Category Archives: iPad App Reviews

Comic Book App

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Carmen Richardson
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The app “Comic Book” is very neat and simple!

Check out what our third graders did with this app:

 

 

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ClassDojo being updated!

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Mrs. Chang
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Have you tried ClassDojo yet? Well, if you have and love it then you’ll love what they are doing now.  I recently logged on and came about an area where they were taking ideas on how to improve ClassDojo.  Here users of ClassDojo could make suggestions on things they wish ClassDojo could do.  After you post your suggestion others can read through and vote on them.  I’m thinking, the more votes the idea or suggestion gets the better chance it has of being implemented into ClassDojo. I’m sure realistic expectations take into play as well.

Here are a few ideas that I thought were great or wouldn’t mind having so I voted for them. ClassDojo wouldn’t let me log on, so the ideas are just in my own words but suggested other people.The blue comments are my own thoughts. The red is the status of the idea or suggestion.

  • For rewards – as student gain positive points for behaviors they will be able to ‘purchase’ items for their character or change their characters. Items such as cool outfits, hats, glasses, colors of the character, etc. The characters could be personalized.
        • I like this feature. Who wouldn’t want to personalize their little monster.
  • Having a school wide account so that multiple teachers could award negative or positive points from any where. Then teachers could see the points for students no matter what class they are in and tally at the end of the day. (Something similar is being planned.)
        • As a school wide system, I think this may work with our positive behavior system. This way anyone with smartphones or iPad or laptop can keep track during school wide events, transitions, recess, lunch, huakai, etc. Someone suggested in the school account have codes for teachers so they know who gave what point. For example – Chang +1 Respect.This might be a good way to keep track of our school expectations for Na Koa Reward.
  • Feature allowing parents to have a login to see their child’s daily progress. (Planned)
        • This may alleviate you having to email the parents all the time or printing out reports. Plus since it’s real-time they can check when ever.
  • Instead of having monsters or cartoon characters have the option of putting the students picture instead.
        • In a school wide account this may help those who do not have particular students yet or at the beginning of the year with new students. 
  • Having the option to award by groups (Planned)
        • I was thinking for group projects if groups are working on experiments together and doing well or being respectful you can award all of them the same time. Or on particular components of the project. If you change to use ClassDojo as a reward system for curriculum or academic as mentioned in my previous review of this app.
  • Having the ability to award multiple students at once instead of doing individually, which may be time consuming. (Started)

There are so many others that I didn’t have enough votes.  But I checked out the ones that were planned or being started and I think they are very helpful towards using this application for behavior management.  I’m very excited. Here are a few more that I couldn’t vote for.

  • Make iPhone app, Kindle Fire app, Android app (Started)
  • Enable more languages to be used. (Planned) Maybe Hawaiian?
  • Absent button so takes away name for the day
  • Have character evolve as gain more points or interact as points awarded

ONE LAST UPDATE…

As sent in my email tonight you can now change each student monster. You can pick which on you want for each student. You can even set them all to the same if you want.  That way students don’t get embarrassed or upset that they don’t have the one they want.  This could be a good thing.  You can tell students that as they gain so many positive points, you will give them the option to change their monster.  OR you can just print out an invitation for each student to pick their own monster / character.  I tried it.  The invitation gives them the ClassDojo site and a special code that they punch in. Though I think they have to make an account, which would be their KS email.  (Now that I think about it, it may be a hassle. But something worth trying if you want).

Well, I hope that you all try it. If you log into your account, on the left side bar there is an option “New Features”. Click there to make suggestions on how to improve ClassDojo, see others or vote on ones you like. It also lets you query out ideas that they have completed, planning and started.  This will let you know which ideas are in the works or done.

All the best!  -Kalei

Here’s a short video of how one teacher in Idaho uses ClassDojo. He even mentions using with specials teacher (PE).

Here’s another video showing how to change the avatars.

http://youtu.be/0i-UbjjrQY8

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Take Me To The Museum…for fun and games!

Posted on April 20, 2012 by tarosehi
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Check out this app called ART MUSEUM. It is a standard memory game that can be played by yourself or with a partner. I navigated my way through and found it to be quite engaging. You can match noteworthy images of paintings, match paintings to artists and match artists to their work. The game has a “gallery” to familiarize yourself with the works of art.

Third graders Logan and Dillon write: The game “Art Museum” is a fun educational game. There is a “Memory game, art gallery, pop quiz, and spelling.” The memory game helps your mind think very hard and it helps you learn different kinds of pictures and artists. I would rate this game a 5 Star!”

This app was also tested by first graders. They found it equally fun and engaging. I must also add that I have spent some time watching the interaction and cooperation between pairs of students. It appears a great venue to build pilina.

I believe the app costs $1.99…certainly worth the cost when you consider the amount of learning and fun that follows. With so little time to always infuse art education into the curriculum, I am happy for something so perfect.

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Hungry Fish

Posted on April 20, 2012 by hanihipa
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We’ve been using and enjoying the Hungry Fish app for our math warm-ups in KB.  With the ipad plugged into the Elmo,  students can see what the one child who’s been invited to control the game, is doing.  The game is set up so that it is similar to the number bond strategy that we’ve spent a lot of time focusing on.  This strategy is reinforced as students need to collect the two numbers that total the amount on the given fish in order for the fish to be able to eat it.  If the students put two numbers together that do not total the amount that the fish needs, it will still display the number that has been made.  Excellent for reinforcing addition, number recognition, number sentences, and as a precursor to word problems.

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Sock Puppet

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Mrs. Chang
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“Sock Puppets lets you create your own lip-synched videos and share them on Facebook and YouTube.

Add Puppets, props, scenery, and backgrounds and start creating. Hit the record button and the puppets automatically lip-synch to your voice.

Friends can work together with multiple puppets and create hilarious conversations. While recording simply tap a puppet and that puppet will lip-synch, tap a different puppet and switch auto lip-synching to it. Switch backgrounds to take your puppets to different places, move the puppets, props and scenery to animate them while recording. Cartoon and photo realistic puppets are included.”

(Above description taken from Apple Store online)

SockPuppet

The above Sock Puppet video was something I created for an introduction activity with my second graders who were studying recycling.  I imported a picture that I took of the Hilo Landfill and used my own voice, though modified so it wouldn’t sound like me.  Then I hooked up my iPad to the projector and played it for them. Now that I figured out how to embed into the blogs, I think I can set it up for lessons.

Some ideas I had for using this app:

  • introduction to concepts, units, topics
  • questioning
  • conversations between students
  • students explaining what they are doing in a picture, activity, etc. (images can be imported into app to be used)

I found it easy to use and to create. I think the hardest part was just getting a script or the right words for the video. It was easy to create low or high voices of the puppets and background or props.  Exporting to iPad photo gallery was very simple, just click.  There is an option to upload to Facebook or YouTube.  Nice thing about saving to iPad is that you can email it or save for later use.

Want to learn more about the features of this app, click HERE for more information.

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Motion Math – Hungry Fish

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Mrs. Chang
1 comment

Motion Math – Hungry Fish is an exciting and quick thinking math game in which you have to combine numbers to match your fish’s number. Once you combine numbers correctly, you feed it to your fish to get larger. Sometimes you get a whole bunch of numbers at once, which makes it harder to figure out the combinations.

There is an introduction activity with voice instruction which allows students to practice. Cool background music and sound effects as the bubbles  are released and the fish eats.

Cool feature that I think the students will like as well as playing is that as they move up in the levels, they unlock features to designing their fish.  You unlock more colors for the fish and fin designs.   I found myself wanting to play more just to design a cool fish. I’m sure the students will too.

Price for this app is FREE. However, if you want to add components like subtraction and negative numbers you have to purchase for $3.99. For all levels of the game you have to purchase for $7.99.

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Motion Math Zoom

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Mrs. Chang
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Motion Math Zoom’s zoomable, stretchable number line is missing some numbers – it’s up to your child to put the numbers back where they belong. The new game uses concrete objects to represent abstract numbers: from dinosaurs in the thousands down to amoebas in the thousandths. Fun animal animations and sound effects help elementary school children master the number line.

Features
* Free to try 6 levels; upgrade with In-App purchase to get all 24!
* Starts at basic numbers and moves into negatives and decimals
* Helper character – gives hints when you need them
* High scores, stats, and Game Center integration
* Great graphics and animations
* Fakeouts and for advanced learners, a timed challenge featuring…The Needle

(Above information taken straight from Apple Store Description)

I have played with this and it is very engaging for students.  I believe this app is FREE.

Want to learn more about this app? Click HERE to be directed to more information.

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MyScript Memo

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Mrs. Chang
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Looking for an app that can take your handwriting and export it into text?  Well, here’s an app for you.  It’s called MyScript Memo by Vision Objects.  Price is FREE.  So this is how it works. Create a document in the app, write your message and then you can either export as a text or image.  You can send it through email, text message or copy the message after being converted into text.

Some of the main features on the app are:

  • pen – change color (red, black, blue, green) and size
  • eraser
  • lasso – highlight objects in document that you want to export as image or text, or even more around in the document.
  • camera – embed pictures taken from your iPad camera or in your library; pictures can be moved around in document, re-sized or written on
  • settings feature
      • change background paper to lined, graph or plain
      • download various language recognition
  • exporting – after document is handwritten, it can be export as a text or image
      • send to email, text message, Evernote, Facebook, or Twitter
      • copy and paste document

I have not made actual documents yet, however, I’ve played around with the features and so far it has been really good.  I have not written a lot, but from what I’ve written in playing around with the app, it seems to do a good job at transferring writing into text.

If you want to learn more about this app, click HERE to be directed to an information page.

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App Review – Puppet Pals

Posted on April 13, 2012 by Carmen Richardson
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Puppet Pals is a simple cartoon/animation creation app. It allows students to create animations using preset characters and settings. There is a free version as well as a paid version for $2.99. Students manipulate characters while recording their voices to create an animation. The app also allows for the uploading of photos to use in animations. There is a wide variety of characters available (especially in the paid app) including famous people. Students can manipulate the characters with their fingers, making them change size and direction. The possibilities for this app are limitless!

Here is what one of my fourth graders, Buddy, created with 10 minutes, a little imagination, and the Puppet Pals app. According to Buddy, “This app is awesome because kids of all ages would like it. There are all kinds of different characters that would please everyone, young or old, boy or girl. There are also a lot of different backgrounds that are really cool, and you can use multiplie backgrounds in one video. The app has very cool features.”

Puppet Pals Video Example

Click here to learn more about the app or to view it in itunes.

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Behavior Management App

Posted on March 25, 2012 by Mrs. Chang
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Do you need documentation of your students behavior? Have an iPad, iPhone, Droid, or a laptop? Class Dojo is here for you. This online behavior management tool can help you document each students behavior during the class time. With a touch of your finger award students positive points for good behaviors and negative points for inappropriate behaviors. You can customize the behaviors, input your students names, print out reports for parents or even email it straight to the parents. A great way to show documentation for a student’s behavior grade. A nice feature is that is can be used simultaneously with the iPad, iPhone and on a laptop. I know….I’ve used it in my class.

Only problem that I’ve encountered using it, is when I’m doing direction whole group instruction. It’s hard to just stop and award a point in the middle of your book reading or writing on the board. I feel that it would work better if you are in centers and roaming to help students or maybe have an aid in the class who is watching you teach the lesson. This person can keep track through Class Dojo to award points.

When I’ve used it with students, I do not showcase the negative points. Students are more willing to try when they see positive points being given. I showcase the points by projecting it up on my screen during work time. When I’m roaming around and I award points and students can see who got it and what they did. This elevates the enthusiasms to try get their positive points up there.

Another feature that I like is that I can even use this when not in the classroom. If I have my iPhone with me and the app on it, I can award students when at recess, at lunch, at events or any other class at school. Then at the end of the day, you can see how the student did throughout the whole day. No matter where they were. Then you can show the students their school and see where they need to work on. There is also a circle chart that divides up all the areas of points. The child can see where they get positive behaviors and negative. Then work on them.

Do you already have a great behavior management system? Try changing the behaviors to monitor particular skills. When talking with Linda, she asked if she could use it to keep track of particular reading skills she monitors when working with students. I don’t see why not. You can change the behaviors to skills.

For example, reading pace. Instead of positive and negative behaviors, you can use the two categories as at level and needs to work on. Then the subcategories could be: 4 Appropriate and natural, 3 Uneven, 2 Moderate, 1 Slowly. So when you are working with a student you can just award the appropriate points, then print out for documentation or for the parents to see how the student is doing in reading.

Want to learn more? Click here to go to the website to learn more and take a tour.

The video below shows about the features of this behavior management software. It’s free and in the testing phase.

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