Trading Cards App


The Trading Cards app from Read, Write, Think is a great FREE app that students can use to create and share trading cards for a variety of educational purposes.  

The app supports multiple users so student work can be separated for safekeeping.


Flashcards can be created in a variety of categories:
  • Fictional Person
  • Real Person
  • Fictional Place
  • Real Place
  • Object
  • Event
  • Vocabulary Words

Each category has guiding questions to assist the students in creating high quality trading cards.  Students learn summarizing skills since they have to make the most important information fit onto the card.

Cards can be saved to the camera roll or emailed.

For more information about the app and lesson plan ideas for using it, visit the official app page on Read, Write, Think.
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/mobile-apps/trading-cards-30922.html

Evernote



What is Evernote?
Evernote is a web-based service for keeping notes and notebooks. Think of it as a virtual binder! You can create notes and notebooks on the Evernote website (http://www.evernote.com ), on the Evernote software (free download from Evernote.com), and/or via the app on your iPhone or iPad (also available for Windows, Android or Blackberry phones). Everything is automatically synced together so you can access all your notes from anywhere.

Here’s a great guide to getting started with Evernote:  
http://evernote.com/getting_started/

Note:  Evernote's Terms of Service require parental permission for all students under 18 to create an account.

Ideas for Using Evernote- As a Teacher:
  • Take notes at faculty, team or PLC meetings
  • Document parent communication in a notebook for each student
  • Keep anecdotal records on students
  • Use the browser bookmarklet to save web page resources

Ideas for Using Evernote- With Students:
  • Keep a fluency notebook with audio recordings of the student reading selected passages.
  • Use with Skitch- students annotate a picture in Skitch and send directly to an Evernote note.
  • Reading log- students take a picture of the book they’re reading and type their reflections or connections
  • Science- take pictures of experiments in progress and go back later to type CER
  • PBL- record driving question, need to knows, take notes, etc.

Other Evernote Ideas and Resources:

Ready to get started with your students?  Here's instructions for setting up student accounts and creating/sharing notebooks.   

The GCISD Digital Coaches would love to come help you get started!  Contact your Campus Liaison to make arrangements.

Goo.gl - URL Shortener and QR Creator


Looking for an easy way to share long URLs with students?  Try http://goo.gl.


So why should you try Google URL Shortener instead of any of the other URL shorteners like Tiny URL? When you login with your Google ID, Google URL Shortener actually becomes a 2 in 1 tool.  It shortens your URL and creates a QR code all in one step!

How to use:
  1. Go to http://goo.gl.
  2. Login to your Google account.
  3. Paste a URL into the box and click SHORTEN URL.
  4. Your URL will be shortened into a "goo.gl/____" address on the right hand side of the screen.  
  5. Click DETAILS below the shortened URL to view the QR code.  The code can be copied/pasted to a document or saved with a right-click.
  6. All URLs that you've shortened will be tracked in your main list so you can always go back to access the code.
Want to learn more about QR codes in the classroom?  Check out our QR code blog post here:  http://gcisdleadwithtechnology.blogspot.com/2012/02/qr-codes.html




Chirp



Chirp is a super cool way to share things from one iPad to another.  Chirp uses sound to transmit a web link, a note or a picture... sort of like an audio QR code!

Ideas for using with students:
  • Links- Having young students type in links can often be a painful process!  With Chirp, you can Chirp the link and they just click it to open in Safari.
  • Notes- Send students instructions, story starters, text to edit, etc.  You could also create a group shared story.  One student could start a story in a note, Chirp it to another student.  That student can add one and so on.
  • Pictures- Many apps export the product to the camera roll.  Students can chirp their completed project to the teacher as an easy way to turn in work.
Check it out and let us know your ideas for using with students in the classroom.