Weekly App-le: The Grading Game Makes Proof-Reading a Take-Home Delight

Posted on January 10, 2013 by

After an exhausting day in the classroom, the thought of bringing work home is about as enjoyable as a makeup snow day. Nevertheless, we are teachers, and our job tendencies don't stay in the classroom when we flip the lights off at the end of the day. So if you find yourself proof-reading sales circulars, issuing quizzes to store employees on product details, or straightening chairs at the furniture store, this app is for you.

The Grading Game, produced by “mode of expression, LLC” challenges players to race against the clock to correct typos and grammar errors. Assuming the role of a destitute graduate student at Witherworth University, you must grade student essays for Dr. Snerpus, earning cash for each mistake found within the time limit (why this professor needs essays graded in 25 seconds or less is beyond me). Levels become more difficult as players move from “freshman year” to the academic mountaintop of “Doctorate III”. Quick play and practice options are available in addition to the career mode, ensuring a “quick fix” for free class periods and rpg-style fun for evening downtime.

While this game provides fun for english language enthusiasts and teachers, this app could be used as a fun way to strengthen writing skills for students. The app was released in early December 2012, and currently has very favorable reviews, earning a 4.5 out of 5 stars in the iOS App Store. The app currently costs 0.99 cents, but if you'd like to take it for a test run, a free version of the app is available here.

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Essential Apps For the New iPad Teacher

Posted on June 13, 2012 by

Photo credit: Wikipedia

Congratulations! You just received your first iPad. Imagine the possibilities! I know what you’re thinking. This new piece of technology can help me…where do I start? This is often a common reaction the first time a tablet is placed into an educator’s hands. The possibilities are so great and the apps are so numerous, it can be tough to know where to start. Since a journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step, here are some suggestions to help educators begin using their iPads in the classroom. As the basics become mastered, feel free to try new ways to use this tool in your classroom. Make sure to let us know how you are using iPads to enhance your teaching in the comments section below.

Take Attendance

One of the quickest (and easiest) ways to begin using the iPad in the classroom is to utilize it as a way to record and track attendance. The ability to store records electronically and have a program handle tracking proves to be a huge time saver. Try this app to get started:

TeacherPal

TeacherPal - ITWorx

Price: Free

TeacherPal allows teachers to easily create classes and add students to them. Once names are input, simply tap on the appropriate student’s icon to record them as present, absent, or tardy (or whatever groupings you decide to create).The app can also be used to record grades and track behavior, although these features require a steeper learning curve. Faces can also be added for each student profile using the iPad camera. For tutorials on how to use this app to its fullest capabilities, click here.

Edit Written Assignments

Tired of carrying large stacks of essays home to grade? Not only is it tough to balance that overstuffed folder while opening a car door, marking papers with red ink for long periods of time can make even the seasoned educator fall slip into a daze. Assuming you have a class that can submit their written assignments online, editing papers electronically can save time and printer ink. Students often enjoy receiving their graded assignments electronically as well, as it is stored safely for reference at any time and allows for changes to be made right in the word processing program based on the educator’s comments and markings. If you’d like to cut down on the paper and grade essays from the iPad, try this app:

GoodReader

GoodReader for iPhone - Good.iWare Ltd.

Price: $4.99

GoodReader allows iPad users to view virtually any document on the iPad, including PDFs, Microsoft office files (.doc) and other text files (.doc and .rtf). It is important to note that in order to mark a paper with annotations, it must be a PDF file. If students can be instructed on how to email their work as PDF files, you will have the ability to insert comments, highlight text, and create lines, arrows, rectangles, ovals, cloudy shapes, text underlines, strikeouts and text insertion marks.Once papers have been graded a simple click of the mouse allows for edited docs to be emailed, printed (to a wireless printer) or saved to a cloud storage system. No more paper trail!

Use Your Computer on the iPad

Yes, you read that correctly. It is possible to have full control of your laptop or desktop from the iPad, whether the computer is in the room or not. This may seem pointless at first, but not all things that can be accomplished on a computer can be accomplished on the iPad (yet). To bridge this gap, try this app:

Splashtop Remote Desktop

Splashtop Remote Desktop for iPhone & iPod - Splashtop Inc.

Price: $1.99

Splashtop has managed to create an app that takes the often-complicated process of setting up a remote desktop and turns it into a dead-simple process. Simply install this app on the iPad and create a user name and password. From there, go to the Splashtop website and download the streamer for your desktop/laptop (free). Input that same user name and password and voilà! Your computer screen shows up on your iPad. Use this app when you need to get to a file on your computer, when you need to show a flash-based video to your class or just need to run a Windows-only program when your regular computer isn’t available.

Call On Students in Class

When review time or sharing sessions come along, teachers can often struggle to find ways to get every student involved in the conversation. The delicate balance of checking for understanding and encouraging whole-class participation can be accomplished by using this neat iPad app:

Stick Pick 

Stick Pick - Buzz Garwood

Price: $2.99

The Popsicle stick method of calling on students randomly is as old as the apple for the teacher. Now this procedure can be digitized. Simply input student names (which can be organized into classes) and give your device a shake to mix up the student sticks. From there, students’ answers are tracked based on the quality of the response. Teachers can assign a rating to each student’s answer by selecting on a scale of 0-5 on a critical thinking rubric (Bloom’s Taxonomy) or an elaboration rubric (ESL). Student progress is recorded automatically and can be e-mailed to parents with the tap of a finger. No more soup cans cluttering up that desk!

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TenMarks: 21st Century Math Instruction Has Arrived!

Posted on February 6, 2012 by

It’s no secret that math scores are low across the board in the US education system. In fact, the land of the free and the home of the under-educated ranked 25th out of 34 developed nations across the world in math skills, according to a recent USA Today report. Students today are technology consumers, from their phones to laptops, and are less inclined to enjoy math instruction from a traditional textbook or whiteboard writing activity, so what can be done?

TenMarks, a company based out of Massachusetts and California, has designed a web-based service that provides math instruction through the technology medium that students crave. This service comes loaded with features for teachers: lessons are sorted by grade level and subject to match the lesson to the student’s current level.  Stat-tracking generates reports for each lesson, broken down to each question, allowing teachers to make the assessment process ongoing. Parent reports are available as well, allowing easy communication between the house and the classroom. The ability to differentiate instruction alone is perfect for math teachers, who often face several levels of ability in one classroom. TenMarks allows for each student to receive practice in areas of deficiency and for gifted students to move ahead after they’ve mastered a topic.

The standout feature offered by this service is the review and instruction option. If a student bombs a lesson on the site, they have the ability to see a short video explanation that reviews and explains concepts before attempting the assessment again. The videos are colorful and engaging, and do a great job of keeping information concise and understandable.

Now let’s get to the inevitable question for teachers: the price. TenMarks offers two subscription options for their service. The free version is fully capable, and allows teachers to organize students into classes and assign lessons for each based on need. Teachers can choose up to three math “albums” at a time to choose lessons from. An album refers to a topic area, such as geometry, fractions, or multiplication. Parent reports and stat tracking are also included.

If money is available, TenMarks has a premium service available for just $10 per student. ($5 for the remainder of the 2011-12 school year. Sign up today!) The premium service offers unlimited albums, along with an automated program that assigns students lessons based on progress. If little Jimmy has mastered fractions, the program will assign lessons that allow him to move on to the next topic for his grade level (or above his grade level if applicable). At the same time, little Johnny will be assigned lessons to help reinforce an area until mastered if he is struggling. Differentiated instruction at its finest!

My school recently added the free subscription to be used for extra homework practice. Results so far have been promising, with several at-risk students in math showing positive gains in a matter of months! Has your school adopted TenMarks, and if so, how successful has the program been in raising achievement in math? Let us know in the comments below.

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iPad Doc Editing: Creating a Two-Way Street (Pt.1)

Posted on November 10, 2011 by

If you’re like me, you’ve found yourself using your iPad more and more as your primary computing device. With any product teachers use, the ability to easily produce documents is of the utmost importance. Apple has made the transition from full-blown laptop to tablet much easier with their mobile versions of word processing programs Pages, Keynote and Numbers.

With the introduction of iCloud, along with the prevalence of cloud storage options such as Dropbox, SugarSync, and Box.net, accessing your created files on your iPad is easy, but the ability to edit them and save them back to your cloud storage service has thus far been rendered impossible. If I create a document on my Windows computer at school and save it to my cloud service, I can access and edit it on my iPad, but can’t sync the updated file back to the cloud. At the same time, if I create a document on my iPad, there is no default way to save the document to my cloud service (unless I email the file to my computer, open it, and save it from there to my cloud service. No thanks.). What is a teacher to do?

Enter the cloud storage service Box.net. Box is currently the only company that allows what is known as webDAV syncing, which iPad allows as a way to save files. According to forum posts, both Dropbox and SugarSync have no current plans to implement this feature in the future either. Box.net offers 50 gb of storage, and a slew of collaboration tools for free.

So to recap, if you are looking for a way to both access and edit files created on other computers, as well as save documents created on your iPad to your cloud service, Box.net is the best (and only free) method to achieve this.

Interested in configuring this service for your iPad? Just follow the steps below.

Download the Box.net app from the App Store and sign up for an account

Create a default folder you will want to save your files (documents, home, etc.)

In Pages (repeat same process in Keynote & Numbers) click on the “Tools” icon and select “Share and Print”.

Select “Copy to WebDAV”

Type in your user name and password you created for your Box.net account. For “Server Address” type in http://www.box.net/dav/”folder name”

After typing in your WebDAV settings, you will be prompted to choose your normal file save format

Save your file to you new Box.net account!

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Top5: Instant Classroom Mood Boosters

Posted on August 1, 2011 by
Group of five happy children jumping outdoors.

It’s January, the students are back from winter break, the sun hasn’t shone in weeks, and outside is a vast landscape of white snowdrifts blanketing the landscape. Times like this are a struggle for teachers, as students often find themselves in a funk that can affect their classroom performance. Here are five easy strategies you can implement in your classroom to help students shake the moody blues and refocus on academics.

#5 Make it Social

Humans are social creatures, and teenagers are the social carnivores of our species. Rearrange your lesson plan procedures to allow for partner or small group activities, which will allow students to pick their heads up off the desk and become active participants in the lesson by interacting friends.

#4 Cue the Music Maestro!

The tech teacher always has some type of media device at their disposal, whether it be a laptop, smart phone, or tablet. Use that device to tap into a mood-lifting therapy we all love: music. Research shows that this is a useful treatment for depression. Playing classical, instrumental, or just plain peaceful music in the background during activity or reading times can be a great mood booster in the classroom.

#3 Here’s a Bright Idea…

During the darker months of the year our bodies can easily be affected negatively by a lack of light, a proven mood booster. Our classrooms can actually foster these seasonal affective disorders, as little attention is often paid to the brightness of the lights in our classrooms. Get in touch with your maintenance director and see if its possible to have the lights in your classroom changed to UV-shielded fluorescent lights, which give a maximum brightness in the classroom without causing strain on the eyes. If that option is a no-go, simply hanging shiny decorative objects from the ceiling can help maximize the brightness in your classroom.

*Sometimes bright artificial lights can cause issues for individuals who are diagnosed with “bipolar disorder,” formerly known as manic depression. Check with your school health officials before adding bright lighting to classrooms.

#2: I Love the Smell of lavender in the Morning

Engaging multiple senses can help invigorate the brains of students, and utilizing their sense of smell is an easy way to achieve this goal. This can be easily achieved with candles nowadays, as any store offers some type of fragrance-release mechanism that can be safely placed around the classroom. Stick with smells that have been shown to increase brain alertness, such as cinnamon, lavender, lemon and peppermint.

#1 Just Move

This sounds simple enough, but is still an underutilized strategy in many teachers’ arsenals.  Overwhelming evidence points to the link between physical activity and mood, yet the school setting all too often encourages inactivity. Create a scavenger hunt around your classroom or school, play an interactive game, or even have students switch groups or seats periodically during class. The bottom line is to get them moving. Doing this will increase blood flow and brain activity, which can affect the mood of your students.

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QR Codes: A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on July 26, 2011 by

QR codes, or quick response codes, have recently become the hot topic in technology education. These blocks of code have been popping up all over billboards and product packaging in the United States, and teachers across the country have been finding ways to implement QR codes in the classroom in many different ways as well.

In a nutshell, QR codes are a quick method of delivering information. Any device with a camera and app capabilities can read them, including smart phones (Android, Apple, RIM, and WebOS), iPods, tablets, and laptops. An individual need only point their device at the code, and the information is decoded and delivered. QR codes can be used to deliver contact information, documents, videos and websites. Just imagine the possibilities!

Use the guide below to create and start using QR codes in your classroom, and make sure to let us know how you are utilizing them!

1) Locate a QR code generator

My favorite code generator was created by the folks over at QRstuff.com. The site allows users to input several different types of data, change the color of the code image, and export created works by email, copy-past and print.

2) Input your data

If you are linking a website, simply select the “website input” option and type in the URL. For a document, copy-paste your text into the appropriate field after selecting the “input text” option. You get the idea.

3) Generate your QR code

Once you’ve input all of the information and available option, click the option to generate your new specific QR code. After your code has been created, it can be emailed, printed, or copy-pasted into another document.

Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom

- Print QR codes that that provide links to further information on topics currently being studied. Cut out the codes and place them in your students’ textbooks to aid them in their studying. They’ll love the new interactive additions to their reading assignments!

- Add QR codes to homework lists or assignment boards in your classroom. That student who forgot to write down their homework assignment in class (we all have one) will love that you’ve posted an easy link on your classroom door for easy reference.

- Create a scavenger hunt for your students by placing QR codes around your classroom or campus that link to different pieces of learning content related to the current lesson. Kinesthetic and visual learners will love these types of activities. Come to think of it, every student will love an excuse to get away from their desks and move around!

- Add QR codes to your class website or business cards to provide extended contact information. In our social media-laden world, sometimes we want our students or their caretakers to have more than one way to get a hold of us. QR codes can fit multiple contact methods into one simple image.

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Why All the Hype About Microsoft and Skype?

Posted on May 18, 2011 by

One week has passed since Microsoft officially announced their acquisition of Skype, the leader in internet communications innovation. Since that time Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the company have faced waves of criticism from investors, who commonly state the company flat-out paid too much to acquire the popular software giant.

The business and financial news giant Reuters reported in a recent article that the Microsoft purchase price “is about double the expected value of Skype.”

Steve Ballmer will no doubt be prodding with the pitchfork to make sure Skype’s communications software is integrated into existing Microsoft products immediately. The company must show that their high-priced acquisition will produce a profit in the short-term for its investors. This will be good for the Microsoft consumer, as they can expect to have skype-related services added to their products in new and creative ways.

So how will Microsoft use Skype with the rest of their products? Here are some possible scenarios:

Xbox Kinect

The success of the Xbox Kinect systems have spoken to the power of motion-based technology in the home entertainment arena. Expect Microsoft to add Skype to their ever-growing list of features accessible through a Kinect. The possibility of being able to make video calls from your television to other users will give customers more reasons to buy Xbox consoles and Kinect systems, as well as purchasing subscriptions to Xbox Live. Having a solid video communications platform also could allow Xbox to offer new multiplayer features to their games through the Kinect. Would users enjoy actually being able to see their friends in their game lobby instead of just hearing their voices? Oh the possibilities!

Windows Phone Line

Microsoft showed up incredibly late to the smart phone party with their windows-based line of devices. Having already surrendered years of business and software development iOS and Android, the Windows Phone family tried to set themselves apart from the pack by offering unique features such as Microsoft Office access and Xbox Live integration. Microsoft can use Skype to level the playing field with their competition even more by offering standard video-chat features that can stand toe-to-toe with Android’s current offerings and Apple’s FaceTime.

Windows Software

Microsoft has been (smartly) trying to integrate their popular entertainment and social offerings into their productivity circle, and vice-versa. Adding Skype to their existing software products would immediately boosts their uniqueness and value over their competitors. Imagine Microsoft Outlook with video chat, or MSN messenger with built-in Skype capability? Would customers be more inclined to switch to Hotmail accounts if they offered Skype video chat built right in to their in boxes? Somehow Mozilla’s Thunderbird, the IM client Adium, and Yahoo! Mail all seem to pale in comparison to products that come bundled with Skype.

If Microsoft hopes to keep investor confidence high they will need to act quickly and thoroughly to blend Skype into the Windows and Xbox family. As we watch Microsoft attempt to make this acquisition worthwhile to the shareholders, we the users can sit back and expect to see more and more improvements to the products we already enjoy.

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