EXPLORE, CREATE, collaborate, SHARE
First Grade Apps
In class, we use iPads in small groups and in one-to-one settings. Most often, the iPads are used to support literacy development. We use them during guided reading groups to analyze stories at a deeper level, during Daily 5 to solidify reading skills and throughout additional content areas to show evidence of learning.
Higher order thinking
While we use many apps in class, the most effective apps promote higher order thinking skills and redefine the learning for students. If you look at the Samr Model to the right, there are various levels of technology integration in the classroom. Our goal is to move away from the substitute stage to the redefinition stage. Each app listed below supports content being taught in class while allowing students to think about topics at a deeper level.
Kidblog
Click here to visit our Kidblogs.
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Kidblog is a safe blogging platform for students. This app is used as a place to share thoughts and projects created on the iPad. Posts can be shared and commented on by peers and families. It is a great tool to create an authentic audience for the work created in class.
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Little Bird Tales
Click here to visit a Science video created with Little Bird Tales.
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Little Bird Tales is a digital story telling app which allows students to create ebooks on a variety of topics. Each page can include a picture, photograph, text, and the student's voice as an annotation. Stories can be shared via email and can be posted on the web for anyone to view. Website is free.
Web: Little Bird Tales, Story Jumper |
Educreations
Click here to see how Educreations is used to create Venn Diagrams.
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Educreations is an interactive whiteboard app. The functions of this app can be as simple as creating Venn Diagram or as complex as creating a video where the student uses the drawings and voice to explain a concept. Both can be shared with others through email and can be published on the web.
Web: Similar projects could be created with screencasting tools such as Screencast-o-matic or the Jing software. Website: Blendspace |
ScreenChomp
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ScreenChomp is similar to Educreations but is a little more user friendly. Videos that are created can be shared with others through a video link. This video provides a more detailed explanation of the app.
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Socrative
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Socrative is a student response system which allows teachers to pose a question and students to respond. This app is wonderful because it gives every student the opportunity to share answers during whole group discussions. There is a teacher app which allows the teacher to pose questions and manage the class as well as a student app.
Web: Socrative can also be accessed through the web and any BYOD device. |
Tag Cloud
Click here to see samples of word clouds created at the end of a weather unit.
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Tag cloud is a word cloud generator. A word cloud is a collection of words put together in a beautiful and unique way. Tag cloud is used in our class at the end of a unit. Students type in everything they've learned from the unit and it produces a word cloud with the most important words.
Web: Similar websites include Tagxedo and Wordle. |
Puppet Pals
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Puppet Pals is a fun app where students can choose from a variety of characters and themes to create a puppet show with recorded voice overs. Puppet shows could be used to summarize knowledge gained from science, social studies, math units, or books. Videos can be shared with others via email or Kidblog.
Web: Similar websites include Toondoo and Kerpoof |
PicCollage
Click here to see how students created a Sneak Peak to their animal books.
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PicCollage is a photo collage maker. It can be used in the classroom in a variety of ways to show understanding of a concept. For example, students can create a "square" collage and add pictures of squares in the classroom, or show different ways to make 35 cents using a variety of coins.
Web: Similar websites include Glogster |
Popplet
Click here to see the summary of a life cycle book read in class.
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Popplet Lite is a free mind mapping app. Students can use Popplet to organize ideas with pictures, summarize stories, show life cycles, or activate background knowledge prior to learning a topic. The full version which allows students to save and return to projects later can be purchased for $4.99.
Web: Popplet, Bubbl.us, Mindomo (three free maps) |
Fotobabble
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This iPhone app can also be downloaded to an ipad. Take photos and add voice to them.
Web: Fotobabble, Blabberize, or VoiceThread |
iMovie
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With pre made trailers, iMovie is a great way to showcase understanding of a topic through a video.
Web: Animoto |
Tellagami
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Tellagami allows students to easily create avatars with non-robotic sounding voice. It would be a great for book reports.
Web: Voki |