Osmo is a fun interactive game that keeps students engaged while using technology. You are able to make up your own educational games, then have your students play them. I chose to make a Osmo Words game. I found that with secondary education words would fit them the best. Since I am agriculture I chose to make a game dealing with crops. The list of words I made include: Wheat, Oats, Grain Sorghum, Corn, Alfalfa, and Soybeans. Each of these will register on a library so my students can access it. I firmly believe I will be using the Osmo system in my future classroom, it is fun, interactive, and engaging. Plus, students can have fun while learning. In the game I made each student will have to throw the letters down for what crop they think is on the screen.
The iMovie App for first time users is free, if not it is $4.99. Now that I am more familiar with iMovie I find it to be very helpful. I think as far as my students I will have them make projects involving iMovie or iMovie Trailers. I chose to make a movie over Kansas Wheat History, it not only fits perfectly with this time of year, but it relates to my content area (Agricultural Education). Kansas wheat is so important because it is how we got our name the “Wheat State”. So by doing the iMovie over Kansas wheat I can educate the history and importance of it. My hopes for my future classroom is to incorporate technology as much as I can, because they too can make projects that help the world become more knowledgable.
I chose to read the book from One Best Thing called Let it Grow: Developing the 1:1 Digital Ecosystem. The author Greg Hughes caught my attention by his creativity with making a 1:1 classroom. He goes through a process much like the ecosystem: Prepare, Cultivate, Grow, Blossom, and Reflect. I really enjoyed this article because it reminded me of an agriculture reference. Most people would never think of referencing a school transforming to 1:1 by incorporating it with the ecosystem. Greg Hughes goes through each process within the book. One of the best parts is that the book is free along with the other 104 in the collection. To read more click here. To also find the whole collection go to iBooks and type in One Best Thing into the search bar.
There 18 other lesson ideas that go along with Apps in the Classroom. I chose Hopscotch because it stuck out to me the most. There is so much you can do within the app and for all ages. As you can tell with in this picture, the app offers a variety of subjects for all ages. Each of the subjects has fun games that go along with it to help the students understand more. Each one teaches the students skills to help them succeed. For instance the mathematics one allows the students to build a house, but they have to use the correct angles. I would highly encourage any educators to try this app.
I found this this book in the collection of Inspiring Lesson Plans for Teachers on the iTunes U App. There 30 books in the collection. This specific book caught my eye because I believe it is important for students to learn about endangered animals. Here is the list of everything that is in this book: the author also has several helpful apps that the students can incorporate into each different topic. The three helpful topic and apps I like the most are:
Educreations Interactive Whiteboard, it allows you insert pictures and draw on the app so that way the students can see it visually from their own home. The app is also free, which everyone likes.
Movenote, is an app that allows you to record along side of documents or pictures. This is helpful with the subject because the instructor can teach from home and the students can watch. Even though the app is free, if the other person does not have it, it can still be viewed.
Britannica Kids: Endangered Species, this allows the students to look up endangered species and everything you need to know about them. The app is $4.99, but definitely worth it for this lesson it will help the students understand more.
I chose to use the app called Adobe Slate. Something about it caught my attention, it’s free and easy to use. It also allows you to make all kinds of changes so you can personalize your project. I have never used an app quite like this and Adobe Slate made it very easy to pick up on.
Named App Store Editors’ Choice, Slate lets you turn your next newsletter, report, invitation or travel adventure into a gorgeous visual story that delights readers on any device. Simply tap to select a unique look — beautiful fonts, color and magazine-style design are automatically incorporated. Fluid movement and elegant motion are applied.
I will definitely be using this app in my future classroom. It’s so easy that even my students will be able to do projects with Adobe Slate. It will encourage them to be creative and show how technology can be used within the classroom. Since Adobe Slate allows you to start from scratch it will be easy to incorporate most any topic into the project.
I chose to read Vicky Loras’ blog where she chose to do a challenge about writing a letter to younger Vicky when she first started to teach. The reason I chose to reflect on Vicky’s blog is because it gives a good insight of what you won’t know when you first start out to how much you know down the road. Vicky wrote it to herself at 18 to show what she didn’t know then, but knows now. I think it is important to remember that you won’t know everything starting out, and that is ok. One thing Vicky said that will stick with me is “never stop learning.” It is important to remember to always keep learning, it will improve your classroom and yourself as a teacher. To read mor from Vicky, click here. As for me I believe I will write myself a letter as I advance as a teacher, it will give a chance to reflect on everything I have done as an educator. Also, I think having my students write one will be beneficial as well.
With the app called Show Me I was able to do a screencast about different types of pork cuts. This app was free and easy to use. If I were to have a flipped classroom or even if a substitute was in my classroom for a day this app would be very helpful. I do not think I would use it unless I had those circumstances because I think it would take away from the teacher student interaction. The reason I chose to do pork cuts is because since I will be an agriculture teacher different types of meat cuts will be learned. When looking for this app look for this emblem:
The reason I chose the blog called “Why Blog” is because I was also skeptical of blogging. Mr. Kamrowski, who wrote the blog starts off by saying how silly he thought blogging was, until he realized that it helped not only his stay in touch with fellow teachers but also gave his students an update on daily activities. He has 5 specific reasons for blogging, they are:
1. To Build a Platform
2. To Build a Tribe
3. A Model
4. Reflect & Archive
5. Create
he claims each of these reasons helps him improve on his daily tasks of being a social studies teacher. As for me I would have to agree with him. I have found several new blogs that gave me information on several topics I have not yet expanded on. Blogging allows you to keep in touch with just about everyone. I feel that for my future classroom blogging will come in handy, especially with my future greenhouse. It will let the students know new activity going on within.
The first video I watched was titled Blogging Apps. It gave several blogging apps you could use for elementary and secondary students. The two I liked the most were Blogger and Kid Blog. http://youtu.be/hDoNy_qHhKc Here is where the video can be found. Kidblog is a free app that is very useful for elementary aged students. It is easy to navigate and learn with. The site is also private to anyone who is not accepted by the teacher. To find the app click below: Kidblog. Blogger on the other hand is more for secondary aged students. It is a free app, but a little harder to understand, a good thing about blogger is that you can add media to it. Ito find the app Click here. Both of these app will come in very handy in the classroom especially if you want to have your students do informal writing. This is what the two apps will look like in the App Store.
The next Tech Edge video I watched was environmental apps http://youtu.be/1CANqMlroMw . The two apps I found will come in very handy with my agriculture classes. The first one is titled Pollination 2 Plate. This app allows you to see how different types of plants pollinate as well as when they do. At the end of each segment it allows you to take a test and then also learn new facts while taking the test. To find this free app click here. The other app I learned about is NRD Trees. This allows you to learn about different types of trees in specific regions. For students in the classroom it helps them on their arboriculture skills as well as learning about where specific ones grow. To find the free app click here. Both of these apps can be incorporated into my future curriculum to ensure my students are learning about specific topics properly. It gives them a chance to use technology in the classroom. This is what the two apps will look like.
The last video I watched is called Making iPads Safe in the Classroom. http://youtu.be/Vk0KAYC9Fq4 There is no apps for it, but I thought it was beneficial to know. The video talks about how to use the restrictions option underneath general to keep students off of things you don’t want them on. In order to get there you go under general then to restrictions and if you want to resptrict the students you have to disable it. After you have disabled it the student then will have to know a lock code in order to use it. This will come in handily in my future classroom so I can keep my students on task while working on a project.
Each of these will register on a library so my students can access it. I firmly believe I will be using the Osmo system in my future classroom, it is fun, interactive, and engaging. Plus, students can have fun while learning. In the game I made each student will have to throw the letters down for what crop they think is on the screen.
Here is what their screen would look like.
