My Beauty Best Teacher

A lot of teachers struggle with classroom management. If you teach, you know that managing your student's behaviors can be like walking a tightrope! There are lots of management ideas out there (some of which I listed in this post and this post), and it's wonderful to be aware of all of them, just so you know what your options are.
Anyway, I was blog-hopping, and I happened to come across this post from Miss B, Busy Bee about ClassDojo. The behavior-managing website looked so amazing that I decided to try it for myself. After I signed up, I realized it was really something that needed to be shared with other educators, so... here's my blog post about it! 
It is completely free because it's in its beta stage, but I read that there is limited sign-up available during the beta stage, so you might want to jump over there now and sign up!

The website is called ClassDojo. Like I said, it's a behavior management tool. I think this could be used for elementary or secondary students, which I know is pretty rare.
Besides it being free, here are some other perks to ClassDojo:

1. ability to add multiple classes (with individual students in each one)
2. ability to add a list of positive behaviors and negative behaviors to track
3. ability to project the running tallys of behaviors on a whiteboard/smartboard so that students can see results in real time
4. ability to record data from any computer in the room (including smartphones or tablets!)
5. ability to create a color-coded graph of the overall day for the class in one click
6. ability to create a color-coded graph of the overall day for one student in one click
7. ability to print/e-mail said graph to anyone who needs it (parents? principal?)
8. ability to view each behavior throughout the day for each individual student. Can also comment on the day to clarify each behavior further, if needed. 
9. ability to change the avatar picture next to student names (would be especially great for subs, if you allowed them to use ClassDojo while in your room -- no need for a manual seating chart or worrying about whether or not kids will try to switch seats!). This is a free feature if you recommend ClassDojo to someone else (I e-mailed a suggestion to a beloved colleague of mine), or you can pay $3 for this feature. You could upload students' actual pictures OR you could sort them into groups based on your school's yearly theme. For instance, I know a school that separates students into 2 major groups. Their theme for this year is "Under the Sea," and they have named their students Starfish and Stingrays. You could upload a starfish graph for each student in that group and so on. The possibilities are really endless...
10. ability to vote for new features! (From what I can tell, ClassDojo really pays attention to the voting and puts a lot of suggestions into action! I can get on board with that customer service!)

This behavior management system seems fairly simplistic to me, and I love that you can print/e-mail the class graph or an individual student's daily behavior, if needed! I cannot wait to try out this website.

Here are a few screenshots, in case you're curious. ClassDojo sets up a demo class for you so you can get used to the set up. I used the demo class to take my screenshots so I could keep student information private. :)

A class view of my pre-loaded Demo class, complete with instructions.

Overall performance of the class in a graph. Red = negative behavior. Green = positive behavior. I just clicked randomly on my Demo class.

Megan had a hard day in Mrs. K's class today! lol. But this is her personal graph. Notice at the bottom that I have the ability to make it visible to a parent or other teachers, and that I can comment on her behavior to clarify, if needed!

What do you think about ClassDojo? Will you use it, or do you already have a stellar management system in place? Share your thoughts in the comment section!

I love podcasting in the classroom. I just think there are so many uses for it. But sometimes it can be difficult to find a program that allows you to record and publish for free or minimal costs. I'm always on the lookout for a good, free website that might fit my needs more closely.

I recently stumbled upon Audioboo, and I thought I would share it with you. Like most other recording and/or hosting sites I've found for podcasting in the classroom so far, there are pros and cons to the system, but I'll let you decide for yourself whether or not Audioboo is for you.

Before I write anything further on Audioboo, you should know that Audioboo classifies users' uploaded/recorded audio files as "boos." Knowing that information will make deciphering some of my points below much easier! :)

Pros

1. Anyone can sign up for Audioboo for free. 
2. You can record/upload "boos" straight from your smartphone, via the free apps. I love that you can record/upload on the go like that! Audioboo is also in the process of adding more apps for other smartphones and products, because its mission is to become the "go to" audio file website.
3. Other users can choose to "follow" you, which means they will see all of your updates automatically. 
4. You can link to various social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, etc). 
5. Your "boos" can be listened to via iTunes, which I find really neat!
6. You can add photos, tags (to categorize your "boos") and locations to your uploads.
7. If you've upgraded to a Plus account, you have the option of recording up to 30 minutes. If you've upgraded to a Pro account, you can record for as long as you'd like. 

Cons

1. Recorded files can only be 3 minutes long, unless you want to upgrade your account.
2. The company is based in London, so the upgrade cost is not in USD. The upgrade cost for a Plus account is £60, and you have to contact the company directly to inquire about a Pro account's costs. According to this London Currency Converter website, that equals about $83.25 in USD, which is much more than I'm willing to pay yearly for 30 minutes of recordings...
3. No real privacy options. I'd be wary of letting my students post much on the "boos" because I'd be scared that there would be too much identifying information included. Private "boos" are available for the Pro account, but

In any case, as long as you're willing to limit your recordings to <3 minutes each,  I think Audioboo would be great for the classroom! You can check out my ideas for podcasting in the classroom by clicking here, and you can check out my other suggestions for recording/uploading audio files here by clicking here.
How Do I Start?

1. Go to http://audioboo.fm and click "sign in/sign up" in the top right corner. 
2. Verify your account via an e-mail that Audioboo sends to the e-mail address with which you used to sign up. 
3. Make sure your pop-ups are disabled.
4. Once you're logged in, click the "start recording/upload file" in the green button on the upper right side of the screen. 
5. A pop-up window will appear and ask if you want to record or upload. I clicked record, but I suppose you could click upload and add a file that you've created with another program (such as Apple's GarageBand). 
6. Start talking and recording (with the help of your computer's microphone). Save and upload it to your profile. 

It's really that easy. 

I'm attracted to Audioboo because of the free 3 minutes deal, but I LOVE the fact that it has its own free iPhone app. I use my iPhone for everything, and I'm so much more likely to use a product when there's an app for it, just because it presents such flexibility, mobility, and convenience. I'm anxious to try Audioboo in my classroom!

I've done posts about using Facebook in the classroom, but I know that it is still a bit of a hot topic. Because of all the scandals that arise on Facebook from those few unprofessional co-workers, lots of schools are being forced to crack down on social networking tools in the classroom. Because of the strict social networking rules in lots of districts, many teachers are wary to use even a Facebook fan page in their classrooms, for fear of violating a policy.

The bad news is, if you abandon social networking in your classroom, you will miss out on lots of teaching and discussion opportunities. The good news is now, though, is that there are alternative social networking websites besides just Facebook. For one thing, there's Twitter (which has a multitude of uses in the classroom; read more about my thoughts on that here). But Twitter doesn't exactly have the user interface or multiple capabilities that Facebook has.

Even more good news: there's a new social networking site out there that was created specifically for schools.

My Big Campus is a social networking site that is only available for students, school staff members, and parents. Just like Facebook, My Big Campus features notifications and comment sharing via "walls." Also like Facebook, My Big Campus allows for instant messages and posts on discussion boards, which enables students to collaborate online. Unlike Facebook, however, My Big Campus gives teachers the ability to group her students by class and/or period. The teacher can also upload documents (homework, notes, pictures, videos, etc.) and assign quizzes. One nice feature is that My Big Campus will grade the quizzes you post and gives you the option to export those grades to your computer and/or other online gradebook system. Another nice feature about My Big Campus is that students can submit homework online through this application. Some of you may remember a post I did about creating your own classroom website. In that post, I mentioned Class Jump (which reminded me of Blackboard), a no-frills way to post classroom documents and allow students to submit work. The ability to submit assignments through My Big Campus reminds me of Class Jump, but Class Jump doesn't have all the discussion features, so I think My Big Campus is definitely the way to go!

In addition to the ability to submit assignments online, My Big Campus allows teachers and students to easily see which assignments are past due and which are upcoming. The teacher has the ability to easily see which students still need to turn in work, which sounds like a real time-saver to me!

Another feature of My Big Campus is that the teacher can actually post comments and give grades to an assignment -- all online. The more I look at My Big Campus, the more I'm convinced that it will help schools transition to a paperless system!

Finally, there is an app for this. Connect your smartphone to My Big Campus and take a piece of the classroom with you wherever you go.  The My Big Campus app is free, too, which is an added bonus in my book!

Administrators, if any of you are feeling uncomfortable with this description of My Big Campus, rest assured that you have a lot more control with this online tool than you do with Facebook. As an admin member of your school, you can join My Big Campus and link up to your teachers' pages. You can manage their content and decide what everyone is allowed to post in each class. Perhaps you dislike the idea of an instant messaging feature for whatever reason; you can disable this feature on one class or all of the classes in your school -- it is completely customizable.

My Big Campus requires school staff members to submit the name of their school upon sign-up. I suppose this is so parents and students can more easily find their teachers' webpage. This feature probably also prevents the general public from overtaking My Big Campus and using it as the next Facebook, which also keeps this website a bit safer than a run-of-the-mill social networking opportunity!

When signing up, the teacher has the option for the basic, standalone (and free) version, or he/she can sign up for the integrated version. The paid version (which does not list a price...there is only a link to request a quote) allows teachers to post content from regularly-blocked sites to My Big Campus and has a few other nice perks. Once one teacher in the school has created a profile using My Big Campus, he/she can hand out the invitation code so that other teachers, students, and parents can easily find and connect with that school's sites.

I'm anxious to know how your experience with My Big Campus goes! Leave me a comment and let me know!

If you haven't heard about Pinterest, or are just too confused about it right now to try it, read on! I want to explain Pinterest and why it can be a useful tool for your classroom.

What Is It?

Pinterest is basically a series of virtual corkboards onto which you can "pin" ideas. One of the fabulous things about Pinterest is that it's online, so no matter what computer you're on, if you have access to the internet, you have access to your boards! I know for sure that there is a Pinterest app for iPhone, too, so people with Apple smartphones can take their Pinterest boards and ideas with them wherever they go. Also, anyone can see your Pinterest pins, and you can see everyone else's. I know that sometimes that "no privacy" thing stinks, but in this case, it may be a good thing. Users can browse pins in whichever category they choose and "repin" to their heart's delight. Not being limited to only yours and your friends' ideas has made this website the prime site for creative inspiration.

How Does It Work?

When you log onto Pinterest, you have a profile, much like you do on Facebook or any other social networking website. Your profile contains all your boards, which contain all your pins. You get to decide how many boards and pins you have, what you name your boards, and what pins you place on each board. Pinterest users have already pinned thousands of great ideas onto their Pinterest boards, and you can access their ideas by either "following" their boards or doing a search across ALL boards in Pinterest. You can "repin" others' ideas and/or add your own new pins from whatever website you want.

If you're trying to add a new idea to Pinterest, you'll type in the URL (or use the special "Pin It!" button that you can place in your internet window's toolbar), select a picture from that page that you'd like to use to best capture your idea, and pick the board onto which you'd like to pin it. You canalso upload your own pictures. It really is that simple!

When you create a board, you have the option of making the board one where only you can contribute or opening it up to the public so that anyone can contribute to it. Be aware that there is currently no "private" option, though, so don't pin anything you wouldn't be comfortable with others seeing!

How Do I Use It In the Classroom?

Personal Use -- You can use Pinterest to make your teaching life easier! Pin all those teacher-blogs you've been following. Pin all the bookmarks you've got saved and visit regularly. Pin classroom pictures. Pin lesson plan ideas. ...Are you getting how versatile Pinterest is?! I have been able to pin SO many fab teaching ideas from other educators on Pinterest. It really does make life easier! In case you'd like to see 'em, here are my classroom boards:

• Decorations
• ELAR
• Gifts
• Holidays
• Management
• Math
• Miscellaneous
• Organization
• Science and Social Studies
• Technology

And I'm sure the list will grow even more in the days to come!

I used to clump all classroom-related ideas into one board labeled "classroom." But I found SO MANY ideas that I wanted a way to organize it more efficiently. So now, I have several classroom Pinterest boards.
Student use/resources -- You can actually incorporate Pinterest into classroom projects and activities! Here are the ideas I've found (or imagined) so far:

1. Ask students to collect ideas/pictures about something in particular that you're studying. Maybe your kindergarten students are studying the letter "a" and will focus on collecting as many "a" items on their personal Pinterest board as possible. Maybe your secondary English students are studying hyperbole, and they need to collect as many real world examples of hyperbole on their board as possible. The beauty of Pinterest is that you can use it to pin anything, so no subject is off-limits!
2. Pin boards full of examples for students to access at home or during class.
3. Pin boards full of educational YouTube videos.
4. Pin boards full of quotes for bellwork or journal writing.
5. Pin boards full of images for bellwork or journal writing.
6. Pin boards full of images to act as anticipatory sets. You could project them in class with the click of a couple buttons, and students can even comment on them to start a discussion.
7. Create a collaborative board and allow ELAR students to pin images of books they liked or would like to read.
8. Create a collaborataive board and allow science students to pin experiments they'd like to try.
9. Create a collaborative board and allow history students to pin historical figures, events, and monuments they'd lik to study (or are studying).
10. Create a collaborative board and allow math students to pin images of careers that use math (to answer the age-old whine of, "why do I hafta knoooowwww this?")
11. Create a collaborative board and allow technology students to pin images of tech tips, tools, or websites that might be useful to everyone in the class.
12. Create a collaborative board and allow music students to pin the images of their favorite artists or albums.
13. Create a collabortive board and allow art students to pin images of their favorite artwork...or upload their own! 
14. Create a collaborative board and allow students to pin images of subjects they'd like to study in any subject!
15. Create a collaborative board and allow students to turn in assignments...? I'm not sure about the logistics of this one, since I know every student would be able to see every other student's work. So, obviously, this wouldn't work for exams. But book reports, projects, presentations, or little homework assignments might work. Since there would probably be no images available, students would need to take a screenshot of their work and then upload it to Pinterest with the link to their actual work and their name at the bottom of the pin.
16. Create a collaborative board and have every student add the pin that connects to his/her online portfolio. It would be an easy way to keep track of everyone's portfolios, and students could check out other student's portfolios for inspiration or motivation.
17. Create a collaborative borad and allow students to pin images of things they're interested in...it might be interesting to have links and visual reminders of how to connect with students. (It might be easier to make lessons relevant if, say, I understand that Hannah Montana is out and The Biebs is in!)
18. Students could take advantage of the Apple iPhone app for Pinterest by using it to snap pictures of things in their day-to-day lives and pin them to a specific board. For instance, let's say that your kindergarten class (the one that's studying the letter "a") has a classroom set of iPod touches and a school-wide wifi connection. Why not send your students on a scavenger hunt for all items beginning with "a"? They could work in pairs or teams and walk the school grounds with the Pinterest app open. When they see an "a" item, all they have to do is snap a picture of it with the built-in camera on the app, and add it to the appropriate Pinterest board. When the students come back to class at the end of the hunt, the teacher can access the boards on her computer and project the results on the wall for everyone to see and analyze.  OR you could make it a competitive scavenger hunt and give each pair/group their own board!
19. Ask students to collect and organize information for, say, a research report. Let's say the students are studying Egypt and must write and present a report over Egypt to the class on x date. Why not use Pinterest to organize ideas? While surfing the web, students could pin useful articles and detailed, accurate pictures onto their Pinterest board. There's no more bookmarking tons of websites or writing down URLs on paper. Users can access Pinterest boards from any electronic device with internet capabilities, so their research is saved and accessible in a variety of places outside the walls of the school. In the event that a resource doesn't have a picture (a requirement for a pin), just take a screenshot and upload it!
20. For group projects, group members can share ideas via collaborative Pinterest boards.
21. Twitter user @teach46 suggests using it for getting-to-know-you activities! I love the idea of students collecting images that tell me (and fellow classmates) more about their individual personalities, family life, hobbies, interests, etc!
22. Twitter user @teach46 also suggests having students pin their personal goals. It would be interesting to have such a visual image of goals at the beginning of the year, and it could it updated whenever the students find a new goal and/or cross off one on the list.
23. Another idea from Twitter user @teach46: use Pinterest in the ELAR classroom by having students create character charts that represent their favorite character in a novel they're reading! I really love this idea, too!
24. Track extra credit points.  For instance, I had an on-going extra credit opportunity in my secondary English class last year. My students were able to earn 2 bonus points every time they brought in a picture or example of something we'd learned in class. If the students had been paying attention, they would've realized they could've earned infinite bonus points in this because examples of our lessons were EVERYWHERE in public! Any time they saw a vocabulary word, author, concept, literary device, etc. that we had studied, they could earn bonus points. My catch was that no two people could present the same example; the first student to get that example to me was the one who got the points. If you had a collaborative Pinterest board (perhaps labeled "Extra Credit" or "Real Life Examples"), students could post those examples to the board and write their name in the description in order to claim the points. Other students would then not only know what examples had already been presented, but they would also be able to access all these real world examples and see how that subject pertains to life outside the classroom walls.
     

How Do I Get Started? 

• Go to www.Pinterest.com. 
• In the middle at the top, there's a big, red button that says, "request an invite." Click on it. 
• Enter your e-mail address into the text box and click "request invitation."
• You should get an invitation to Pinterest in your e-mail's inbox very shortly (if it doesn't happen, e-mail me and I'll send you a request!).
• Click on the link in your e-mail to activate your account. Once your account is activated, you can begin! 
• In the top, right corner of your Pinterest home screen, you'll see three options. The left one will say "add," the middle one will say "about," and the right one will say your name.  Click "add." A pop-up will appear that gives you 3 options: add a pin, upload a pin, or create a board. If this is your first pin, you'll want to create a board.
• Give your board a name and select a category for it. If you want this to be a board only you can pin to, mark yourself as the only contributor. If you want the public to be able to add any pin to this board, mark "me + contributors." Click the red "create board" button, and you're done!
• Once you have a board (or two), you can begin adding pins. You can use the "add" button on the top, right corner and click "add a pin" or "upload a pin" when you find something you'd like to pin. 
• Check out Pinterest's Help section for more concise instructions! :)
• Click on your name (in the top, right corner of the page) and "settings" to adjust the settings. 
• If you have questions, please leave me a comment and I'll see if I can help you!

I'd love to know more of your ideas for using Pinterest in the classroom! I know that once you get the hang of it, you'll want to pin 24/7 like I do! Be careful...it's addicting! :)

According to this research study conducted in 2009 and 2010, 73% of teens age 12-17 use social networking websites. Although I don't have proof, I'd be willing to bet that number has stayed the same or risen since the study was conducted.

With that said, it makes sense to use social networking in our classrooms. I mean, if students are going to be using those websites anyway, why not give them the opportunity to get some sort of educational value from it?

I've already talked about using Facebook in the classroom, but Hoot.me brings a new dimension to using FB for educational purposes, and I think it could be worth your time to investigate it and consider asking students to use it!

Hoot.me is an application built for Facebook. Once it is installed on your personal Facebook page, you have the opportunity to collaborate on homework projects like never before. Hoot.me reminds me a little of Skype, but since I know that many more students are willing to communicate on Facebook, Hoot.me looks like a more viable option.

Users are allowed to video chat through the application, and they have the opportunity to show their screens to the other chat participants. One thing Skype doesn't do for free: allow users to chat with up to 8 people at a time. This particular feature could be really handy if/when students are working on a project together and need to understand who is working on what, how each component looks, etc. This could also be really handy for people doing math homework, especially since Hoot.me offers a special math component (for no added charge or installation) that allows easy typing of math equations.

The installation is super-easy, as well. Most students are probably familiar with Facebook apps; they just might not use the technical name for them: applications. But if your student has ever played or been around Farm Town, Picnik, Family Feud, etc. on Facebook, they're familiar with FB apps. If they've ever installed one of those games or components to their FB page, they understand that it's as simple as clicking "install" and letting the application do the rest of the work. So chances are, if your students already have a Facebook page, they're familiar with applications, how to install them, and how to work them.

Hoot.me brings a new, educational value to Facebook, and it's definitely worth trying!

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I know you know that Apple products have some great applications for your students to use. You can use some of the apps I listed for students, as well (especially if you have a way to project what's on your iPod/iPad screen onto a large board for everyone in the class to see). But there are some apps that were developed specifically with the teacher in mind...and other apps that teachers would benefit more from than a student would. Check these out...

• Teacher Pal -- FREE. Store pictures and attendance records of your students on your phone. Sort my class. E-mail parents/students with the touch of a button. 
• Shopping List -- $2.99. I don't use this just for my "shopping" list -- I just use it as a LIST that I can check off as I complete things. Before I found Teacher Pal, I was able to use Shopping List as a way to keep track of students getting on/off my bus when I hosted a field trip. I can also list materials to take to class, things to do, topics to go over during each class... the possibilities are endless. You can delete the items you check off, or uncheck them and start over! It's pretty handy. 
• Dropbox -- FREE. If you don't already use dropbox.com, you may want to check it out (I did a blog post over it here). 
• Keynote Remote -- $0.99. Wirelessly control a Keynote presentation from anywhere in the room. You can also view upcoming slides!
• CamScanner+ -- $4.99 / FREE version with watermarks and advertisements. Use the camera on your phone to scan any picture or document. This would work great for a variety of things, but how about scanning student work to post on your virtual 'fridge? Or even scanning a note you need to send home so you'll have a copy?
• Idea Store -- $2.99. If you're like me, you get random ideas about how to teach certain topics in your class at the most inconvenient times. Usually, it happens when I don't have anything to write with/on. And if I jot it down on a scrap piece of paper, I usually lose it before I can try it in my classroom. This app allows you to jot down quick notes and then categorize them (similar to the "labels" system on Blogger) so that you can easily find them later.

What applications do you think help teachers the most?

I was on Twitter earlier today, following along on one of the #edchats, trying to find a way to reply to someone or put in my two cents (heh heh), when someone called attention to a new website for educators: Socrative. I'd never heard of it before, so I immediately typed the address into my web browser. I am so glad I was in the right place at the right time; Socrative looks absolutely amazing, and I can't wait to use it in my classroom!

What is Socrative?

Socrative is a website that connects students and teachers. Kids can access the student portion via a computer or a smart phone's app. Teachers can go in and create quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, short answer) and exit tickets to administer to students. Students can log in and take the quizzes, answer the exit ticket questions, or play an educational game. After the activities are completed, Socrative sends an automated e-mail with a report of all the scores to the teacher's e-mail address. As long as your students have access to smart phones and/or computers, there's no reason you couldn't use this in your class! It works for every single subject.

This can be a quick and innovative way to assess your students' knowledge using a free technology tool. ...Man, I love every thing about that sentence. :)

I'm on board; how do I sign up?

Socrative is still in its beta stage, so to really get started on it, you have to sign up to get invited. You provide your e-mail address and a few things about what you do and why you'd like to use Socrative, and they send you an e-mail immediately that tells you how to register. One thing that worried me, though, is that, in the welcome e-mail, Socrative stated, "We're currently in beta mode, which means you get our software for free. We just ask for your feedback on how we can improve our product." I may be over-analyzing this, but the wording of this worries me. To me, it sounds like Socrative will start charging customers once it leaves the beta stage. :( If this is as cool as I think it's going to be, that makes me really sad. If you're a teacher, too, you understand how tight our budget is!

Once you register, it walks you through the process of using Socrative, step-by-step. I was so excited and wanted to share it with you, so I took screen shots of every step. :) [If you want to see the picture in a bigger size, just right click and open it in a new tab or window!]

Step 1:


When you first register, it takes you through a series of 5 steps that introduce you to the program and how to use it. FYI, if you're going to try to use this after registering, you'll need to access the site through two separate devices. One is supposed to be you, the teacher, and the other is supposed to simulate the student. The welcome e-mail states that there is an Android app, but that iPhone, Blackberry, etc. apps are coming soon. Looks like I won't get to access the mobile version for awhile, since my cell phone is of the iPhone variety.

Step 2:

Step 3:


Step 4:


Step 5:


From this screen, you can choose each leveled arrow to change the settings.

Although I couldn't truly test it (because I don't have two devices),  I did look into all the separate sections. When I clicked the "exit ticket" at the top of the page and then exited it out when I discovered no "students" were completing the activity, Socrative automatically sent me an e-mail that told me the statistics over the exit ticket participants. The results are sent in a convenient Excel document.

If you want to help me try this system by coming into my "Socrative Room," go to m.socrative.com, enter room number "1028" (you'll notice that number is different than the picture; you have the option of changing the number to something that is memorable for you!), and click "join room." You can take my "mock quiz." Also, see how much you can browse the room...can you see all the options, or only the "quiz" I made?

I'd like to not only use this for quizzes and exit tickets, but I'd like to think of some unconventional ways to use it. For instance, why couldn't I use the "exit tickets" as a way to take attendance? Even though they're called exit tickets, why not treat them as bellwork or entrance tickets? As soon as students enter the room, they could log into the room and answer a short question that gets them thinking about the day's activities and/or asks them to recall what we talked about the day before. Teachers could use this as a way to quickly take attendance, since Socrative immediately sends the results to your e-mail in the form of an Excel document.

In any case, I just wrote an e-mail to the Socrative support team and told them that I think this is the neatest thing I've seen in a long time, and that it will change the way I assess my students. I believe wholeheartedly in that, and I am SO excited to try it on my kids!



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iPods are pretty common these days. Most kids that don't have an iPhone have at least requested an iPod touch (which has the same capabilities, minus the calling feature). The newest toy is the Apple iPad, which is a tablet with unbelievable features. Depending on your students' socioeconomic statuses, you may see one or all three of these in your classroom. (And now the Blackberry has apps, too...there just isn't as wide of a variety of apps for the Blackberry yet.)

Since kids love to play with these toys, why not turn them into educational tools? Apple has a ton of apps that can be used for education at any age. It's definitely worth taking a gander on the iTunes application store page in order to find some apps that are tailored specifically to your class's age and subject.

Since I currently teach high school, I will focus mainly on educational apps for the higher-leveled student. Here are the neatest apps I've found so far:

• World Atlas by National Geographic -- $1.99.  Explore the entire world!
• Star Walk --  $2.99. Check out all the constellations
• iStudiez Pro -- $2.99 for the Pro version / FREE for the lite version. Keep track of all your classes, homework, etc. It's made especially for kids in classes. 
• Convert Units For Free -- FREE. This calculator converts units so you don't have to
• Dictionary/Thesaurus -- FREE. Have an entire dictionary at your fingertips. It also includes a thesaurus. 
• CliffsNotes -- [Do a search on "CliffsNotes" to get options of book titles] Most are $3.99. Get modernized summarizes of classic works of literature
• iElements -- FREE. Check out the entire periodic table of elements
• SAT Vocab Challenge -- FREE. Play a synonym/antonym game with SAT words
• Kindle/Nook -- FREE for both. Read books (both free and paid) on your device
• GoodReader -- $4.99.  Read PDF notes and have the ability to make notes, highlight, etc.
• GrammarApp -- $1.99. Learn common grammar mistakes and take a little quiz to test your knowledge
• Shakespeare -- FREE. Access a variety of Shakespeare's most famous plays for free
• Flashcards+ -- FREE. Access hundreds of flashcard decks from Quizlet.com or create a custom deck. You can make flashcards over anything you need (and the decks aren't limited to a certain number of cards), edit whenever is needed, and "check off" cards that you've obviously learned and don't need to practice. This makes me wonder if you can access your flashcards from the Quizlet website...?
• Cramberry -- $2.99 for FREE for limited version. Same deal as Flashcards+, but just a slightly different application. I heard somewhere that you can access these flashcard decks from any device with the internet, but I haven't personally tried it (yet).
• Sundry Notes -- FREE. Take some seriously high-tech notes! Add images you've taken with your camera or gotten off the 'net, add camera or YouTube videos, add symbols, type in notes, "write" notes with your fingertip...it's awesome!
• Writing Prompts -- $1.99. Powered by writing.com, this app gives you ideas for what to write
• WordDot -- FREE. Basically the same thing as Prompts, but with a slightly different look
• To Do -- FREE. Keep track of your to-do list virtually
• Notes -- $1.99. Type notes on various pages of a virtual notebook
• Skype/FaceTime -- FaceTime is FREE with the phone. Skype is FREE. Video chat with students from across the world
• Google Maps -- FREE with the phone. Type in addresses from around the country (White House? Disney World?) and be able to zoom in to see the latest satellite picture of this address. 
• WolframAlpha -- $1.99. An answer machine. Much more reliable than ChaCha. ;)
• iHandy Translator Pro -- $1.99 or limited version for FREE. Translate languages flawlessly
• The World Factbook 2011 -- $0.99. Gives information for more than 250 countries and territories
• Animoto Videos -- FREE. Submit pictures and create a customized (and fancy-looking!) photo slideshow set to music. 
• Graphing Calculator -- plot equations on the graph
• Wolfram Pre-Algebra Course Assistant -- $1.99.  Same as WolframAlpha, but geared toward algebra
• Fractions App -- $0.99.  Learn your fraction with simple, everyday objects
• Art -- $0.99.  Review tons of famous works of art. Comes with the ability to save directly to your device's picture album.
• Anatomy and Physiology -- $3.99.  Colored diagrams help you learn more about anatomy
• ASL Dictionary -- $2.99.  Over 4,800 American Sign Language signs at your fingertips (no pun intended)
• Mathemagics -- $1.99. Mental Math Tricks -- teaches people simple tricks for fast mental math
• 115-in-1 Math Solver -- includes algebra, geometry, statistics, and trig
• Dragon Dictation -- FREE.  Speech-to-text app that translates words to written word on the screen. Students could use this app before writing to get all their ideas out....or some could even use it as a note-taking tool in the classroom.  
• MyHomework -- FREE. Easily keep track of homework assignments and upcoming exams in a calendar view. 
• American Wordspeller -- $4.99. Phonetic dictionary. Great for little ones or students who have trouble reading/writing/spelling.
• InClass -- FREE. Organize schedules and share notes. 
• Words With Friends -- $1.99 without advertisements; FREE with advertisements. It is a game, but it's like virtual Scrabble. I can be on-board for games that help strengthen vocabulary!

And these aren't even all the available apps...these are just the ones I thought sounded really cool and educational! If you're wondering if there's an Apple app for your particular topic (even if it's not mentioned above), just search for it in the search bar! You can do this on Apple.com, in iTunes, or in the App store on your Apple device.

If you're an Apple-junkie like I am, you know that not all apps that work for iPod Touch are necessarily the greatest for the iPad, and vice versa. So here are some more ways to use iPod Touch in the classroom, and here are some more ways to use iPad. 

The great thing about Apple's apps is that they are always being updated...and there are always new apps being added. I believe Apple has truly revolutionized the way students these days learn and keep track of school obligations. Educators just need to utilize this.

::Edit:: Just stumbled onto the Show Me app, and I'm loving what I'm seeing so far! Click the name of the app to be taken to a website that has a nifty intro video. How AMAZING would this be for use in math or science classes?? I mean, really, all disciplines could probably find a way to use it, but math would REALLY benefit. Wow.