Last year's G.E.E.K. Week was such a resounding success that we are busy getting ready for G.E.E.K. Week 2.0 which will be held at ASD July 15-18. Participants from ASD's Professional Staff will spend this week learning about exciting mobile technologies they will use in their classrooms next year!
For questions about G.E.E.K. Week 2.0, please contact Stacey Tatera, ASD's Technology Coordinator. |
This is the official site for ASD's G.E.E.K. Week 2.0 July 15-18, 2013.
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Gina liked two apps that she suggested we try out. One is "Kids Reading Comprehension". This app is so cool. Students read a story with pretty images and there are reading comprehension questions to go along with the story. After all of the questions are answered, there is a silly act by a fun character to celebrate your success. There is also a progress report that you can refer to, to document progress.
"TeacherPal" is definately just that-your new best friend. It allows you, the teacher to keep track of your classes, atttendance, behavior and gradebook. This is reallllllllly nice!!! I have several that I enjoy: My Sketch, Dream Dictionary, SpinArt Studio, Side by Side, DMV Prep and Countdown Hopefully you will find all of the apps helpful. We are going to create movies now and a picture will be posted later. |
Staff App Choices...continued
"Sequencing" is an app that Angie really likes. Transitioning to being a kindergarten teacher, this app will probably be used during center time. It sequences pictures, numbers, letters, etc. Kara chose "Analogies 4 Kids". This is an app that makes you look for analogies from pictures and words and you pick what the matching picture/word is. She also liked "Pattern Recognition" Lynn Brooks found a fun app named "Pepi Play". This is about self help skills. This app lets you pick a boy or a girl to use with the kids. It focus on hygiene areas (brushing teeth, bathing, toilet training, combing hair, etc.) and is interactive and something that young ones are sure to love. There is a lite version and the full version is $1.99. Emma, always the social studies teacher and looking for ways to engage the kids, found "Pass the Past". This is a free app. It can be used for reviewing. It covers just about everything that she teaches (civics, world history, American history, etc.). It starts on the 3rd grade level. It has quizzes on there that are great for review-very nice! Shiela loves the "Eye Contact" app. This is really good for working with students on maintaining eye contact. This one is way cool. Jennifer really was taken with "ScrapPad" and let me tell you-so am I!!!! It is like a digital scrapbook! The full version is $4.99 or you can get a themed one for less (and perhaps free). The full version has it all. Make a yearlong scrapbook for your class and show how much the kids have learned and changed. The full version should let you email and print. Shannon couldn't pick just one. She liked "Splash Math" works on vocabulary, place value, fractions, geometry, etc. It allows for cooperative learning and is a good reinforcement tool. There is a lite and a paid version. Her second one was "Math Kid" lets you do addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It is a very fun, visual app that kid would really like. This app is free. Melissa focused on "Psych Drugs". This is a list of commonly used psychotrophic drugs that are prescribed. She also like "eType" but stated that this is more older student oriented but basically will analyze your personality type. Very interesting and is free. Check this out. |
Rick Porter loves the app "hoccer". This app shares information between your mobile devices. Another device that can be used to share pictures between devices is called "mover". This lets you slide photos across the screen and goes to the other device.
He also found an app that goes with FaceTime. It is called "facedial". You can call a person from your iPad to their iPhone. It will let you transfer your contacts between devices. He LOVED the metal detector app. It WORKS! Ever had to go search for hearing aides on the playground? Worry no more. Stacey loves Penultimate. This is a note taking device that you can use with your finger or a stylus. Today it looks to be on sale for $ .99 Linda loves "first words-1000 flash cards". When you open this app there are several categories that you can choose from. This app is great it has pictures and text. You are able to change the settings and remove text if you want to. Jessica loves Collins:My First English Picture Cards. Students can paint the cards and use them. You can also create a sticker book. It allows different flash cards. It develops vocabulary. The full version is $2.99. Moodymonstr is Pamela's favorite app. This app shows emotions. It has a timer that you can use when working Lindy chose alphabet game. You can learn your abcs and word recogiztion. It looks like Wheel of Fortune. Wes was thinking about teaching literacy and making it visual and interesting. He found iPoe. This is an Edgar Allen Poe app that has a collection of some of his short stories and poems. This app was $1.99. "Sight Words" is Sherry's new favorite app. This has FRY worlds for students. This is so neat. It will show the word on the screen and has an area for students to be able to copy (with their finger or a stylus). There is also rewards that go along with progress. There are different versions that increase Janie likes "scatchwork". This is an internet website and note taking program that you can do side by side (notes and internet). Ask Janie for details. |
1. Board Game Tools
2. iSign 3. Captionfish-shows when and where captioned movies are showing around you 4. VidRhythym-this one is AWESOME, you can create videos with music and incorporate signing being videoed. Please remember videos need to be super short. Refer to Gina Wooten's class website and watch her video. 5. Kabaam-create your own cartoon. Add pictures, captions, etc. This is $ .99 6. ToonPAINT- $2.99; creates cartoons out of photographs 7. Stack the States 8. Stack the Countries 9. Show of Hands-a place that does live polling. Note to self-if the app says lite, it means it's free. You can try it out and if you like, just purchase the full version. Getting overwhelmed with then pictures in your photo album-no problem...create albums for organization. Open your photos and click on the small frame (with in arrow inside). Next, click all of the pictures you are wanting to add to a new photo album. Each one you click will have a check mark showing that it is selected. Then, you will see "add to" at the top right. Click on that and add to a new album or add to an existing album. Name it and you are done! |
Open iTunes u and find just about anything you need. Click on catalog, type in your topic of interest and see what looks good. If you want what you see, simply click the subscribe now button and it will download and transfer to your book shelf. Please note-some are free and some are not, so look carefully. |
When teaching and presenting, I have always felt you are an actor on the stage and it is up to you to captivate your audience and keep them engaged. We are at a point in education where the kids eat, sleep and breathe technology. www.polleverywhere.com is a website that lets you create polls that require engagement from the audience.
You can create a poll that students can text and respond to. You can also pose a question and students can texts replies. This is a really fun website. Arkansas Democrat Gazette Plus app---I AM SPEECHLESS!!!! This is a free app and definately one that you want! Ok, here's how it works. You need your smart device with this app downloaded and a newspaper from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. First, look for pictures that have a C PLUS symbol (they are blue). Open the camera on your device and hold it over the photo from the newspaper. Like a QR Reader, this will scan the picture (keep the camera over the picture) and anything that has been embedded with that photo will come up on your device via video, audio, and slideshows. There is no captioning but Stacey has already contacted them about it. WOW-exciting start this morning! |
Hi everybody! I just hacked into the GEEK Week Blog to send a great big THANK YOU to Lonya for being our Blogger for the week. Hasn't she done a great job?? We have covered so much material these last few days, and this blog will be a great reminder for us all for when we get back to "Real Life". Thanks to Lonya, we won't miss a detail. I can almost hear her saying "O! M! G!" when I read her posts!! Thanks for your support this week, Lonya. We hope you don't quit your job as a Principal to take up blogging full time! |
The talk of the moment is Wikihood. There is a free and paid version. It is a virtual GPS that can pinpoint where you are and list points of interest around you. It is similar to Google Earth. |
Virtual Manipulatives app.....I'm speechless.
Struggle with teaching the concept of fractions and getting your students to visualize it in their minds? What about decimals? Struggle no more-this app has exactly what you need to explain those tough concepts. |
1. Awesome Flashcards-multiplication and others (regularly $4.99)
2. Classroom Bingo HD. Regularly $2.99 3. ASL Emergency Signs. Regularly $1.99 |
Brains are overheated......hearts are fixing to break...the end is drawing near with Harry Dickens. He has been phenomenal! The masses are restless and anxious to apply what they have learned. But-we're not done yet folks.
The talk now is powerpoints. We all create and use them. They do become a little monotonous. How about some interaction? This next app has two different apps-a teacher app and a student app. "nearpod teacher" and "nearpod student" are FREE. These apps allow the users to interact with each other on the projector. Long gone is the need to use pen and paper or the Classroom Response System [remote controls] to have students answer questions as you teach. SAnything saved as a PDF can be uploaded to this program. Simply create your powerpoint and upload to this program. This will allow you to create quizzes, discussion areas, etc. The beauty of this app is that you don't have to be in the same room to interact. Heck, you don't have to be in the same city. What can I say-this app rocks! |
On sale now for half off the regular price, The Elements is the periodic table, along with the elements, you are able to access 3D objects that are the elements. You are also able to access different objects that truly are the elements.
StarWalk-I don't even know what to say. Download this and satellite will pick up your iPad and show you where constellations, stars and objects are in space. WOW!!!! Civil War Today app lets you go back to that era and see what is occurring each day. World Fact Book tells you about every country, government, economy, different people of the world. Look out Social Studies Teachers. When leaders of a country change-guess what? The app will update. |
On sale now for half off the regular price, The Elements is the periodic table, along with the elements, you are able to access 3D objects that are the elements. You are also able to access different objects that truly are the elements.
StarWalk-I don't even know what to say. Download this and satellite will pick up your iPad and show you where constellations, stars and objects are in space. WOW!!!! Civil War Today app lets you go back to that era and see what is occurring each day. World Fact Book tells you about every country, government, economy, different people of the world. Look out Social Studies Teachers. When leaders of a country change-guess what? The app will update. |
This is definitely the app for you math teachers. Sketch Pad Explorer allows students to explore fractions, decimals and place value, volume, etc. The integrated "sketch pads" have pre-loaded, interactive pages to look at countless math content and better yet -- it's free!!! |
Sentence Creator allows students to choose the correct words for a sentence. Fill in the blanks to match the words in the correct word order. There are also pictures to accompany the subject and action of the sentence. |
Build-a-Story (make sure you include the dashes when looking for it in the app store) is free! It is similar to Puppet Pals and Photo Puppet but appears more basic. |
For $2.99, for the director's pass, you get all the characters and with Puppet Pals, you can manipulate puppets (think paper dolls) against various backdrops. You can also take pictures of places and people to use as backdrops and characters as well.You can also resize, rotate, and move the characters with just a swipe of your finger. It gets better - you can record moving the puppets around to make a basic animation. But can you make their arms move and have more intricate movements? There's an app for that!!! Photo Puppet allows you to more intricately manipulate your puppets you have created in Puppet Pals. The backdrops in Photo Puppet are also animated. This app is also $2.99. By combining these two apps you can create incredible puppet shows! |
Teleprompt is just that.....a teleprompter. In addition to doing teleprompts it allows you to video yourself while the prompt is running and can be played back. Meaning, you can be reading and signing what you are reading while the program records what you are signing. With Reflection, you can display what was signed along side the original "teleprompted" text. You can change the speed of the text as it moves up the screen, add a line text (to show where you should be reading), or you can make a teleprompter project and then use it in iMovies. They all work in tandem with each other to create extensive projects. This notion of using more than one app to create projects allows students to experiment and explore with various media. |
Lunch is over and the audience is captivated!!!!!
Harry has just introduced the group to "Reflections". This is an app that is NOT on your iPad but on your computer. This app allows you to project up to 5 iPads (or iPhone 4s') on your smartboard/iphone 4s/iPad at once. If you have your computer and the iPad on the same network this will work. Your computer will have to be connected to the projector or tv so that they will display. A suggestion from a geeker---this would be GREAT for Academic Bowl!!! They all tie together..... ShowMe is a free app that can be used with Reflections. If you have your iPad and other iPads connected during a lesson, you can model how to solve problems and students can then practice on their device thus displaying it on the screen. ShowMe also allows you to add photos. At the ShowMe site, there are ALL kinds of lessons available for you to access. Check out these apps. And for the record let me, Lonya Robertson, just say.......I LOVE HARRY DICKENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and he personally autographed his book and gave it to me) |
Tools4students...this is one $ .99 you won't regret buying! This is fabulous for any teacher. This app is filled with graphic organizers to use with your students. Some things this allows students to do include sequencing, story elements, main ideas, and predictions.
pictello-it is pricey-$18.99 but will sequence your stories for you. It is a sequencing app (like a tutorial). Extra cost would save you time if you need this type if app. Proloquo2Go-definately a dream app!!!!! It is $189.99 but before you pass out- it would be perfect for special needs students to use as communicative devices! |
2 apps you need to download are "itunes u" and "ibooks"
itunes u-you can create courses in this app. This is great for presenting. You can download apps in this program. If students are using iPads when you are teaching, have them pull up the course and if you want them to take notes, download Evernote and link it to your course. Students can open Evernote and immediately start taking notes on the course you are teaching. itunes you has a k-12 link. Go to this link and click Arkansas and you will find several links. There are even links for Common Core State Standards and Transition and Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI)!!! There are other options to creating courses if you want to try different apps. Kahn Academy also has a site that you can create courses on. For students that need additional auditory support, teachers can record their talking when creating the lesson. If the teacher then captions what he/she is teaching, the captions will be highlighted as the voice recording is played back. ibooks-Create your own books! This is awesome. You are able to create your own books to include photos, videos, text, photo galleries of pictures (on one page), morphing, and who knows what else. You can covert a flat picture to a 3-D image. You can also highlight text and create quizzes. Photo galleries of pictures would be great for demonstrating step by step processes, or if you want show several pictures on a certain subject. Hard copy books are great but are limited with pictures that can be on a page. Use student art work for illustrations in your books. Create authors.....become one! |
iMovie is spectacular! It's an app you have to pay $4.99 for but it is worth every penny! Kids love to be videoed and your class can make its own movie with this app! Add captions, sounds, amazing graphics-the possibilities are endless.
Make music for your movie with the Garage Band app. Create your own music with instruments of your choice. Evernote is a note taking app that you can get for your iPad. Do you ever need to use maps, pictures, and so on when teaching? Skitch is an app that works with Evernote. If you need to teach about a map in class and want to draw on it during instruction, get what you need on Skitch and send to Evernote. FaceTime-contact anyone you need by using your contacts in your address book from work email. If you need a VP to make call, save yourself time and just use FaceTime. The catch? The person you are calling needs to have it too. The beauty? You can see each other on the iPad screens and don't have to leave your chair to do it. |
What a thrilling way to start off the day for G.E.E.K. Week!!! Harry Dickens, author, iPad Guru, and King of Apps is in the house! Today is going to be amazing.
Want to split your keyboard on your ipad when typing? G.E.E.K. Week Team can show you how. Did you say you need to covert something to another language?? Go to your notes and on your keyboard click the microphone by the space bar and start talking. It will translate what you say to text English, Spanish, etc. If you have a Spanish speaking parent and you need to communicate and there is no interpreter available at that moment----NO PROBLEM, you can record them speaking in Spanish and it will covert it to English text. Emoji-it just makes me happy. Like those cute symbols when you are typing/texting? Go to settings-keyboards-international-go to emoji and you are set. We just learned how to type numbers without having to switch they letters on your screen (keyboard) to the number pad. See a geek for details!!! Long vowels/short vowels-there is something for that too-hold down the letter you are working on, on your keyboard and slide to the vowel symbol you need. I feel like I have had a double shot of caffeine I am so wired! This is out of control exciting!!!! |
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