iPad Literacy and Disciplines for the Elementary Classroom

In previous entries I have discussed iPad use for the classroom.  Here I will specifically analyze several iPad apps and features regarding literacy, presentations and disciplines for the elementary level student.

Preparations
The dictionary app I chose to look at was one by Merriam Webster.  As a free app, you have to deal with pop-up ads, but otherwise it is a great tool to have handy for students.  The search bar has an auto-finish feature with options to choose from when looking up definitions.  Many of the basic functions found in a hard-back dictionary are also in the app such as: alternate forms and word uses, synonym/antonym feature, pronunciation guide and examples of the word used in a sentence.  Some extra features are the "playback" mode, voice search tool, and ability to cross reference certain words within the definition.  The "playback" mode would be great for ESL students as it correctly pronounces the word in English for the student, however, not all word entries have this option.  Another great feature is the "word of the day" which posts a new word each day to build a broader vocabulary.

I chose to look at the My Spelling Test app for a non-dictionary preparational tool.  I fail to see the ability to use this app for actual classroom testing unless all students have assigned tablets.  However, for providing feedback to the teacher as an assessment tool, individual student practice or in test preparation this software would be great.  Basically the teacher pre-records spelling words with sentence examples.  When the student takes the test, your audio recording is played back for them as they type in their answer.  The app will let the student know if their answer was right with corrections if not.  The app also stores student answers that can be viewed later by the teacher.

Presentations
I looked at Adobe Photoshop Express for use in visual presentations.  For a free app, this would be great for personal or classroom photo editing, however, I was amazed that coming from such well-known photo editing software makers there was no red-eye reduction tool.  Most other basic editing tools such as crop, rotate and flip are included, as well as exposure adjustments like saturation, tint and black/white options.  You can also add effects to soften/sharpen photos and create novelty looks such as rainbow hued pictures.  You have the options to post edited photos to FaceBook and Twitter or upload them to the Internet.

I thought Puppet Pals was a great live animation app for use in several types of classroom "story" presentations.  I noticed that only a few basic characters and backdrops were included in the free version, however, you can purchase the "director's pass" for a low cost which allows free downloads of all available actors and scenes.  You can manipulate actors within a backdrop by dragging and through multi-touch gestures to flip, zoom and rotate them.  You can even import your own images into custom content for characters and backdrops, if a little inconvenient from the need to do this through iTunes.  Sound is also recorded along with character movement when the record button is pressed.  For classroom use this app can promote creative and dramatic thinking in regards to story creation, use of literary devices and explaining concepts recently learned.  Collaboration among students is easily supported with this software as well.  A newer version called Puppet Pals 2 has more character options and also allows the student to overlay their own face on an actor's body.  The characters have pos-able limbs, imitate talking motions as you speak and have more mobility options than the previous version.  The only negative aspect I found was that files must be saved to the iPad's camera roll before exporting and file sharing to other sources.

K-6 Disciplines
The Toy Story app by Disney is great for younger students and emerging readers to encourage literacy.  It has the option to listen to a narrator while the text being read is hi lighted or as they become more proficient the student can read to themselves or even record their own voice reading the story.  There is also a young reader setting that turns on interactive features when you click on story characters and allows for self page turning and in-story coordinating coloring page options.  This is a really fun app that could relate well with young children familiar with the Toy Story movie and characters.  The narration even has real "character voices" from the movie and animated clips integrated into the story.  There are two games offered which, although not very educational, offer hand-eye coordination practice.  This definitely would be a great reading motivator to keep in a library of reading/literacy apps.   

Toontastic is another free live animation app similar to Puppet Pals.  I have some experience with this one as my own children use it often at home while referring to themselves as "movie directors."  I do like that characters in this app allows a child's own drawing to be used in addition to those characters offered in the game.  Additional characters and scenes can be purchased for a low cost beyond the free pirate content included in the game.  Students can share their recorded plays easily through the in-app ToonTube, a global storytelling network for kids.  What's great about these types of apps is that they draw out creativity and thinking skills while motivating the student and engaging them in interactive learning.  This would be a great way to reinforce use of literary devices (characters, setting, theme, etc.) or to recreate history lessons...the possibilities are endless.

I chose to include two books by Auracle Press I reviewed in the Children's Books folder.  Miko's Trip, by Stephanie Roehe had a "read to me" option with hi lighted text as well as an off feature for more independent readers.  The great thing about allowing the narrator to read the story is that is teaches the student about use of inflection, cadence and how to treat punctuation while reading, all important aspects of reading comprehension.  The other book, Head 2 Toes by Rosemary Wells, is another in the Max and Ruby series so well-known by children.  The story is narrated to the "Head and Shoulders" song while the bunny character makes appropriate motions.  There is also an option to read the story in several other languages all to the same music.  This is great for cultural awareness as well as for learning other languages. 

Basics of the Apple iPad

Apple's addition of iWorks for the iPad gives more portability and accessibility to basic software used in many classrooms.  The Pages application allows you many of the same tools as Microsoft Word such as advanced font options, tables/charts, page layouts and hypertext links.  I especially like the Media Browser function which allows your text to wrap seamlessly around any images you insert.  The sharing of iWorks files with Microsoft and other software users is easy with the option to save files in MS Office, PDF and other formats. In addition, you can use iCloud to automatically save and share your documents with multiple devices to access anywhere.  The Box is a similar online storage service with an app available on the iPad.  The auto-save feature prevents file loss and the undo feature provides the teacher a means of looking back through previous changes within the document, tracking the student's thought process and progression of the assignment.  The iPad can also print your documents wirelessly through AirPrint.  The iPad's ability to function much of the same way as a traditional desktop makes it invaluable in the classroom.  One of the negative aspects of the iWork version for iPad devices is that the applications are sold individually ($10 each), while sold as a software suite for the Mac OS.  Another caveat is that documents created with elaborate formatting may not convert correctly to Microsoft Word.

The iBooks app for iPad organizes your books and media by "collections" and displays them on a virtual book shelf with a real "library" feel.  You can easily arrange items according to your preferences and move within these collections by swiping the screen.  The Kindle app for the iPad provides the same basic book reading function as iBooks with minor differences.  Most of the differences boil down to user preferences such as the setting which allows a black background with white text.  Kindle provides a simpler view and minimalistic feel.  Books can easily be purchased within the iBooks app.  However, when downloading books from Amazon, you cannot purchase through the Kindle app and must do so through Safari.  For my own purposes I prefer the iBooks application.

Safari remains the fastest and most secure way to browse the Internet via the iPad.  Safari has offline reading features, a "big picture" tab view of open tabs, iCloud tabs and a unified smart search field.  On the other hand, because iPads do not support Flash or Java, Rover is an alternative, free app that will process those web site contents through a proxy server and stream it to mobile devices.  Rover has another great feature in that it filters web site content for the student user.  One negative side I personally found while using Rover is that many educational websites (pbskids.org and several other well-used educational sites) that are frequently used in classrooms were blocked.  Every time I tried to go to one of these sites a message popped up directing me to send a written request to the website owners asking them to partner with Rover.  This seems like a long, aggravating procedure a teacher would have to go through to make previously approved web sites accessible through Rover.  However, although I prefer Safari, there were some nice educational games and activities available directly through the Rover App.

Tablets in Education

In my earlier post, Tablets in the Classroom, I compared several top choices in the tablet arena for classroom use.  Among the various options in tablets today there are seven main areas of basic functions or uses that sway purchasing: Apps, Books, Internet, Magazines/Newspapers, Movies/TV/Video, Music and Software.  I will briefly discuss these functions, comparative use factors and iPads from educators' standpoints and specifically in relation to teaching.  

Apps
Due to their exclusivity within operating systems and inability for most to work among varying mobile devices, app availability is an important area to consider when looking at tablets.  From games and puzzles to avenues for artistic expression, apps can be great teaching tools as well as engaging for the young student.  The leader by number of educational apps available remains iTunes (Apple) followed by Google Play (Android) and Amazon (Kindle) in last place.

Books
All tablets generally have book reading capabilities with hi lighting, dictionary and annotation features.  The vendors, and in particular the pricing and variety offered in their markets, as well as software features can be daunting to sift through for this specific tablet function.  Both the Nook and Kindle remain favorites among book readers.  Amazon (Kindle) dominates the ebook market.  Apple has the best book features if not the greatest availability of books through iTunes.  However, books from all major markets can be viewed on the iPad.  Another great feature is iAuthor, which allows educators to create books with media and app supplements.  Book features allow students to easily transport and access textbooks, references, and independent reading assignments.

Internet
All major tablets in question have basic Internet access.  However, because Flash continues to be widely used, Apple is at a disadvantage to their competitors.  Apple uses HTML5 and many Flash games and educational programs as well as web site features will not work on the iPad.  The option of cellular connectivity is also available on most devices other than the Nook and Windows tablets.

Magazines/Newspapers
All major tablet vendors offer Magazine and Newspaper subscriptions.  Apple has a stand alone app, Newstand, that keeps periodical materials organized.

Movies/TV/Video
Subscription services remain the least expensive way to access large quantities of movies and TV shows.  Most newer devices can access subscriptions such as Amazon Prime, Crackle, Hulu and NetFlix.  Movies can also be purchased via the same markets as books.  Most newer devices have similar functions in this category.

Music
Apple's iTunes music library is arguably the largest with Amazon closely behind.  Google Play is still fairly new and has yet to accumulate as many offerings as the prior two vendors.  Prices for music files are pretty comparable among the markets.  Both Amazon and Apple's music files can be played on each other's devices as well as on some other tablets.

Software
With the addition of Google Docs in recent history, many devices have access to the same type of software features previously only found with Microsoft Office compatible devices.  Microsoft is currently the only vendor offering the exact same software from computers down to mobile devices.  Apple has transferred much of the same software to its tablets but in a mobile version.  The Microsoft Surface tablet tends to work best in business environments and not as well in the classroom.


Examples of Tablet Use in Education
Many schools are now integrating tablets into their libraries to create new ebook/ereader programs.  Others have created "book clubs" based on tablet use to encourage reading as well as boost achievement and motivation.  The availability of many classroom textbooks in ebook format also prevents damage and loss that can occur with traditional books.  The initial cost will be far outweighed by the durability and longevity of ebook format.  The Nook, Kindle and iPad are three specific tablets that have been purchased and reviewed by multiple sources that can be found through Comparative Use Factors in Education for Tablets and Uses of iPads in Education. 

Nook:  Several sources have cited that the Nook is by far the best option for school use based on its low comparative price point and excellent tech support.  Another benefit is that Barnes & Noble is now offering a back-end management system/tool to K12 schools.  The Nook has an easily cleaned touch-screen, Web access and utilizes standard ePub book format.  Nook Study is being used widely in universities to deliver eTextbooks and provide study aids, test preps and periodicals to students at a fraction of the cost of buying.  The books available on the Nook can also be used by other devices.  However, there are only a limited amount of apps available on the nook, and those cannot be utilized by other devices.  Other negative reviews state that school policies regarding paying for the ebooks are often hard to deal with, and the fact that Barnes & Noble charges each ebook separately makes this difficult to circumvent. 

Kindle:  One great feature of the Kindle is that social networking is not available, which makes for a safer experience for the student.  The "electronic ink" display technology is reflective like paper and makes the screen very easy to read.  Other great features are the long battery life and text-to-speech function for ESL and vision impaired students.  Amazon has also launched an eTextbook store for its Kindle platform.  Several negative reviews state the likely hardware damage, proprietary format, lack of expandable storage space

iPad:  The iPad is by far the most like a computer in its ability to do research on the Internet, create presentations, shoot and edit video, take notes and write papers...all in a very portable little package.  Although iPads are slightly more expensive than other tablets, they function in many of the ways a computer would in the classroom at a significantly lower cost.  Maintenance issues are almost nonexistent, not to mention the plethora of educational apps at the teacher's disposal and the ability to to create digital textbooks with Apple's iBooks Author.  The high expense of textbooks can be eased in the long run when iPads are used instead.  The Apple Configurator is an app which can mass configure and deploy the devices in a school-wide setting.  Another great feature is the Verbally app, a speech aid software that pronounces English words correctly, which would be beneficial in an ESL or speech therapy classes.  Apple iPads are also being used on a 1:1 basis in classrooms and in some cases can erase the need for physical classrooms altogether.  There are instances of pilot courses in which the iPad will give students animated instruction, note taking capabilities and access to video tutorials.  The teacher can monitor performance in real-time, administer tests and provide feedback as well.  These are just a few reasons of too many to mention why Apple devices remain the best tablets for education.

Tablets in the Classroom

My partner and I have reviewed three options available in the tablet arena.  I will discuss Apple, Android and Windows in their direct pros and cons to classroom use.  Specifically, I will look at medium and large sizes of tablets with the smallest devices discounted due to decreased functionality for our purposes.

Apple (iOS)
Discounting the unusable, for our purposes, small Apple devices such as the iPod or iPhone, the iPad and iPad mini are left as contenders for the iOS category.  Apple's closed operating system is a great feature which is easier for schools to maintain.  The iPad also has the most apps geared towards education and interactive school textbooks with a total of 700,000 apps available through iTunes.  Apple's iBook Author software is a great advantage in providing educational information that can be accessed in iBooks.  The ability to store pdf files is another great feature of iBooks.  One negative aspect to choosing the iPad is the upfront cost at $399 for older models and significantly higher for newer ones.  By using HTML5 for downloading files the iPad can be slower than other tablets, particularly for large and interactive ones, as well as prevent the viewing of Flash sites.  Apple also gives only a fractional discount to educators and schools looking to purchase iPads for classroom use.

Android (Google)
Because of their "open" operating system, there are more options for devices in this category.  This can also be seen in negative light due to the maintenance issues, fluctuating manufacturers and lack of support.  However, we will look at the Google Nexus as a contender for classroom use because it is seemingly the most reliably supported being branded to Google. With the addition of Google Play to the market there is now a strong competitive base for apps with 500,000 options.  However, this can also be seen as a weak point due to the fact it is still young and in development.  The cache of books available to Android devices is much larger and varied with multiple markets for purchasing depending on specific device you choose.  Amazon generally is the most popular and price competitive for book downloads to its Kindle software.  The use of Flash is a great plus because of its large installed base and speed of downloads for large and interactive files.  The Android devices have a much lower price point starting at $199 and up. 

Windows (Microsoft)
One good design of the Windows tablet is that Microsoft software can be used on both it and Windows 7 desktop.  The standard software has not been reformatted for mobile devices but is exactly the same.  There are also many apps that have been developed to work in conjunction with the Microsoft Office Suite.  The Surface also has a large, solid memory capacity which may skew uses more towards a laptop replacement.  A few negative aspects include the size, by far the largest lending the tablet an almost "laptop hybrid" look, and the expense which far exceeds the competition. Most benefits of the Microsoft Surface tablet lead me to believe it is best used in business environments and less so in the classroom.

In regards to cellular options, Apple seems to be the most consistent in pricing with an $130 up charge for cellular editions.  There is also cost involved with maintaining the ongoing service.  However, for our intent of use, cellular service is not necessary due to the school's WiFi environment.  The tablets will predominantly be used inside the school. In most situations of off-campus use, for instance in the case of school field trips, at least one teacher generally has a mobile device or smart phone to quickly access the Internet. 

In conclusion, my partner and I agree that the Apple iPad would be the best choice for use in the classroom.  The larger screen size versus the iPad mini allows for more screen use while not compromising much on the weight, at less than a pound in difference.  The upfront cost of the newest models is offset in the long run due to lower maintenance requirements.  The quantity of learning and educational apps is a huge plus.  Another benefit to choosing the iPad is that most Knox County schools already use the Mac in classrooms, allowing for more collaboration among the tablet devices and desktop computers.

Gmail and Google Calendar: Teacher's Best Friends?

There are many features regarding Gmail that have me seriously thinking of switching my current email provider.  As a future teacher, I can see how well it can keep me organized and in sync with fellow educators in an increasingly team-based environment.  It works hand-in-hand with Google Calendar to quickly communicate and keep track of important dates.

Three features I like about Gmail are the ability to create hyperlinks, filtering options and labeling features. 

The ability to add a hyperlink to any email is great when team planning.  I can quickly add my resource web sites for any lesson plans and share those with my fellow teachers.  My students can also quickly reference web sites I have used for their assignments.

The filtering options of Gmail are great because it can automatically organize my mail into folders for me...I especially like this feature because I am very bad about doing this myself on a daily basis.  I usually wait and end up sorting through hundreds of emails to pick out the ones I need to keep.  Now by entering some keywords or phrases in the filter drop box Gmail will do this for me.

The labeling tool also is a great organizational feature and can work in conjunction with the filters.  I can create folders to hold my correspondence from PTA to parent conferences.  Everything in its proper place...

Gone is the traditional calendar...a huge blotter taking up most of my valuable desk space.  Now with Google Calendar I can stay organized easily and efficiently while accessing my to-do list anywhere and share it quickly with others. 

Three features I like about Google Calendars are the syncing features, sharing features and ability to send invitations.

Being able to access my calendar via my smart phone is a great feature.  Instead of keeping up with multiple calendars I can access one main calendar anywhere I am...less room for error and missed appointments.

The sharing feature is great for team planning.  Now I can look at my fellow teachers' schedules and plan my own accordingly.  We can quickly and collaboratively plan out our schedules in advance and save time while doing it.

I can quickly invite others to various events straight off my calendar and they in return can RSVP at the click of a button.  This is especially attractive to me as PTA president of my children's school.  Now I can quickly share meeting and event dates as well as keep a record of those who plan to attend.

Anything that makes our lives easier and more efficient is GOOD and that's why these two great Google Tools, in my opinion, are a teacher's best friends.

What I Found Interesting About the Mac

I have been a computer user for approximately 25 years. Although I use mostly Windows at home, I do have experience with Mac in the school system as a substitute teacher and also with my iPhone and iPad.

 I found the Universal Access Window in the new Mac OS X operating system to be a wonderful tool in teaching special needs children.  One such feature, "voice over", is specifically for seeing impared students and can help them navigate a screen by voice.  It is a great thing when technology can enhance the life and learning experience of a child who may otherwise have not been able to participate.

The new IChat feature is another great feature of the new Mac OS X.  IChat basically allows you to instant message your friends from your Mac.  By adding "buddies" you can have a list of friends to chat with at any time they are available.  There is also an option for video chatting.

The Time Machine feature is another great addition to quickly back up all your files.  By the simple click of a button you can back up files to an external hard drive.  Items can easily be excluded or can be selected individually through a manual back up option.

These are just a few of the many aspects which make the Mac a great choice for classroom use.