A few answers to comments

First of all, I appreciate questions and comments...  I will try to get to them as soon as I can; sometime my job and family interfere with my bloglife :)

How much time do the kids spend with the iPads...  tough question because it varies from day to day depending on our schedule and my lessons.  Some lessons the iPad fits in perfectly, sometimes we don't need it.  It also varies from kids to kid, some get on it every chance they get, while others choose more traditional materials when given the option.  Typically though they might use them in the morning: about 20 on the dock/books (but they also write/read if they want instead).  During literacy lessons, as a whiteboard, maybe 10 minutes.  Morning choice-time varies in length, about 20 minutes (many kids choose playdough, legos, writing/crafting, etc instead.)  Reading groups from 5-10 minutes, Math as a whiteboard or practicing a skill, 10 minutes but not every day. PM choice about 25 minutes possible but again they may choose other play choices.  About and hour and a half MAYBE, if they get to school at 8 and use it every chance they get, plus structured uses.  I think 45 minutes would be more realistic on normal days. 

Logistics of using the iPads:  Big question, because how much detail do you want? A site I used a lot in the beginning was Tony Vincent's Learning in Hand.  Super good "do's and don'ts for schools."
Currently I have a Datamation Storage Cart; it's good for security, but if you don't worry about them being stolen- which has happened to some schools- it is a very expensive option.  A good storage shelf and a couple of power strips can store and charge your iPads adequately.  I charge them usually on Wednesday and Friday.  I can go a week on light use, but to guarantee they are ready I try to charge on W/F consistently.

Maintenece: Not much is needed except for syncing.  Once you upgrade to ios5 you don't need to sync to computer any more.  Occasionally an app will freeze up or the iPad will act funny; restarting by holding down the power and home buttons at the same time until the apple appears helps solve MOST issues.  My colleague has some glitches on her class iPads but I haven't experienced those same issues. I think they might have been caused by some set up options. 

Having 1:1 iPads has taken some of the "shine" off the iPads- this years group accepts them as status quo- last years group was in awe and since they had to share them for the most part they treated them better than the high school kids.  This years' group is slightly more careless- they are still good with them but sometimes forget how fragile they can be.  Some rules I insist on: you must be sitting or laying doen to play- no walking.  Hold like a library book- hug to your chest with a hand on the bottom and another on the side.  No leaving them on the floor.  Always push the home button and cover when putting them away. 

I turn off the option to delete apps; or you can teach your kids the shaking app with an X is BAD.  They should ALWAYS push the home button if that happens. 

You should be very careful which apps you load and use regularly.  There are some great free and paid apps and there are some abysmal apps- both free and paid.  Apps with adds are not good- the kids click on them accidentally and go to some random internet site.  Some ads are inappropriate for kids too.  Be sure to read descriptions carefully and look at ratings.  Unless it's free and fits a need perfectly I don't download apps with less than a 3 star rating.

Ok, falling asleep now.. I will try to answer more soon

1:1 iPad use in Full Day Kindergarten

Practicing ABC's in reading group.

Background 

This is the first year of 1:1 iPads in my kindergarten classroom.  In October 2010 I received one to use with my class of 26, and by the end of May 2011 I had 11 and my class had dropped down to 22 children.  I absolutely loved that half the class could be working on the iPads completely independently, at various levels, while I worked with the other half of the kids.  The ability level of the children in last years class was more varied than typical.  The iPads were a life saver for me and allowed a greater level of differentiation than I could have done on my own- definitely to the benefit of the children.

I begged and pleaded until I was assured I would most likely have a class set of iPads for the 2011-2012 school year.  Sure enough, I started with 20 iPads for the 20 kids enrolled in my full day kindergarten class.  They are the original iPads, hand me downs from the high school- they upgraded to iPad2's this year.  Beggars can't be choosers though so I tried not to whine too much about the cameras I had hoped to have.

Getting started

So excited to use the iPads!

On the fourth day of school I introduced iPads to my class of 20 kindergartners.  They had seen me syncing the devices in the back of the room and were quite excited to get their hands on them.  I had planned on introducing the iPads in small groups, but changed my mind at the last minute for reasons I can't remember.  I had the children sit in a circle and demonstrated some of the apps briefly and then gave them time to explore the iPads.  Very little support was needed and they were instantly absorbed.  One child already had an iPad at home so he was a good resource to the other students.

At the end of the day several kids started to put their iPad into backpacks- I had to explain that they were for class only- my, how their faces fell.  

Over the next weeks I took time to introduce the apps on the dock- those that I feel are as good as or better than traditional classroom materials and address learning goals more effectively or equally as well.  Currently the dock holds two folders full of math and literacy apps, Sketchio, TeachMeK, Storykit, and Spaceboard K workbook.  I also teach and reinforce the importance of being on task- not playing nondock apps during learning times- and if children don't follow the rules their iPad goes into a timeout and they have alternate supplies during times other kids are using theirs for the day.  

Sometimes I noticed children playing an app that utilized a skill I usually teach later in the year, such as telling time to the hour, or addition and subtraction.  I introduce those topics with a mini lesson and give the whole group time to practice on their iPads. 

A typical day in my room with the iPads

Some children arrive at school up to a half hour before the day officially begins.  In past years I have given children who arrive early the choice to read or write, this year they can also read books on the iPad or use apps on the dock.  Fridays are always a little different- the children pick math manipulatives to use, iPads are not available during Friday mornings.

iPad cart for charging & secure storage

iPads are stored on table until needed.

The children continue to use their dock apps, read books, or write while I take care of morning business, such as checking folders and ordering lunches. Next, I call the children to the carpet.  I have found it easiest for iPads to be left in the center of the tables; it reduces the time it takes to replace them in their slots on the cart and the inevitable line up angst (for readers who don't teach K, this involves several minutes of cutting, whining, pushing, shoving, iPads dropped, etc.).

It also means that when there's a minute here or there that they are waiting on me or their classmates the iPads are in reach and they can work on learning goals instead of twiddling their thumbs, or getting into mischief as only a kindergartner can do.  In the beginning I always reminded them to press the home button before closing their cover- this turns off any active app and eliminates any unwanted noise (except for the iPod music app, which runs in the background).  The kids discovered the music on their own and it took a quick mini lesson to teach them to use the double click of the home button shortcut to locate and turn off (pause) the iPod music app.

TeachMe K models correct responses

Occasionally I ask the students to bring the iPads to the carpet for a learning activity.  I have them use Sketchio to write responses to questions, or practice writing letters, sounds, numbers, etc in lieu of using white boards or scratch paper (again, this saves a lot of instructional time and frustrations) - no passing out of supplies, dried out pens, broken pencils, and running out of space to write.  In a previous post I described how I made conductive pens for student use; typically I have the students use those during writing practice.  Maybe one day writing tools and paper will be obsolete, but until then students need to practice motor memory of correct letter formation holding a writing implement.  

Using my homemade stylus to write.

During the morning I use the iPads off and on depending on what we are doing.  Sometimes the children use the Storykit app to draw and write, other times they use paper journals.  During centers/Daily 5 (I am transitioning methods this year) children may use the iPads as an independent work station- either using dock apps or a few apps I have specified.  

During morning playtime kids can choose from any of the apps on the iPad, or anything in the classroom.  Some kids are more likely to use their ipads than the others- just as there are some who play almost exclusively with legos or such.  Now and then I leave the iPads in the cart all day or during playtime "to charge"- even if they don't need it-don't tell on me please! -to ensure all kids are engaging with others and real world objects.

It's a guitar too, or drums, or xylophone, or...

After lunch and recess, the children go to their reading group spots and do "abc" apps on the dock until the group is assembled.  Sometimes they work on the iPad while I or the aides read with one or two children.  The group that needs to learn alphabet letters/sounds goes through an alphabet app on the Pad- Preschool University has some good ones.  My group uses Word Wizard a lot to do word work activities.  

Drawing circles during math.

After reading groups we practice math skills, sometimes using the iPad as an independent center using some of the awesome math apps available, as a whiteboard for writing numbers, or to practice a specific skill.  This year I did not purchase any workbooks- all practice is done on the iPad or with classroom materials.  In past years I purchased reading, math and handwriting books to practice skills with.  The iPad is far superior to the workbooks- instant, self correcting, gives immediate feedback, kids progress at own levels and can be working at differentiated levels.  A workbook page would have 3-6 questions per page and take about 5-15 minutes to get through. If they didn't understand only the kids I am close to would receive feedback and support, and a lot of time is wasted passing out booklets, writing names, waiting for others to finish, being on the wrong problem, waiting for the teacher to check work, tearing out the page and putting away...  The iPad makes it simple, fun and so quick to practice the same skills, to say nothing of the opportunity for advanced or remedial instruction and instant feedback.  I also love the element of choice it affords my students; they can choose from several apps that work on the same skills, thus increasing engagement.  Just the other day we went on a 3D shape hunt with my iPad2 (how I wish all the kids had them instead of the original with no camera) and my aide had hers as well.  We split into two groups and the children took pictures of cones, cylinders, spheres and cubes as well as 2D shapes all over the school.  Then when we all got back to class the children took turns sharing the pictures they had taken and the name of the shape.

Using iPad2 to find 3D shapes around school.

Using storykit to describe science activity.

Other curriculum areas we use the iPad in are science (as a journal to record our observations) to check the weather, Social Studies- we tweet other kindergarten classrooms and find them on maps and the globe and learn about their lives; comparing similarities and discussing differences and even collaborating on play projects.  Last week we played musical chairs using rules shared by kindergartners in Indonesia, they told us about studying Bahasa, and the kids are amazed by the fact that because they live on the other side of the world, they are at school while we are sleeping.  The kids use the map app to see the area around our school, and find their houses and other places of interest.    

Discussing time zones.

Twitter pals.

The possibilities for incorporating the iPad into the classroom are really endless... they make learning fun, relevant, challenging, supportive, and are ideal for this age group.   Not only are the apps abundant for the early childhood crowd, the intuitive design and touch screen beg for little fingers.  Do I think the iPads should replace paper, blocks, markers,  and playdough?  Of course not, but they do make a terrific replacement for worksheets that keep showing up in ECE classrooms.  They can replace or supplement learning materials in place that are not as effective as they could be.  Using Montessori 100 board in place of 100 board tiles and board, for example.  I can have one app on the iPad that announces the numbers and doesn't allow incorrect placement of tiles; or dozens of the laminated boards and hundreds of the tiles that get lost, and allow children to mistakenly place 21 on 12's spot and children don't make the number/name association unless I am there to help, and I can't be there for 18+ kids at the same time. 
   

Similarly, for making words lessons, I would pass out 6-10 letter tiles to each child (which takes time to organize, pass out, orient letters correctly, they fall on the floor, etc.) Now I use Word Wizard instead, which saves lots of time, doesn't require storage, and will actually give children feedback on whether they spell words correctly. 




I do not think I can overstate how much I LOVE iPads in my classroom.  I think they are powerful and engaging, and yes, fun.  They are also a great way to help each child succeed, no matter their readiness for school in September.  Call me appnoxious or addpicted... it's ok.  I just DARE you to try using iPads with young children and tell me you think they don't belong in their hands.

Symbaloo

Have you used Symbaloo yet?  Tonight was my first time exploring, and so far I like it.  Here are a few mixes created by some #kinderchat Twitter pals  I thought I'd share to get you started.  Similar to a www.tizmos.com page, I am excited to try Symbaloo out for personal and professional uses.  Please share your mixes with me if they are K related. 

Awesome App Alert: Bugs and Buttons

I have been less vocal here on the blog lately; partly because I am busy (full time K, three kids, on Friends of the Library Board, turtle, cat, guinea pig, two dogs and NOW 17 puppies!) and partly because I felt like I had nothing to say.  That last part surprised you right? 

Until the last few days as I have observed my 3 year old playing Bugs and Buttons, a new app by the creators of the Dial Safe app.  Dial Safe Pro was available the other day for free to help promote Bugs and Buttons, so great way to advertise-it worked on me!  I already had Dial Safe Pro, but decided to look into the new app because of the adorable name, and my itunes account had a little more money left on it. 

Now, I LOVE buttons and use them to teach concepts in my class often.  But BUGS?  Yuck.  Still, I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did.  Let me summarize why you should spend the $2.99 I paid.  

1. Graphics are great
2. music is terrific not annoying
3. there are 18 activities
4. when i thought there were only 6 I still loved it
5. my 3 year old loves it
6. patterning games
7. sorting games
8. counting games
9. alphabet games
10. connect the dots
11. memory games
12. mazes
13. it makes me think just maybe bugs aren't as gross as I have always believed
14. has games that work on pincer grasp 
15. some levels appear to adjust  to your child's ability level
16. and so much more... did I mention 18 adorable games (although I am not so sure about the spiders.)  But maybe it will help kids not to be freaked out so much by them in real life.

Age most appropriate for: 3-6 in my opinion.  Some games are so cute older kids might enjoy them too.  Maybe the developer should offer another version aimed towards older kiddos under the same theme with the mini-games.  

My suggestions for improvement:  Make the start page more intuitive.  Explore (the option my daughter prefers) should be first or have an icon that helps non readers find it easier. 
I would love to see the games using letters have a voice announcing the letter name/sound when picked.  For example, in memory games when flipping over j and J the name or sound would be announced.  The same thing for the counting/color games too.

The price is fine for the quality of the app for individual use, but for my classroom it's a little steep.  I do think it is a serious contender for use in the classroom...  I rarely recommend apps that aren't free unless I think they are so great that you shouldn't wait for a free copy.  This is definately one of those "too good to pass up apps".  Certainly it is fun and education and just plain beautifully made... Highly recommened by me if you only have a few iPads in your room or you have a good budget for apps.  Otherwise, if you hear of it dropping in price be sure to download it quickly!

By the way... the reason I had no hesitation to buy the Bugs and Buttons app was because Dial Safe pro version and their free lite version are terrific too.  Last week I watched a kindergartner show the app to her mom during a conference.  She said "look, I can call 911."  So she did and it walked her through all the steps she would go through in a real emergency.  What an amazing app- she was fluently giving her phone number, address, name and age to the "operator".  I have had kids learning their info for years and never had such a realistic way for them to practice.  She was so proud of herself and now her mom and I both know she would know what to do if there was a real emergency.

How can YOU get iPads in your classroom

Several of you dear readers have asked how I got my class set of iPads and how you can get iPads in your classroom.  I wish I had a magic answer, a rich uncle or was an heir to a fortune but I don't and I am not.  My school got grants to cover the first set of iPads for the 9th grade class (Business manager taught 9th at the time and thought they would benefit highschoolers.  I started a campaign to get iPads into K the same day they announced 9th Graders were getting the iPads.  More grants and general budget paid for 10th grade to get iPads and 10 for elementary/library iPads- 6 of which ended up in my classroom due to my begging and teachers who were not ready to use them.  I kept letting my Superintendent and Principal know that I wanted/needed more (aka, begged) and demonstrated frequently why I thought they were awesome for ECE.  The begging paid off and I got 4 more.  I attended an iPad training put on by NCCE that cost $700 but included an iPad2.  Staff Development dollars paid for the class/iPad.  Now I was up to 11- with a class size of 22 by the end of the year and 20 expected for 2011-2012.  I planted the seed of 'wouldn't a 1:1 in K be terrific?' and watered liberally (aka. begging again).  iPad2's were bought for 9th, 10th, 11th grades and their iPads1's trickled down to K, 1st and 2nd.

The benefit of being in a small district is sometimes it's easier to try something new, find grants, and make connections with the $$$ decision makers.  I had a reputation for using technology and a willingness to try new things. 

 So while I don't have grand suggestions for funding your own iPad program, my suggestions are to be able to articulate WHY you NEED the technology.  How will you use it?  How is it better than traditional tools?  Don't just say it's fun...engaging...  Detail how it will help learners meet goals and unique ways to use it.  Can they be a part of a home/school connection program? 

Meg Wilson wrote an article with suggestions on how to get iDevices into your room:
http://edreach.us/2011/11/15/5-opportunities-to-get-ipods-ipads-into-your-classroom/

Good luck!!!  If you can start with one- start there!

Stylus for ECE classrooms, DIY stylus

I want my students to practice handwriting on the iPad holding a writing utensil.  I believe in motor memory and that practice makes perfect.  I also think the iPad can make even handwriting fun.  I love that some apps like Pocket Phonics and iWriteWords demonstrate proper letter formation.  I like Write-On for a worksheet like practice experience (especially for name writing).

When I looked at a stylus for kindergarten there were a few BIG problems though.  PRICE, durability, and size.  I couldn't find anything I could afford to buy a class set of that would last and not get lost or ruined.  I bought a Pogo stylus for my personal iPad and my 3 year old ruined the tip the first time she used it.

So I remembered a tweet I'd seen about a DIY stylus.  I looked at a few sites/videos but wanted something bigger for little hands.  After a little brainstorming I decided to try using some old markers that had dried out.  They aturned out awesome! 

Materials:  28 gauge wire, conductive sponge, duct tape, and marker casing.

The cost of the materials (not including the marker cases as I used dried out ones) was less than $5 to make a class set. 

Each marker took a couple of minutes once I got the hang of it. 

 Directions (video links below too!):
1.  Remove the ink barrel and tip from the markers.
2.  Cut the sponge into strips width wise, then in half again.
3.  Cut the sponge (now approx. 2" long and 1" wide) halfway down (second picture).
4.  Compress and twist the uncut side so that it fits in the tip side of the marker barrel.
5.  Pull back the two parts of the sponge and wrap the wire around the sponge/tip to about 1/2 way up the marker.
6.  Secure the end of the wire with duct tape (about 1/3 of the tape width).
7. Wrap another strip of duct tape around the wire/sponge at the tip.

Pretty, aren't they?

videos here:  Make a stylus for kids or another video- make styli for kindergarten

A few answers to recent questions

First of all, thanks for posting your question or comment here... I enjoy adding to the blog so much more when I know people are enjoying it and find it useful.

jmartellino said...

Do you use a stylus with your ipads when the children are learning to write letters? FROM SUE:  Not yet, but plan to.  I had one stylus last year and have found one marker sized barrel one I want to try out.  My issue is the price though, and my own personal stylus took a beating from my 3 year old the other day so I am nervous about buying them for students. My goal is to try to make my own... this link explains how.   There are also several other methods too, along with videos if you do a search for make your own stylus.   The change I will make is to try to use a large marker barrel instead of the thin pen so the size is more appropriate for K.   I love the touch screens, but also want my kiddos to get used to writing letters and words with a tool.  One thing I have encouraged for now is that the students curl their fingers under and support their pointer with their thumb while writing on the iPad so their hand is in a "pencil grip" form.

Kailyn B. said...

Do you suggest any kindergarten online math games to play? FROM SUE: Yes, there are some that I really like, but they seem harder to find than reading games, at least without ads.  Some of my favorite sites are available here:  http://www.tizmos.com/kgrade 

dillsmelissa said...

Thanks for all of your ideas, I am putting them to good use already. I love the idea of a specific student using the ipad for the day. I will try it! I'd love to see a video of your entire set in action! I've found some on youtube and it has sparked some ideas. What are the 'logistics' of having a class set? Where do you store them? How does the syncing work? Charging them? Thanks for your blog and awesome work. Keep it up, you have a following! FROM SUE: Glad I could help and I hope you'll let me know how it's going.  I will try to get some video to share- usually I am so busy I don't think of videoing, but I will try this week or next.  As for logistics, it has varied over the past year.  When I had six I used a metal file folder, and then for the first weeks with the class set I used 24 metal paper holders (I'd bought from Costco a couple years ago)  that looked a little like the red paper organizer below, and now I have an official iPad cart.  The cart provides security and easier charging.  I have the iPads color and number coded to minimize confusion of whose is whose.  I do all the plugging/unplugging.  I've heard of iPads charge ports ruined because kids were plugging them in and jamming them the wrong way.  I have the cords tied by a velcro strip and off to the side when not charging.   Before the cart I charged about 6 each day, now I will charge every few days.  This cart does not sync.

 Syncing continues to be a pain and I try to do it as little as possible.  Now that you can download from the cloud, it is easier to load just a few apps at a time from the purchased icon in the AppStore, but I still dislike anything involving touching iPads one at a time.  My school bought a 16 iPad sync "octopus" as they call it, but I did not find it any easier than syncing a couple at a time.  Half the time they'd sync, half the time not.  So I am trying to go with the set up I chose the first week of school and sticking with that until I have a significant change to make. I am probably futilely hoping ios5 will help make syncing easier.  If you haven't been to Tony Vincent's site www.learninginhand.com you should check it out- he has great ideas for organizing iPads.

The biggest tip I have is for those who are frustrated with losing folder organization when syncing- you don't have to!  Once your iPad has synced/restored, and non-apple apps have been dumped out of the folders, right click on the iPad name in your iTunes account under Devices (it's on the very left of the screen) click restore and pick restore from the backup that you just did.  This will take much less time than the first restore and will reorganize your apps...

THANKS AGAIN for letting me know I'm not just talking to myself here!
Sue

Purposeful and Powerful Play on the iPad

I am usually all about the educational value (and cost of course) of apps.  But no kindergarten teacher should ever discount the power of play.  Building relationships, decision making, and creativity are key developmental areas that should be addressed in kindergarten.  They often get brushed aside in the rush to meet standards and prepare children for first grade.

My teaching career started in 1998 at the Cooperative Children's Center in Seattle, WA.  It is a parent owned childcare center started in the 70's by University of Washington parents and continues to value parent involvement, an anti-bias and emergent curriculum, and teachers and parents utilize positive discipline strategies.  At the Co-op I learned about NAEYC standards (National Association for the Education of the Young Child) and DAP (developmentally appropriate practice).  During my time there (I said goodbye for the last-time in 2003 and I still think fondly of the staff and families I came to love) I saw the power of child directed play and learning experiences based on child interest and not a prescribed curriculum.

I've been working in Preschool and Kindergarten in a school district setting since 2005 and I have felt the pressure of meeting standards and teaching children of all abilities.  I have felt the need to make my classroom look and act like first grade so parents and administrators trust that I'm adequately preparing the precious darlings entrusted to me.  Focusing on phonics, handwriting, counting to 100 seemed the right thing to do... but what about play?  Creativity? Social skills?  Vocabulary development and conversation?  All teachers complain about not enough time in the day to teach everything necessary.  I have the luxury of teaching all day Kindergarten but it still feels like there's not enough time to fit in "academics" and play and do justice to both. 

I was reminded today of a phrase I focused on during my quest to complete my Masters and National Board Certification.  Purposeful teaching, powerful play.  NBCT's know any lesson is not complete without asking the question- what is the impact on student learning?  No matter how fun, engaging or just plain cool an activity is, you are wasting your and student's time if you haven't considered just what the impact on student learning will be.  You don't even have to make changes usually (although often I tweak a lesson once I consider the question) to your activity.  Simply asking yourself how can I be purposeful while teaching this lesson helps you look for opportunities to ask meaningful questions, guide play, and build on student interest to make a powerful learning activity rather than one that was 'fun'. When play is approached purposefully academics naturally fits in. 

So I think my soliloquy is done.  When I started this post I was going to share some 'fun' apps that I believe could benefit your classroom.  Today I was watching my 3 year old play on my iPad and paid attention to the apps she likes to play with.  Several of her favorites (and mine too) are made by the app developer Toca Boca (website with videos of their apps). 

Today I bought the full version of Toca Doctor for her @ $.99- but you can try out the lite version too- she loved it so I decided to pay up!)  While I was on a roll I bought the Toca Tea Party  for $2.99 (I love tea parties and what a fun way to let Lily play at having one too). I downloaded Toca Hair Salon while it was free awhile back (thanks to Mom's with Apps for their Free App Friday site!) as well as Paint My Wings.  Toca Robot Lab is relatively new and I bought it for Lily for $.99 today too.  Lastly, I bought Helicopter Taxi (it's just so easy to click install when you have $ in your account!!!) for $1.99.

For Lily, I buy things I wouldn't be willing to buy class sets of.  I would however recommend at least buying one copy of Tea Party, Hair Salon, and Doctor for your dramatic play centers (I need to play with Helicopter and robot more before I recommend them).  You will definitely need to ask your kids to brainstorm fair ways to share the iPads you put it on, but they should also be clamoring for turns cutting yarn hair, playing with doctor tools and setting up a tea set. 

Lily's Tea Party

Tea Party is built for up to four players at once (three attendees and one server)- Lily and I had a tea party with her baby doll and then she had one with her stuffed dog and baby all by herself.  I liked the choices offered and the opportunity for us to talk and use manners and just have fun.  I loved watching her talk for her dog and doll and serve them.  Make the play purposeful by counting how many bites you take or how many sips until your cookie or juice is gone.  I want a star shaped cookie- do you want the triangle shape cake?  Is it fun- Yes.  Can it be educational? Yes.  Developmentally appropriate? Yes.  Put an iPad in your kitchen corner and see what they do with it.  By the way, kids could take orders for a restaurant using a drawing app too.  :)

Doctor has little puzzles and activities that have children pick an area of the body to fix.  I would love if the app had an option to turn on verbal labels- such as stomach, wrist, and maybe count how many slivers are taken out.  But again, this is where the teacher/parent should come in- be there while your child plays and create opportunities to learn through play.

I do have Hair Salon on my class iPads and the kids LOVE it.  And honestly, so do I!  They make funky hairdo's, show off their creations and talk about the choices they make.  You can use vocabulary like short and long, talk color choices (what nice blue and gold hair you've colored there!) and discuss symmetry and asymmetry. 

Speaking of symmetry, Paint My Wings is another favorite of my kinders- and is good for discussions about color and examples of how butterfly wings have a line of symmetry.

Here's an idea for you teachers with one or a few iPads, or for when you've only bought one copy of an app.  During centers put an iPad in the housekeeping center that kids will use "housekeeping" folder apps with.  Put one at the math table with math apps, including some of the fun math apps.  In your construction corner put the iPad with a build folder with angry birds, toca robot and more.  Encourage the kids to build an example from the game. 

There are more apps that are playful I could mention by name, but that would require my daughter giving me back the iPad.  But she is still playing- and by the way, after cleaning the sugar bugs off the teeth in Toca Doctor she told me she wants to go to the dentist now.

Study after study talks about the need for creativity and problem solving skills for successful 21st century learners... can the iPad help with that?  I think so. 

Facebook and Family Communication

Thank goodness kinderchat came into my life this year. It has helped me become more excited about teaching and kindergarten than I've been for awhile. I like new things, and the people on #kinderchat have given me a plethora of new ideas to challenge me.

Going successfully, so far, is the Facebook page I've created to share with families about the daily life of my classroom. This idea sounded great to me once I read Matt Gomez's blog about his successful use of FB last year (lots of info and links can be found from kinderchat's blog). He let me look at his page from last year and the quality of information shared as well as his parents responses on the page itself made making my own Facebook page a priority.


Feedback from my own classroom page parents-
Thank you so much! This is really nice. It is a great way for me to see what is going on. I ask a million questions but not much imput back from DS. Love this!


Cute! I love that we can see pictures so fast on what they are doing in class! Great idea!


It's so nice to be able to see our kids' work they are doing. Thank you.

My opinion, so far...
SO far I have posted pictures and videos of kids in class playing and learning, outside at recess and more. I took videos of them dancing to Jack Hartmann's Hip Hop tooty ta song today and asked them to guess what animals we would be studying in science. I enjoy looking for great pictures and video moments during the day and adore how easy it is to upload to Facebook from my phone. 7/20 parents have joined our page since school started (we are on our 9th day today). I really would LOVE if all 20 families actively participated on the page. As a parent I would love if my kids' teachers had a FB page too.

Pro's of Facebook Classroom Pages:
easier to update than school website
immediate sharing of what went on during the day versus a weekly/monthly newsletter
grandparents, and other long distance family can join too
secure- families must request to join page
do not need to be friend's to see page and posts

Con's
Some parents may not have easy access to FB/internet.
Some parents might be leery of having photos on the page. We don't use names and the posts can't be shared like most FB posts.

Evernote

Tonights kinderchat talk was about documentation with Evernote (really, how did I miss the beauty of Evernote before?) I created an account in December and never touched it after that. During tonights discussion (tune in Mondays on twitter @6pm PT #kinderchat for more great ideas) the idea of documenting students' work using Evernote and a few other apps caught my attention.

So, after pulling myself away from my new Google+ account, I created notebooks for each student. It was EASY. I look forward to snapping pics of student work, recording them reading, etc to share w/ parents at conferences or the child for self-assessment. Beautiful idea. Can't wait to try it out tomorrow.

1:1 iPads launched in Kindergarten today

The kids were so excited last week when they saw the iPads in our classroom on the first day of school. I had hoped to have them ready for the first day of school, but priority wise it was not too high. Any K teachers... you know what I mean! Survival is #1 the first days of K! So today was our third day of school and I finally got the 20 iPads all synced and ready to go. I wish syncing was easier... I would do a 'first days' version and a 'all the apps' version.

I'd promised that they could use them today, but due to an assembly, I had less time to introduce them. Instead of introducing them in smaller groups I condensed and had the whole group in a circle and let them 'go' for a few minutes. About 85% got them on and used the slider to get to the dock and folders without assistance (INTUITIVE- love it). The rest figured it out soon enough and I encouraged peer coaching. If I had it to do over I'd probably have them at their tables- they could sit on their hands during instructions!

After a few minutes of exploring I guided the kids briefly through writing their name with Sketchio and using math and reading skills with Teach Me Kindergarten. Afterwards I directed them to use an app from the dock only.

During playtime I let them choose the iPad- 19/20 chose to play on them. One child cried when her mom picked her up early. Many of the kids kept using TeachMe: kindergarten even when they had the chance to play something else. At the end of the day, several kids tried taking them home.

1:1 iPads in my Kindergarten class! Yippee!

I found out today that I am for sure getting a class set of iPads. Last September I saw an iPad for the first time... by November I had begged, pleaded and nagged until I got 5 for my classroom. By March I had 7. In May I got up to a total of 11. Then I started begging, pleading and nagging about a class set for September. Lo and behold... my wish was granted! I am expecting 21 students, and will have 21 iPads. I also have one iPad2 that will be used for video and photo projects by all the kids.

I am trying to plan for how the iPads will enhance or improve the day. For management purposes I am leaving off the 'FUN' apps- angry birds, motocross, jelly car'- at least for now. I may add those on later. Maybe.

After the first few days the kids will be able to use any app prior to school starting.

When the bell rings the children will open Sketchio and draw/write. Later in the year they can choose from other 'digital ink' apps but for the beginning of the year less options result in less issues.

I will use my iPad as an interactive whiteboard using Splashtop's Whiteboard app during group time.

Instead of whiteboards the kids will use Sketchio to write letter/words as a group. (No more passing out boards, pens or erasers. no ink on clothes, skin or the floor. No stinky dry erase markers that dry out and squeak.)

I will continue to use iPads as learning centers for math and reading- it will just be much easier to differentiate.

I will still use the dock for 'the best' apps for learning. I will still have a plethora of books in folders for the kids to read on page one, as well as apps (like Sketchio) that I want the kids to have easy access to.)

Issues I need to address before school starts:
how to store safely, but with quick access for the kids?

Best Free Literacy Apps

Why 'literacy' and not reading or writing?  "The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as the ability to identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate, compute and use printed and written materials associated with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate fully in their community and wider society."  I find that reading and writing are so interwoven (and that they should be) that it's difficult to classify some apps into just reading or writing.  The apps I am listing include phonics, writing, handwriting, sight words, literature...  literacy skill builders for Early Childhood.

Please forgive  me for not taking the time to describe all of these.  I hope they are still free if you're reading this and you'll try them out on your own.  AND I will add more as I reload my class iPads... these are the ones on my personal iPads for my sweet daughter to play with.

So, the best free reading and writing literacy apps are, in my opinion, as of today:
Pocket Phonics Lite- you'll want the paid version after trying this!  It's not super fancy, but the format is great. 

Anything by Preschool University... the ABC Magic series.  I dislike how all the apps' icons look the same, but the apps themselves are great.  Always check out the developer website button in the top right of the app store in the iPad... you can find more great apps that way.

Sketchio  is a great app to use as digital paper/whiteboard.  I love that you can move back and forth between pages and it's real basic... not so many features as Doodlebuddy, but that's a good thing at carpet or center time.  others to get (I like letting my students choose from a variety of digital writing apps, just as I do various "real" tools)  Kidslate and Penboard

Skill builder spelling.  two fun games with word lists you customize.

PB Phonics 1-3 is free with 18 phonemes and 3 levels.  Interesting format. Has additional phonemes for purchase.

Grasshopper Apps has a lot of word work and alphabet recognition apps.  Some are free, some are not.  I like them because they are customizable.  I am going to add a couple of links here, but be sure to go to the developer page too to find any others you might like.  Sight Words  ABC Alphabet   I like book

StoryKit  Read or create books.  My favorite free app for creating stories with drawings, pictures, text, audio.

Best Apps for Kindergarten and the Teacher

Note, I will update when I find more apps that are worth paying for.  Check back for the updated list.  I will post a best of the free apps list with links and descriptions later as I load them on my class iPads.

There are so many wonderful free apps (THANK YOU DEVELOPERS- you are helping to change the future of so may children through putting quality learning activities in their hands!) that choosing the ones to pay for is difficult.  My classroom budget has been cut the last few years and my family budget is going to be taking a big hit this year too.  So, I do not take choosing which apps to pay for a class set of lightly.

My criteria: Needs to meet my definition of a Teaching Tool.
*Teaching tools should improve traditional learning activities by:
1.)  saving time.
2.)  allowing for differentiation to meet each child's learning needs.
3.)  motivating reluctant learners.
4.)  make learning fun.
+Ease of use. Ie. Intuitive
+low price (even with VPP it adds up so quickly!)
+teaches and/or reinforces
-lite versions, or in app purchase versions
-obnoxious noises, and even worse 'wrong' buzzers
-expensive... Even with 1/2 off via VPP a set of 24 apps still adds up, quickly.
-Complex menus...
-tells their answer was wrong, but the correct answer is not shown

Recommended paid apps for Student iPads:
MATH
Montessori 100 board
Well thought out 100 board, students can place tiles in order counting by 1's, and by 2's odd or even.   They have a new app out too apparently that has skip counting by 2's-10's that I haven't tried.
Park Math
I love the varied activities and three levels of difficulty.

LITERACY
Word wizard
WOW!  A moveable alphabet that reads what the child (or adult, as I have fun with it too!) writes.  It highlights words that are misspelled or spelled correctly.  You can also do spelling quizzes.  I need to try the full version, I have only used the beta so far but it was amazing.
Pocket phonics
I really like the format, and combination of letter writing and sound pronunciation.  The word games are great phonics practice too.
Montessori crosswords
By the same maker of Word Wizard.  Simple crossword puzzles and a movable alphabet I've used for making words lessons. Has three levels of difficulty and great scaffolding support.



MULTI-SUBJECT
Teach me K, or maybe Teach Me: 1st
for a measly $.99 this is a powerhouse app.  Works on phonics, math skills, sight words, etc.  Best of all it actually teaches and provides support if the child doesn't answer correctly.

Recommended paid apps for Teacher iPad:
Stick Pick 
Throw away your Popsicle sticks!  Pick a student randomly.  Gives ideas of questions to ask and allows you to evaluate and track student answers.
Decide Now!
Make your own spinners
iplanlessons
no more paper planners... use this instead
Creative Genius
fun fun ideas to spark discussions and creative activities
ABC It!
I would like to put this on student iPads (I would if it was free!) but plan on just having it on mine for now.  Has a neat way of presenting ABCs for letter names, sign language and letter sounds.
Dexteria
I may pay for a class set of this, after I test it with students.   You should definitely have a copy for your students who need fine motor practice.
Whiteboard
by Splashtop Lets you control your computer from your iPad and use it as an interactive whiteboard.  You still need a projector but you don't need a $1000 whiteboard anymore.

So many apps, not enough space! Or, how to choose the bast apps.

My iPad tells me at I've tried out well over 800 apps so far. Despite having a 32 iPad2 I find myself having to delete apps to make room for new downloads. (wishing I had bought a 64!). It is a painful process, choosing apps to delete.
Apple's changes to the app store helps, of course. I can always go to the purchased section, not on this iPad, to find an app previously purchased, and deleted. But still, I find myself agonizing over which apps are worthy of my coveted space.
Even worse, my classroom iPads ONLY have 16gb's. Soon I will have to pick and choose from the 800+ apps to decide which apps are going to make the cut.
My criteria:
+educational- a broad term, I know.
+Fun
+Ease of use. Ie. Intuitive
+Free! (I will be much more selective of which ones I'll choose to pay for a class set. Some add up quickly!)
+Skill specific or easy to navigate. Ie. Work on short vowels only or clearly defined sections. This is important when choosing which folders to place them in.
+teaches and/or reinforces
-lite versions, or in app purchase versions
-obnoxious noises, and even worse 'wrong' buzzers
-expensive... Even with 1/2 off via VPP a set of 24 apps still adds up, quickly.
-Complex menus...
-tells their answer was wrong, but the correct answer is not shown
Apps I will pay for:
Montessori crosswords
Montessori 100 board
Park Math
Word wizard
Teach me K, or maybe Teach Me: 1st 
Pocket phonics
See? Already just these six apps would cost a lot. Cost/2*24=yikes. I really want developers to make money... But my husband will only let me spend so much of my own money, and now that I'm in charge of the budget I can see why. Food for my family or apps?
I really wish the buy an app-put it on up to 5 devices rule applied to Education. I would still be buying 5 copies of the app and would be likely to get so many more.
So wish me luck. And if you have a list you've already made up, send it to me. I'd be curious to see if you've found any hidden gems. I will be sure to use applist.me to share my final classroom iPad apps for fall 2011.

Tweet this!

I am relatively new to twitter, @I_teach_k by the way, feel free to follow me and see who I follow. I began to use it regularly in May then got busy and forgot it for a while. I especially like it for hearing about good new apps. Today I came across #kinderchat, apparently a hashtag to follow Mondays @ 9pm ET.

The best this is that their blog has a newbies guide to tweeting! So check it out #kinderchat

This week it appears they are going to discuss an article about self-regulation...

One of the things I like about twitter is the sense of community... Something I lack here in my one class per grade small town. So kinderchat sounds like a great idea to me!

By the way, I'd love it if you share your favorite posts from my blog to twitter or Facebook... There's a link at top left.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of seeing how many people read my blog...

Sosh App for Social Skills Development

I am thrilled to have won a promo code for SOSH from SOSH and Teaching All Students! I am looking forward to using it with my oldest son and in class next year as needed.
UPDATE:I got the free code (THANK YOU! SOSH and Teaching All Students)and I've begun using it with my boys. I expected to use it only with my oldest, who has ADD and undiagnosed mental disorder, but actually used it with my youngest son first. He has been in a terrible mood lately... Easily angered, instigating arguments, nasty temper, etc. When he started to lose his cool again the other day I opened the SOSH app and used some of it's features with him. He really responded to the deep breathing prompts, the perspective tool and the block it out feature. When I used it with my oldest tonight, he loved the shredder and liked rationg how the different problem solutions worked or didn't work for him tonight. I love that I had pre personalized the block it out feature with one of their own favorite songs... Got them singing along and letting go of some anger.

I am looking forward to using more features. Be sure to follow the link bellow for a great review of SOSH.

About SOSH
SoshTM is a new approach to social skills development. The Sosh methodology breaks down social functioning into five essential areas: Relate (Connect with Others), Relax (Reduce Stress), Regulate (Manage Behaviors), Reason (Think it Through), and Recognize (Understand Feelings). These 5 R's serve as a roadmap for individuals who struggle with social skills and also serve as a guide for parents, teachers, and therapists.

I loved the review of the app on Teaching All Students blog... Check it out here.

Great websites for teachers

I started this blog because teachers kept asking me about my experiences using technology and I wanted to "pay it forward" to say thanks for all the amazing websites that have freely shared wonderful ideas and resources during the past 15 years I've been in the teaching field.

Tonight, instead of sleeping, I've been working on letters to my new kindergarten families and looking online for new teaching ideas. So, I wanted to share a few of my favorite sites/blogs in case you haven't found these ones yet. They are not all tech related... but they do have great ideas, so check them out!

Teaching Blog Addict- my newest find

LadyBugsTeacherFiles blog-great ideas and downloads

Ana-White's terrific furniture plans for the DIY teachers

Florida's Reading Resources, search for reading skill activities

Reading Rockets-Good literacy info for all

We Give Books...Read books, and they donate books to needy kids

A4CWSN... App reviews, iPad fundraising, App Parties oh my!

Tony V's Ultimate mobile learning site

Wonderful list of apps sorted by skills/IEP goals.

Tech in (Spl) Ed site... Loved by me for free app Fridays.

Love Brainpop... free video a week or subscription

Littlest Learners blog- Great ideas for organization- the area I am most lacking in!

Storyline Online-Stories read by Actors

ESGI Online Assessment for K/1 (not free)

AWESOME Art Projects For Kids

Oswego Online Math Games

K Kove-SF Reading Street for K

Kelly's K for you open court teachers, plus great games and homework