.
• English for Kids (free)- teach English using this Rosetta Stone style leaning game
• Play2Learn ($2)- available in several languages, click pictures to hear the word

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