A Web Whiteboard for your kids

Tammy's Tips - web-based drawing program.

[Link to post]

Sometimes simple tools can be just what you're looking for! Check out Tammy's write-up on AWW, a web-based drawing tool that works for iOS devices too.

This week's tip features a simple, but powerful online drawing tool. It has the three things I love in a web tool: it's free, it doesn't require a login, and it provides a URL. On top of that, it is collaborative - and it works on any online device: a computer or an iPad - even a smart phone!

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Using QR Codes to Differentiate Instruction

Different Codes for Different Activities

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/qr-codes-to-differentiate-instruction-monica-burns

With more iPads in classrooms now, using QR codes doesn't depend on having enough Smartphones in kids' pockets. Monica Burns points out that QR codes can be a quick and easy way to point kids to a variety of resources without singling them out. Read her post for some good ideas!

"So the next time you want your tech-enabled students to work on a differentiated task, try sending them to the same website with different activities to complete. Another option is to create unique QR codes for different students (maybe with colors or images) that will help separate children into leveled groups without making anyone feel singled out."

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10 Powerful Screencasting Apps For Mobile Devices

Share your learning!

http://www.edudemic.com/screencasting-apps/

Do you want to take advantage of the "screencasting" potential of mobile devices? Jeff Dunn at Edudemic points his readers to Jonathan Wylie's Learnist board of top scoring screencasting apps.

"Most of these apps are multi-platform and run on both iOS and Android. Be sure to do a bit of research into your chosen app before you continue, of course. Read customer reviews and see what people are saying right now."

Here are the apps mentioned, with short reviews by Jeff Dunn:

Screenchomp: Screenchomp is a fairly basic free screencasting app...

ShowMe: Similar to ScreenChomp but no Dropbox integration.

Educreations: The most popular free screencasting app among teachers.

Doceri: Lots of drawing tools including shapes and arrows. Finished recordings can be shared to YouTube...

Explain Everything: Many tools:  slide sorter view, a laser pointer, a shape tool, and multiple fonts. You can also Import just about anything...

Doodlecast Pro: Some useful extras like a mouse pointer ...

Explain A Website: Annotate and record a screencast of a website...

Teach: Aimed at teachers creating content...

Ask3: Screencast can be automatically pushed out to students...

Stage: Annotate over a live camera image...

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Online activity in 60 seconds -

What does the world do online every minute?

http://blog.qmee.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Qmee-Online-In-60-Seconds21.png

This infographic is a quick snapshot of some of the actions that are typically accomplished in each 60 second period online (in 2013). Such as,  2 million searches, 20 million Flickr photos viewed, 11,000 Pinterest logins....and more. Check out the Infographic for yourself. Might make a good conversation starter with kids.

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Some tutorials and ideas for using GarageBand

GarageBand 11 (What's new)

http://www.apple.com/ca/ilife/garageband/

GarageBand for iOS (iPad)

http://www.apple.com/ca/apps/garageband/

Seven Video Tutorials for GB 09 (some features are different, but the main ideas still hold true)

http://www.ferdonmusic.com/garageband/intro.html

GearDaddy - great revue of GarageBand 11 (What's new and fun)

http://www.apple.com/ca/ilife/garageband/

GarageBand for iOS (iPad) $4.99

http://www.apple.com/ca/apps/garageband/

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Using iPads to speak

Apps allow non-verbal children to "speak"

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/winnipeg-student-uses-ipad-to-speak-first-words-1.1864750

"Applications like Touchchat allow non-verbal children, such as those living with Cerebral Palsy or Down Syndrome, to select images, words and phrases with the tap of a finger and "speak" with the help of the device's speakers."

See below for some apps in this category. (The fully featured ones can be quite expensive for an iOS app.)

• https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/alexicom-aac/id395122088?mt=8
• https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/speech-button/id497365812?mt=8
• https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/touchchat-hd-aac/id398860728?mt=8
• https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/gotalk-now/id454176457?mt=8
• https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/onevoice-aac/id412448074?mt=8
• https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/vox4all/id587852371?mt=8
  

More suggestions on "Autism Speaks" website

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The Human Body by Tinybop iOS - Free app for this week.

The Human Body App

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-human-body-by-tinybop/id682046579?mt=8

Free app for this week.

Explore a working model of the body. Every part is animated and interactive: the heart beats, guts gurgle, lungs breathe, the skin feels, and eyes see.

Features

• Six interactive, animated layers of the body teach basic human anatomy through the skeletal, muscular, nervous, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems
• Includes a detailed interactive heart, brain, eye, stomach, mouth, and much more.
• Easily switch between text labels in up to 50 languages
•  Free downloadable app handbook with tips for interactivity and additional resources
• Smart device features include: front camera to demonstrate vision, microphone to show how hearing works, photo and music libraries are accessed to demonstrate brain function, device orientation shows the effect of gravity on the body
  

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Edmodo resources

A Walled Garden

https://www.edmodo.com/

Edmodo, with it's "facebook-like" interface, creates a walled garden for your students to share and learn. Teachers create a space and then give students a code to login. No code - no access. This means your class space is private for your kids. Students can share ideas (to the class or techere - not individual students) and upload assignments for the teacher. The teacher also can organize folders of handouts, resources, links, videos etc. Check out the links and videos below to learn more.

Quick Guides to Edmodo

https://support.edmodo.com/home#entries/22460840-quick-guides-to-edmodo

Edmodo FAQ

http://edmodoteacherhub.wikispaces.com/The+edmodo+FAQ

45 minute tutorial for teachers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZHB6FfRjnQ

iOS app for Edmodo

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/edmodo/id378352300?mt=8

Student tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxrty5j8MS4

Reflections from a teacher who uses Edmodo

http://reflectionsofeducator.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/10-reasons-i-love-using-edmodo-in-my-ipad-classroom/

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Customized Google Forms for Your Library

Add your own logo!

http://librariansonthefly.blogspot.ca/2013/09/creating-customized-forms-for-your.html

I love google forms. I use them all the time to collect data from colleagues, conduct a quick poll, gather book title ideas, and you can even use it as a "quick-as-a-wink" exit slip for kids or conference attendees to report on their learning.

The "Librariansonthefly" blog offers an easy way to customize your Google forms with a local flair.

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30Hands iPad app

Slides into Movies

https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/30hands/id605013231?mt=8

Today, I learned about great app for turning a slide show into a voiced movie. (Thanks Chris!) This app lets you take pictures from your camera roll (ones you've taken, or ones you've found on-line) and use them to create a video. The app gives you a space to marshal images, where you then record sound effects, music or narration over each slide. The final product can be uploaded to the 30hands server, or saved to the camera and shared however you like. (And it's free!)

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