Apps Gone Free



iOS app prices change all the time.  Many times the publisher will make an app free for a short period of time... maybe a day, maybe a week.  "Buying" these apps when they're free is a great way to build your app library cheaply!  

There are lots of websites and apps to help you find temporarily free apps.  One of them is the app "Apps Gone Free".  Apps Gone Free searches the App Store daily so you don't have to!  They pick out a few apps that meet certain requirements:  3+star or better rating, don't use outside ads and haven't been free over and over again.  Each day the featured apps are a mix of games, productivity and utilities.  

Do you have a favorite way to find free apps?  Add it to the comments!

Safari for iPad - Tips


Here are some basic tips to make using Safari with a classroom of students easier:

Bookmarks:
Bookmarks are essential when using websites with students (especially young ones!)  Rather than waiting for them to type in a long URL, turn on iCloud Safari syncing in the settings for your iPad class set so that you can add a bookmark to one student iPad in the set and all the others will see it too.  Go to Settings and iCloud.  Be sure that Safari is turned ON.   (Don't turn on iCloud syncing to the class set Apple ID on your teacher iPad.  Any bookmarks you set would show up on all the student devices as well.) 

Be aware that if a student bookmarks an inappropriate site, it will show up on all the iPads.  Be sure to teach proper digital citizenship and monitor iPad use.

Open tabs also sync through iCloud.  Click the cloud icon in Safari to view open tabs on all the devices currently syncing to the same class account.

Home Screen "Apps":
Use "Add to Home Screen" to create a bookmark to frequently used sites.  This will create an icon on any home screen that looks like an app.  Then students can just tap it and go!  Simply go to the desired URL in Safari.  Tap the "send to" icon (looks like a rectangle with an arrow) and choose "Add to Home Screen".  Give the bookmark a name and tap the blue ADD button.  An icon will be added to the home screen.

Saving Pictures to the Camera Roll:
To save a picture from Safari to use in another app or project, simply click and hold on the picture and choose "Save Image".  

Scrolling to Top:
To quickly get back to the top of a Safari webpage, just tap the status bar at the top of the screen (the very top... by the time display).

Zooming:

  • To zoom in to a webpage that uses column, double tap in the desired column and it will automatically zoom to fit that column on the screen.  Double tap again to zoom back out.
What are your favorite Safari tips?  Share in the comments below.

Mac Tip - Air Drop



AirDrop is the easiest and fastest way to share files between Macs.  It's a great way for Digital Classroom students to share work from a MacBook Air to the teacher's MacBook.   Here's how it works:

1.  Open AirDrop on both/all Macs that need to share files by clicking GO and AIRDROP.  (If you don't see GO on the menu bar, click anywhere on the desktop or open any Finder window.)
2.  All the Macs in the area with AirDrop open will show up on the AirDrop list.
3.  To share a file, simply drag the desired file onto the appropriate user's icon in the AirDrop list.  Click SEND when prompted.

4.  The recipient will get a notification of the file and can choose SAVE AND OPEN, DECLINE or just SAVE.

That's it!  Easy as pie.  How could you use AirDrop in the classroom?  Leave us a comment with your ideas!

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.   
http://gcisdtraining.wikispaces.com/file/view/Setting+up+Evernote.pdf

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.