Friday, April 15, 2011

Round Three Comments

OK - Here's where you can post any comments on apps, your experience with the ipad, or any other relevant comment.  Remember, you have the ipad because you agreed to post/reflect!  To post a comment, just click on the "comments" below this.  Then, when you get to the comment page, just type your reflections in the box and "choose and identity".....which can be anonymous (but if you do this, make sure you sign your name in the comment box!  Then just click "Publish Your Comment".  I will post my comment on the differences between IPad #1 and the newer (Mr. Sprankles call it "deuce" IPad #2.

13 comments:

CommonMan said...

I really like the IPad 2. It's smaller, lighter, and comes with a camera. About the only drawback I see so far is I do not care for the multi-fold cover....it seems like a great idea, but I keep tearing it off....so I may have to invest in a newer one. Best app is Facetime (or Skype, same principal). Love quick video conferences. Otherwise for my purposes it's the same as the first one (supposedly faster, but to be honest I was pretty impressed with the speed of the original.)

Melanie Broxterman said...

Great new free app.....
verbally - it is a voice output app, labeled for "medical" but can definitely work with the non-verbal or low verbal kids IF they are readers. No pictures, all words. Does include work prediction. I used it with one of of my autistic students who can read/write, but has difficulty "using her words". He didn't use it functionally by himself, just kind of an "explore day". But with my modeling was able to type "I was more please", then verbalize when prompted.

This app would also be helpful for any student who would need word prediction when writing. So many uses....and it's FREE!!

melanie

Melanie Broxterman said...

a blog to check out....

http://appsineducation.blogspot.com/

~melanie

Library Lady said...

I've been frustrated with using the iPad during work hours. Not because of the iPad itself, but because of the lack of wireless in the learning centers in the district. At home I love it - but I think of something I want to try at work and have to roam the halls looking for a wireless connection.

I'm starting to hit this wall with a few other projects happening in the district. Great things - ipods, new laptops , etc... but the infrastructure and management part is lagging behind.

Or else I'm just not in the right place. :)

Melanie Broxterman said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Melanie Broxterman said...

here is info that HS intervention may be interested in...link is to technology blog that give description of DO2LEARN website with a section titled Job Tips.

Also, check out the site for app info. Lots of reviews of a variety of apps.

http://techinspecialed.com/2011/04/23/job-tips-website-from-do2learn-a-must-read-for-all-the-parentsteachers/

Melanie

Mr. W said...

I'm really enjoy having the opportuntity to work with this device. Since I've gotten wireless it has been a nice tool to bring up visual references on the spot when working in small groups. I'm finding that searching for apps has been more trial and error than I thought. It seems to me that way it is organized makes for searches that take way longer than they should. I think nettrekker should step in on this!....one can dream can't he.

It's been very user friendly for the kiddos and certainly gets them engaged. I'd really like to see it be able to programs like MS Office.

I've also tried to some reading apps with my soon to be one year old in place of standard board books. He prefers the old-fasioned format and bores easily with the interactive modes (maybe once his fine motor gets better and his urge to place everuything in his mouth goes away I can revisit this). I'm hoping to get more mileage out of it with the coming curriculum.

At this point I'm not seeing it as a total gamechangeranymore than a quality laptop would be.

Candice said...

The iPad has been an awesome tool to have in the classroom! I teach second grade and I have found some useful/free apps to use. One app called "Stack the Countries" is great for helping students learn about the countries that are in a certain continent. With this app you can decide what type of questions you want students to be asked as well as which continent you want them to focus on. Once the students stack countries above a certain line, they earn a new country to go on the world map.

Candice

Anonymous said...

I will try again to leave a comment. I love the ipad in my classroom. The students are very comfortable using it. They are willing to 'share' it with a buddy to show them the new apps that are installed.
Annie Kindergarten

Kelly Flynn said...

Last but not least...True Confessions..I have been lacking in the "posting area". I have been enjoying the IPAD and found it is great for small group work especially in the lower grade areas. It is so much easier for younger kids to be independent when all they have to do is touch the app and go! I have been using it with two kdg. groups...one in math and one is the area of phonemic awareness. It engages the learners and the students love the change from our other activities. I also have a son with Down syndrome and the size is "perfect" for him and I can see it is also the perfect size for developing independence in the field of technology. He has an IPAD touch but it is too small and harder for him to do on his own. My 4th grade son also loves working on it and it is a great way for him to explore areas of interest like..how to throw different "wiffle ball" pitches, weather watching during all these storms and some math review. He also loves the "stack the states".

I also get a little frustrated in bldgs. because of network connections or lack of..

Melanie's blog and resources are amazing and I need to take a summer vacation to take time to explore all her wonderful work. I enjoy reading the posts and like so many others...I wish I could build in "blogging" as a daily routine or at least read blogs one day and write blog on another.

My dream would be to have a day at Starbucks and explore, read and install! I love the size and find it more convenient than my laptop.

Promise to blog more with resources next time!

Melanie Broxterman said...

app list/chart from an OT magazine

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5suOfnPEdWtMjBkMWRlMDAtMDdlYy00MjgxLThkYWUtNDA1NGJhODMzMDVl&hl=en&authkey=CMDXwc0D

PHSChemGuy said...

Comparing iPad 1 to iPad 2...

Mrs. Lindsey Young said...

Ok. I tried to comment last week, but somehow my comment was erased. So, now, I am sitting at home using my iPad for this post.

I agree with those who said it worked better at home than school. The wireless in the buildings is not great, so I have trouble accessing online content or downloading apps at school.

As a coach, the iPad is great for much of my work on the go... Checking email, accessing calendar, using the Internet, etc. I have been using it for notes as well. It is great to be paperless. The size and instant on make this the perfect portable device for these things. If only, I could access Internet in all rooms I work in, it would be great. It is not great for everything because I cannot access and work with h drive and I drive files.

I was able to use this at the annual NCTM conference which was great. I downloaded 2 note taking apps for other purposes before the conference. Sundry notes (free) and paperdesk lite (free version). I originally got them so that I could use the iPad in rooms like an individual slate. These apps worked well at the conference because I could record the session with audio and take notes at the same time. For this purpose, I definitely liked paperdesk better. However, if I planned to do this again, I would get the full version. There was a 5 page limit on the lite vision. The reason I liked this one better is because the recording continued as you turned the page. Also, you could click on a word or drawing in the note and it would take you to the part of the recording where you typed it. I think there are a lot of educational applications for this too.

(Sorry this is so long, I have been meaning to comment for a while.)

I also have 2 and 4 year old sons. They love the iPad. We took it on a plane trip. It was great. I was able to copy movies that we own to iTunes and put them on my iPad for the kids. They were both able to easy navigate between movies and games. I especially liked the free Montessori apps that I downloaded. When I asked my 4 year old how he liked the Montessori game, he said with a smile, "Mom, it's not a game. It is work." :)

BTW, I used a free program I downloaded on my home computer called Handbrake to copy the DVDs to my computer.

I have really been enjoying this preview of the iPad. I just found out that with the camera connection kit, you can transfer Flip video footage directly to the iPad. However, iMovie is only meant to work with the iPad 2. I am going to try to get it on here anyway, but haven't gotten to it yet.

I got a math app called Kakooma (created by Greg Tang). I have had some 3-5th graders try it. They really love it. I think this is long enough. Hopefully, it will actually post this time.