It's time to introduce the iPads to a new class of Kindergarteners...

The Plan:    To give students a shared vocabulary and manner of handling for the classroom iPads.

What we do:    Our first session involves 1 teacher and a small group (6 or so) of students for 20 minutes.

 

 - 5 minutes of teacher-led introduction
Bearing in mind that children will only retain so much in one session so we pick just a few of the most important details for one lesson.  We begin with how to carry an iPad:  "Fingers on the bottom, thumbs on top, that way my iPad will not drop."  Next I show the everything button and explain that if you get lost somewhere on the iPad, you can press the everything button to get yourself back to the start screen.  I show the students what we call the start screen.  From the start screen, I show a folder and ask them to open one.  Now we can find an app and open an app.  Then I ask them to get themselves back to the start screen (they need to remember to use the everything button).

 - 10 minutes of guided exploration (the good kind of chaos)
I ask the students to find the Art folder.  I might share on the white board how "Art" is spelled to help them out.  The I show them an icon card with the Drawing Box app and, once they've opened that app, I show them how to get a blank page by tapping the little house.  That's it for my instruction.  They get to just explore, try things, talk about what they're drawing with whoever's sitting next to them.  It can get chaotic, but that's ok - it's all about their discovery and independence.

As they do make discoveries or get stuck, I ask them to turn to the classmate sitting next to them and share or ask.  In our classroom, we value peer collaboration and support, so our students are already forming the habit of asking a friend for a tip before they give up or come asking the teacher to bail them out.  This tends to foster peer teaching which deepens understanding and generates wonderful thinking conversations!

- 5 minutes of reflection
We have the students put the iPads in our "off" position (press the sleep button on the side and turn the iPad face down on the table) and students quickly share something that surprised them or a discovery.

Some apps to use:
Art apps are a great choice for guided discovery with K-4 grades.  We like Drawing Box, Brushes, Draw Free.  (we don't like apps that either have ads or in-app purchases)

Build A Word

I’ve been having a blast testing out apps this summer for my first grade students!  I have found that there are a number of apps which I believe would enhance the curriculum in my classroom and provide the children a wide variety of unique learning experiences.  The first app that caught my attention is Build a Word by @Reks: Educational Applications

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/build-word-express-practice/id445774924?mt=8

One of the most significant aspects of this app that I like is that there is an option to choose the kind of word list you would like the children to work on.  There are lists for all of the following and more: beginning blend sounds, double consonants, short vowels, long vowels, Dolch word lists for grades preprimer to third and 1-3 letter word lists all the way to 6+ letter word lists.  This feature really allows for differentiation within one classroom while it also enables teachers to use this app across the grades as well. 

The other feature I think is beneficial about this app is that when you tap the letter, the exact letter sound is given.  This is wonderful repetition at all ages and helps build letter-sound correspondence in emerging readers without a teacher needing to sit with each child individually.  I really like that only the letter sound is given such as “d” verses “da” for the letter Dd.  It is also not over-congratulatory and doesn’t take much time away from the actual work whether the child is right or wrong.  There is an opportunity to learn the “rule” (aka long a) for each list, then to practice it and finally to take a test.  In both the “learn” and “practice” stages of this game the player cannot put the wrong letter in the wrong spot and continue on.  In the “test” portion, however, the player is completely on his/her own to sound out the word and spell it correctly.  If the child gets it right, he/she will simply get a smiley face and sad face for getting it incorrect.

What I’d like to change:

What I wish I could do on this app is have more flexibility in the lists themselves.  While there is a wide array to choose from, I would like the option to mix lists together at once.  For instance, if we are working on long vowels and the children should have already mastered short vowels, I would like to include both word groups on the list.  I would also like to have the option for some accountability on the children’s part.  It would be helpful for them to somehow show me all the lists they have completed and have some way of tracking their progress.  Without this step, it is difficult to know how effective this app truly is.    

Integrating iPads into a Kindergarten Language Arts Program

Last September both kindergarten classes introduced iPads into our rooms. Throughout the year we found that many iPad apps were well suited for supporting our language arts program. As our students’ reading and writing skills progressed from September to June, we used iPads to reinforce and extend various learning objectives along the way. Below is an overview of how our kindergarten class integrated iPads into our language arts program in the fall, winter, and spring.

Fall:

Early in the year we focus on strengthening letter-sound correspondence, as well as developing handwriting skills. We initially taught these skills through a series of teacher-led group lessons (without iPads) as well as practice with handwriting books. We then reinforced these skills with iPad apps that we carefully tested out and selected. The iWriteWords app reinforced letter-sound correspondence, gave children valuable practice in letter formation (without worrying about pencil grip), and ensured that each child progressed to the next letter only after forming the target letter correctly. As the children were ready to apply their letter-sound knowledge to word-building, we began a unit on making words from the letters in our names, using letter tiles. We then used the Spell Blocks app for extra practice with word building, particularly targeting those students who were struggling with our letter-tile activity.

In the fall we also develop comprehension and storytelling skills through wordless books. For the first several weeks, the children looked through wordless books and practiced telling the story to a partner. Then they were ready to write their own wordless books! The children did all their work with paper, colored pencils, and crayons, and we put their published books on the shelf. We decided that publishing the books on the iPad would add significant value. We used a story-building app (like Book Creator) to photograph each illustration, and then matched each picture with a recording of the child’s voice as he/she told the story on each page. The time it took to take the photos and record the narration was well worth it because the voice that accompanied each picture added another dimension to the work, and students often sought out the iPad books at choice time.

Winter:

New apps are constantly being developed for the iPad, and our team of teachers frequently tests them out to see which ones meet our criteria. In the winter we discovered a fantastic app, Letter School, which met our students’ need for continuing reinforcement in letter formation and letter-sound correspondence. Also, by switching to a new app we were able to keep children interested and motivated. Students were drawn to Letter School’s engaging approach and they often requested to work with it. We noticed that their handwriting skills were improving significantly with all this additional practice. We also discovered the Montessori Crosswords app for additional practice with word building.

Different apps are useful at different times of the year, depending on children’s development and readiness. In the middle of the year our students are developing reading strategies for independent work with books at their level, and the Bob Books apps gave children beneficial additional practice in applying reading strategies to figure out words in a text. We gave our lowest-level readers ample opportunity to work with these apps.

Also, in January we visited a local recycling center and toured the facility. The students then worked in groups with a teacher to make an iPad book about our trip, using Book Creator. They selected photos from our trip for the book, and added words as well as voice narration. We shared our book on the Smart Board with the other kindergarten class.

Spring:

In the springtime we focus on developing students’ writing skills and understanding of story structure. Each student wrote a personal narrative on paper. While the iPads can add valuable new dimensions to storytelling, kindergarten students still need plenty of opportunities to write their stories down on paper. After we published our personal narratives, we used the iPads to extend their increasingly sophisticated storytelling skills. Students worked in small groups to tell a story of their choosing, using Book Creator. They added pictures by taking photographs with the iPad, and they incorporated text as well. Other students worked in small groups to tell a story with the amazing iStop Motion app. Using blocks, toy animals and people, or math materials, students progressively changed the structure or the scene to tell a story. They created the stop-motion effect by using the iPad to photograph the scene each time it changed slightly. The students extended their facility with storytelling by using the unique features of the apps as well as working collaboratively.  

As we look ahead to the new school year, we will include many of the apps that served us so well last year, and we are excited to test out new apps and build on our experience from the pilot year.

Slice It!

My family and I have recently discovered an app that we can’t stop playing! 

Slice It! (paid version) or Slice It Begins! (free version) by Com2Us is fantastic.  The point of the game is to slice various shapes into equal pieces.  In the beginning, the shapes are simple enough so the player can understand what to do in the game.  As the player progresses, the shapes and the slices become more challenging.  The directions are simple to understand and each page gives the player a “tip” at the bottom. When a shape is sliced, the player can get from 1-5 stars and the app encourages the player to try again to get 5 stars.  If the player fails to slice even pieces, the follow up page shows why the first try was incorrect.  When the player earns 5 stars on a shape, he or she earns a bonus “hint” to use in the future.  Hints can be used if the player is stuck and not sure how to proceed.

What We Like

·         Simple directions

·         Explains mistakes; encourages player to retry

·         Music can be turned off

·         Shows percentage of each piece sliced

·         Shows player that equal pieces can be different shapes

·         Challenging, yet not frustrating

What We’d Like to Change

·         Only keeps track of one player; would be nice if multiple players could track progress

·         Ability to move lines without having to “undo” (a drag and drop)

Mathemagica

A few weeks ago someone told me about Mathemagica by Remarkable.  My sons and I have since spent some time exploring this app at various levels.  In the introduction, the app says that it is for those who want to challenge themselves as well as those who need more practice as it is a genius tool that will adapt itself to your level of play.  While the app is a good idea overall, we have all found it to be very frustrating at times. 

Each player can customize their level of play by choosing specific skills or all the skills at a particular grade level.  We have all found that when all the skills are selected, the app does not randomize well.  The player will be given similar problems, sometimes even the exact same problem.  It doesn’t seem to matter if the player solves the problem correctly or not.  The player is not given a practice space to compute, all computations need to be held in the players’ mind.  While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be frustrating for the player that needs practice and repetition because they are not secure with a concept.  The worst part of this app is that it does not allow the player to make mistakes.  Once a mistake is made, the app shows the solution and then moves on.  This is not helpful.  In fact, this made both my sons want to stop playing.  There also seem to be time limits on some problems that are quite short.  If the player does not complete the problem in time, the solution is shown and play moves on.  There does not appear to be a way to turn this timing function off.  Again, this is not helpful to the player who needs to practice skills.  “Awards” are given at odd times. For example, when the player solves 25 problems correctly overall, the player receives a reward.  However, since this is overall, it could be after the player completes one problem in a session.  After the next problem, the player could get a reward for solving 10 questions in a category correctly overall.  These interruptions are very distracting.  Finally, there does not seem to be an end to a session.  The player can just keep going.  There is not a natural stopping point.  Overall, I feel that this app has potential, but there are multiple things that need to be fixed.  It is certainly not for someone who needs to practice skills.

What We Like

·         Player can choose specific skills to practice

·         Skills are grouped by grade level, however a player can choose from multiple grade levels

·         App can track up to three players’ progress

What We’d Like to Change

·         App does not randomize well; sometimes player has to solve exact same problem even if solved correctly in the past

·         App does not allow player to make mistakes; shows solution after one error; not helpful to players that need to practice skills

·         No space to compute; player has to hold computations in head

·         Time limits on solving problems

·         Awards are given at odd times; can be very distracting

Our app list...

Here is the 2011-12 kindergarten list - some of the basic apps on my student iPads and couple of words on why (a great place to get started):

iStopMotion - even 5 year olds can create really cool "stories"  - read more here





 

 iPhoto - so we can edit our photos and create quick journals of field trips, activities, projects



 

 


iWriteWords - good for handwriting practice - read more here



 




Word Wizard - for building words, has many wonderful lists of words already built in (Dolch Sight words, numbers, animals, foods, CVC lists based on specific blends, letter sounds, etc) and lets you enter your own lists - read more here





Montessori Crosswords - fun reading/spelling practice - allows the selection of targeted sounds such as short vowel sound words, specific consonant sounds, digraphs, silent letters - read more here






Book Creator - to give the students the tool to be completely creative in telling a story - read more here






LetterSchool - fantastic handwriting practice - read more here










Motion Math Zoom - interactive number line - great for thinking about number relationships - bigger, smaller, number order - read more here

Motion Math Hungry Fish - fishy way of approaching number relationships/addition - read more here

Moofy Patterns - for practicing patterns







Motion Math Wings - new way to consider "which is more" using a little kinesthetic learning







Scribble Press - for letting the creativity flow (don't miss the outstanding marker wall!)





Big Seed - wonderful problem solving app which gets kids working together, having thinking conversations - read more here

KickBox - a great app for practicing persistence, problem solving, collaborative pairing - read more here







Strip Design - think wordless books in a storyboard format for 6 year olds - a great app for getting the creative juices flowing






StarWalk - because there are wonderful stories in the stars...and a little fun too!  read more here





Bumpling - more problem solving, logical thinking, and possibilities for collaborative efforts - read more here

 

Math Doodles

Over the past few weeks, I feel like I have been testing A LOT of apps to see if they would be something good to use in the classroom.  My children have agreed to be "guinea pig" testers, and I often just watch them try out an app that I think I might like so I can see what a kid might do with it.  Last week, my younger son and I started testing Math Doodles by Daren Carstens.  This has quickly become one of our favorite apps!  First, the intro is really funny, which we love.  Currently there are three games to choose from: Sums Stacker, Connect Sums and Unknown Square. In Sums Stacker, you have to stack the values to add up to the number at the bottom of the columns. In the hard level, one column is a mystery.  In Connect Sums, you have to find the values that add up to the number at the top of the page. In the easy mode, you can choose any two numbers. In the hard mode, the numbers have to touch.  Finally, in Unknown Square, the player has to figure out the unknown number, just like a Magic Square. There are 5 levels and by the 5th level, you have to figure out 5 unknown values. It's really fun, challenging and makes you think. In each game you can change the values you are using: Roman Numerals, dominoes, English words, Spanish words, Chinese characters, Arabic numerals, fractions, money, Braille -  there are 22 different choices. If you want to try something you aren't familiar with, it's ok - there is a key on the page you can refer to when playing the game. There are two levels, easy and hard, on all the games.  What I like about this app is that it is not over-congratulatory - the stacks give a little dance when you are correct - and it also gives you the ratio of moves to points. Both my sons have pushed themselves to try and get a better ratio than last time.  My kids and I have all loved to try out values that we aren't familiar with to see what we can do. For each level completed, you get a smiley face and the game is over when you reach five.  When you finish, you get a "math compliment" such as "mathematically yummy" or "mathematically brilliant"  which reminds me of a favorite teacher of mine who gave unique compliments on all papers.  The one thing I would change is the ability to sign in and have the app track a particular players'  progress.  In a classroom setting, it would be beneficial to be able to check and see what students are working on. Overall, this is a great app and I am excited to use it in the classroom in the fall.