Rockin' the online test with Scootpad!

 

Many teachers are getting nervous this year because in addition to taking a completely new test, their students will be taking it online! It doesn't help that the data coming out of the schools that beta tested the system last year is dismal. I scoured the internet looking for something (other than the few sample test questions) for my students to do to get test prep practice, and I was excited to find a free program called Scootpad!

With Scootpad, Students can write and draw on the questions, skip questions, and answer fill-in-the-bank. When we first started using Scootpad in my classroom, even my top students were getting less than 50% on the activities! After two months of using it once a week and at home, most of them are getting close to 100%! It really shows what a transition it is from paper problems to computerized problems!

My favorite part about Scootpad is that you have control over what type of questions they're reviewing. I whipped out my data and looked for the standards my class was struggling with as a whole. You can also create assignments for individual students. 

After you setup your class and add your students, it's very easy to add a new assignment and select a few standards for them to work on. You can also choose how many 10-question assignments to have them work on. I usually do 4 assignments for each standard.

 

Not only is Scootpad great practice, but my students really enjoy it. They like using the computers and they love the rewards you can earn in Scootpad. The last 5 minutes of every session I allow them to look through the reward section of the website. They can buy avatars, wallpapers, and  games with the coins they get for completely assignments. You can also assign your own rewards, such as candy and homework passes. When they "redeem" in their Scootpad account, you can view it in your teacher account. At the end of every week I go through and hand out all of the rewards.

  Is your school taking your state test online this year? Tell us in the comments below!  

Top 10 Favorite Apps for the Classroom

I love learning about new apps that can be used in the classroom for student learning and for productivity. I'm always reading blog posts about the creative ways teachers are using different apps in their classroom.

I'm Sandy Cangelosi with Sweet Integrations. I'm a former instructional technology specialist in Austin, Texas. Today, I'm going to share some of my favorite apps and resources so you can easily find the perfect apps for your classroom. Some of the listed apps are ones I recommend my buyers to use in my products. Most of these apps can be used in a variety of ways.

These are my Top 10 Apps:

1. Popplet Lite - This app can be used in brainstorming or as a graphic organizer in researching a subject or person. Students can add text, images, draw and change the color of their text. The finished products can be exported as a PDF or JPG. If you have a budget for purchasing apps, I highly recommend Tools 4 students. It offers 25 different graphic organizer templates and only costs $.99. I love it!

2. Story Creator - Students of all ages can create beautiful stories with this app. It supports photos and videos, voice and drawings. Your students can create personal stories or use this for research presentations.

3. Poll Everywhere - When you need to take a quick poll or survey in your class, use Poll Everywhere or Poll Daddy. You can add multiple choice questions, true/false and open-ended questions. What a perfect way to review for quizzes! You can even display results in other presentation formats. You do need to create accounts to participate.

4. Easy Chart - This is an easy and engaging way to teach graphing. Students can create a chart from their data which then translates to a bar graph, line graph and pie chart. It is so easy to use. The results can be emailed or saved to the photo album. You can change colors, too.

5. NeoReader - This is a must-have on any iPad. NeoReader is a basic QR Code Reader and there are other QR Code apps that are just as good. It's very simple and easy to use. My other favorite is QR Code Reader and Scanner. I use QR codes with many of my products for linking to websites, YouTube videos, answers to problems or questions, and images. I also like to use QR codes on choice boards at centers. 

Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle: Slideshow and Activities

6. Pic Collage - This has to be one of my favorite apps. I can always find ways to implement it into different activities and units. I've used PicCollage at the beginning of the year for students to introduce themselves and I just put it in my Black History unit in researching Ruby Bridges. Students can add their own pictures from the photo album and search within the PicCollage app. All you do is add text, cute stickers and format the background. You can purchase more stickers to add to your collage. It is so professional looking!

Black History Month: Famous African Americans Interactive Notebook

7. Caption Distraction - This app is similar to Comic Touch. Comic Touch is no longer available and was the free version of Comic Life. I created a sample below about Martin Luther King, Jr.. I should have made the picture larger so there wouldn't have been as much black space. I love the way you can change the effects of the image and add so many different speech bubbles.

Black History Month Bundle

8. Snapguide - When writing "how-to's" and step-by-step directions, Snapguide is a fun app to use. Students can take pictures, import them into Snapguide, then type the directions or instructions. I used it in an activity for making hot chocolate. Fun!

9. Animoto - This app is also an online resource. Animoto is excellent in highlighting student work. You just email the link to parents. They are always impressed. Visit the Techie Teacher's blog to see how she used Animoto to showcase her student products. Her students used Comic Life for their Native American projects.

10. Resources - Take a look at my "I Love iPads" Pinterest Board. I'm always adding new ideas and apps for the iPad.

And, visit my blog for "APPetizers". I've listed different sites for iPad resources, apps and outstanding tech bloggers. As a member of Texas Computer Association, I receive updates on apps that are free for a limited time and new educational apps. I choose one app each week to highlight on Facebook.

Top 10 Web Tools to Use in the Classroom

Hi friends! Welcome to our "Top 10" series here at Upper Grade Memoirs! I'm Kim from For a Love of Teaching here to share with you my Top 10 Web Tools to Use in the Classroom. It was hard nearly impossible for me to come up with only ten web tools to share! I have so many! I actually had a hard time narrowing it down to just ten.

So, here goes.  I'll start with one of my favorites!

#1 Remind (formally Remind 101)

This is one of my favorite ways to connect instantly with students and parents.  Remind is a safe and FREE service that sends one-way messages via SMS, push notifications or email to anyone you invite with a special code for your class. Remind keeps phone numbers private while still staying in touch with students and parents. You can even set up numerous classes, or send a message to just one or a few students or parents on your list.

Simple step-by-step instructions are provided through a downloadable letter for parents. Try it today! You won't be disappointed!








#2 Symbaloo

Symbaloo is a FREE visual bookmarking tool that makes it simple and fun to organize the best of the web.  With an account you can access your bookmarks from any device and share your online resources with others. How can you use this in the classroom you might ask? Until recently I didn't really see a how this would be a "classroom tool", but you can create a webmix of links in an overview, share it at one time, and your students will get automatic updates when you make changes. Symbaloo will generate a link for you to share with others that will take them straight to your webmix.

Teachers are also using Symbaloo to create lesson plans by creating a webmix for each subject they teach. You can embed a webmix in your class website or blog. Check out their website for more ideas. The possibilities are endless! How do you Symbaloo?



#3 Story Jumper

I absolutely love this!  With this web tool students can create illustrated books with super easy tools and then publish their own hardback or paperback books. This website is very user friendly for students while bringing their imagination to life! The wide range of graphics are incredibly detailed and fun to explore. When turning the pages, it has a nice little papery "whoosh" sound just like turning the pages of a real book. Step-by-step instructions are available for teachers, and the Classroom Edition for teachers includes a separate dashboard with a lot of helpful resources.

Once published, parents have the option of purchasing their child's book, or it can be safely shared on Story Jumper, with friends and family through social media networks, or embed on a website. It's amazing what you can do with this site and the best part is that your students can become published authors!

#4 Kidblog

Kidblog is a safe and simple blog for your students. It provides teachers with tools to help students publish writing safely online. Teachers can effectively monitor all activity within a secure classroom blogging space. I love how Kidblog gives students' writing a meaningful purpose as they are motivated to write for their peers and engage with a global network.

This is a great way to engage students in the process of pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing, and (of course) commenting. Kidblog has a basic FREE edition, and a paid premium edition that comes with more features. I can't wait to try this with my class! I have a feeling they will love it!



#5 Timetoast

Timetoast is a FREE website where students and teachers can create engaging timelines complete with expanding windows, pictures, text, descriptions, and hyperlinks. It's so easy to create an account and use! It's a wonderful tool that allows students to create timelines of a story, research project, historical events, and much more. Students can add details, photos, and links to their timelines.

They can share their timeline on Timetoast and explore timelines made by others. Teachers can use Timetoast to create timelines for lesson plans and/or embed their timelines on their website. This is an amazing educational tool that can be used for any subject or topic related to time, history, or important events. Did I mention it's completely interactive?!?

#6 Google Drive (formally Google Docs)

This is a FREE web based service that allows students and teachers to create documents, presentations, spreadsheets, or upload previously created material. Students will need a gmail account which is easy to set up. What I love about Google Drive is that everything is stored electronically in

the Google cloud. Documents stored there can be accessed from almost any device with an internet connection. You can easily get sharable links and more than one person can be logged in and editing a document at any given time. As a teacher, you can have your students share their work or projects with you, and you can provide instant feedback usually from the comfort of your own home!  Now, how much better can it get? Right? Check out 12 Roles for Google Drive in the Classroom to get started!






#7 Class Dojo

This wonderful and FREE classroom management tool is quickly becoming one of the most popular web tools for teachers! I don't personally use it for myself, because I found it hard to manage in my classroom. However, there's so many teachers that use it and love it!  I definitely need to revisit this positive behavior management system. With Class Dojo each student has a profile that you set up - complete with their own avatar - to which teachers can assign positive and negative points (or dojo's) throughout the day.

There's an app that you can download to your phone which makes this tool manageable inside and outside of the classroom. All points and information is recorded on students' profiles that can be reviewed throughout the year. Parents even have their own login so they can view their child's performance and achievements from home. Class Dojo seems to have an astounding effect on students! Your class homescreen can be displayed on the board, and It serves as a constant visual reminder as you communicate with students without even having to say a word!  Students quickly begin to recognize the sounds that are played when dojos are rewarded, and it's encouraging to see an increase in effort as they try to earn points for themselves. There's so much hype about Class Dojo, and given the fact that over 35 million teachers use - it must be worth looking into!

#8 Graphite

Graphite is my new best friend!  Well...not really, but I do love it! Graphite makes it easy for teachers to find the best digital learning tools by giving them independent ratings and reviews based on a rigorous rubric. The site also gives teachers insights on how to best use these tools in their classroom. Who has time to waste on searching the web for a great app or website to introduce to your students or use in a lesson? Graphite takes all the leg work out of finding the best games, apps, and websites for your classroom. As a teacher, you can explore by topic or Common Core standard. Yes, Graphite is aligned with the Common Core Standards, and what's even better than that? It's FREE!

#9 Storybird

With more than 5 million stories in its database, Storybird is one of the world's largest storytelling communities! Students can make visual stories in seconds with  some of the best artwork from illustrators and animators from around the world! There are no ads on the site, and it has a user friendly format that makes it perfect for the classroom. Teachers are able to create student accounts, give students assignments, and easily view any stories their students have written. Students can collaborate with other students as they write stories together, and then share their stories with friends and family.

Once written, student's stories can be purchased for $1.99 (USD). This allows students to download a PDF file of their story which can easily be opened on the iBook app, on a Nook Color, or any Android device. Stories can also be embed into a blog or website which allows students to have an authentic audience to write for. I definitely want to try this out in my classroom this year!

#10 Go Noodle

Does your class need a few brain breaks throughout the day?  Of course they do! Maybe even more than one! If you haven't used Go Noodle yet, then you have to try it out.  I use Go Noodle almost every day in my classroom, and my students love it! So, what is Go Noodle? It's a FREE collection of interactive brain breaks that gets kids up and moving while channeling all of that classroom energy. Go Noodle uses research-based brain break activities that are healthy, engaging, and beneficial. You can literally complete a brain break in less than 5 minutes. Students can set goals as a class and be rewarded by their Champ, a virtual mascot, who grows as the class earned minutes needed to advance to the next level.

Teachers can set up multiple groups so that each class can view their own progress and rewards. All you need is a computer, internet access, and a screen (projector/interactive whiteboard). I use Go Noodle for rainy day recess, and it works great! It has a variety of exercise programs that I can choose from for my students. Our favorites are Zumba Kids and Koo-Koo Kangaroo. Now, they don't mind if it's raining outside, because they know they'll get to get their wiggles out using Go Noodle!

I hope you enjoyed my Top 10 Web Tools to Use in the Classroom! I could have added soooo many more! I'd love to know which web tools you use in your classroom. I'm sure you could add to my list. Leave me a comment and let me if there's some you think I should try!