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Starter Kit
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of Recommended Apps
With hundreds of thousands of apps to choose from, how do you decide where to start? We’ve curated a collection of recommended starter apps for 1-to-1 teachers. We’ve organized these high-quality, engaging, and easy-to-use apps into the following four categories:
Ratings Key:
Best for Learning
Very good for Learning
Good for Learning
Fair for Learning
Not for Learning
If you’re looking for a basic introduction to the iPad, we recommend AppStart for iPad. It’s a free app available in the App Store. AppStart’s tutorial called “iPad 101” gives you the basic instructions you need to familiarize yourself with how an iPad functions. It’s a great place to start.
Visit Common Sense Media’s Learning Ratings for more great learning recommendations: www.commonsensemedia.org/learning-ratings Essentials Program
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STARTER KIT OF RECOMMENDED APPS
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Critical and Creative Thinking
From idea mapping and video editing to slideshow creations, these multipurpose tools can help students develop critical and creative thinking skills as they produce their own digital works.
Educreations Interactive Whiteboard This functional and easy app takes the whiteboard to a new level. Learning is baked-in as users experiment with the various ways to create and share lessons and presentations, as well as watch those posted by others. This is a “one-take” creation app; work cannot be saved until it’s completed. Platform: iOS
Animoto Video Maker Animoto Video Maker is a video slideshow creation tool with sharing features. Students follow sequential steps to organize and stylize their original content. Kids can easily share their final creation to a host of social media sites directly from the app or its accompanying website. Platform: iOS and Android
GarageBand Students can learn about recording, editing, and mixing music with GarageBand, a virtual audio workstation. In addition to composing original songs, students and teachers also can use this app in the background of other applications in order to record a voiceover – think feedback for assignments, explanations of solutions, and more. Platform: iOS
Other recommended tools:
Popplet
Explain Everything
ShowMe
Prezi
ScreenChomp
Visit Common Sense Media’s Learning Ratings for more great learning recommendations: www.commonsensemedia.org/learning-ratings
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Digital Storytelling
These digital tools can help transform students from passive story listeners into active, creative, and collaborative storytellers.
Toontastic Toontastic is an interactive cartoon design tool that empowers kids to organize and present ideas into creative stories. Students can learn the process of effective storytelling and create engaging animated cartoons. The app itself is visually appealing and has great sharing features. Platform: iOS
VoiceThread VoiceThread is a collaborative creation site that allows students to easily tell stories and create multimedia projects, focusing on the use of images and audio. If an entire class is sharing a wireless connection, bandwidth may be an issue. Platform: Flash-based (not tablet browser accessible); has iOS app
Capzles Teachers and students can create and view dynamic presentations using Capzles. This slideshow tool lets students string photos and videos together with music and text to create virtual scrapbooks. Users can adjust their creations based on feedback from other users’ comments. Platform: Flash-based (not tablet browser accessible); has iOS app
Other recommended tools:
Scribble Press
Storybird
Comic Life
Story Kit
Figment
Visit Common Sense Media’s Learning Ratings for more great learning recommendations: www.commonsensemedia.org/learning-ratings
Essentials Program
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Collaboration
Use these digital tools to provide a platform for students and teachers to connect with one another, exchange ideas, and share diverse perspectives. Start here and help maximize digital workflow, which streamlines the school-home connection.
Edmodo Users can post to each other and even embed videos and other multimedia content on Edmodo. Built-in features allow teachers to provide lessons, assessments, and annotate student work. Teachers can post work electronically and students can submit it the same way, leading to a truly paperless classroom. Students also love the ability to ask each other questions and work on projects collaboratively. Platform: iOS and Android
PrimaryPad PrimaryPad is a collaborative word processor where students and teachers can create and share ideas with each other in real time. Students can generate new ideas, refine existing ones, and take control of their own learning. This tool offers an interactive and collaborative way to practice writing, while making the learning process social and engaging. Platform: iOS/Android browser compatible
Edublogs With Edublogs, it’s easy to extend the classroom into a global community. Such online writing spaces open up powerful incentives for students as writers and creators, allowing them to potentially change whom they are writing for, and why. Teachers in any content area easily can integrate this creating and sharing blog platform into their daily writing and publishing routine. Platform: iOS and Android
Other recommended tools:
Skype
TodaysMeet
Dropbox
eBackpack
GoodNotes
Visit Common Sense Media’s Learning Ratings for more great learning recommendations: www.commonsensemedia.org/learning-ratings
Essentials Program
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STARTER KIT OF RECOMMENDED APPS
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Study Aids
Help address students’ different learning styles with these tools that support productivity and promote self-directed learning.
Time Timer Time Timer goes beyond standard timers to include customization and visual cues. This productivity app helps students learn to focus on timed tasks, and manage transitions. The clear, colorful visuals help kids understand concepts of time – concepts such as having a limited amount of time to complete something or needing to wait for a certain amount of time. Platform: iOS and Android
My Spelling Test This do-it-yourself spelling study tool promotes self-directed learning and academic growth. Students become their own spelling tutors by creating tests and quizzing themselves. A progress tracker provides instant feedback. Platform: iOS
Shmoop Shmoop offers a variety of materials to supplement classroom instruction – including activity ideas, quizzes, and essay-writing help. The site’s real strength, though, is in its presentation. Instead of just offering endless pages of content, it breaks subjects down in fun and humorous ways. Platform: iOS/Android browser compatible
Other recommended tools:
Notability
Penultimate
Socrative
A+ Flashcards
EasyBib
Visit Common Sense Media’s Learning Ratings for more great learning recommendations: www.commonsensemedia.org/learning-ratings
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Teacher Training Checklist
Use the list of recommended session topics below to design your very own 1-to-1 Teacher Training. Consider the fact that your colleagues may have different comfort levels with the device(s) that you’ve selected for your program, so scaffold your sessions as needed. Remember that technology is ever-changing, so the best way to support your staff is with ongoing training — not a “one and done!”
AUP (Acceptable Use Policy)
o Review the content of your school’s AUP, as well as communication expectations for teachers. o Determine protocol for having kids and families sign the agreement, as well as what to do in cases where students use their devices inappropriately.
o Review other relevant policies, such as a social media policy or classroom policy.
Tablet Basics & Care
o Review key exterior buttons, outlets, accessories, and key status icons (e.g., Wi-Fi, battery, syncing, lock, alarm, location services), as well as basic care and maintenance of the device.
o Review basics of syncing the device and backing up/storing data. o Identify different IT support options at your school for 1-to-1 device troubleshooting (e.g., a trouble ticket system, a MOUSE Squad, etc.).
Setting Up: Accounts & Apps Basics
o Discuss how to communicate to students the difference between using a tablet device for entertainment and using it for school-related work.
o Understand how to set up personal accounts, as well as accounts for students, where necessary. o Learn how to navigate app stores, as well as download and update apps.
Introduction to Core Apps
o Review suggested core apps and work in teams to integrate them into existing curricula. o Practice using core apps, keeping in mind teacher and student experience. o Discuss the concept of digital workflow; as an introduction, consider having teachers send home an electronic document (e.g., a syllabus), parents use an electronic signature, and students digitally submit the signed document.
Curriculum Support and Sharing of Best Practices
o Identify lead teachers and outline the ways in which they’ll support others to facilitate the integration of the new technology into classroom environments.
o Strategize about ways to address teachers’ ongoing technology-related professional development needs, either formally or informally, throughout the upcoming school year.
o Brainstorm ways to share best practices for 1-to-1 teaching throughout the school year, such as creating a Professional Learning Community (PLC) or hosting a weekly “Appy Hour.”
Digital Citizenship and Literacy 101
o Identify relevant digital citizenship and literacy topics and materials for 1-to-1 student onboarding. o Discuss ways to address digital citizenship and literacy topics across all content areas and throughout the school year.
o Introduce teachers to basic digital literacy and citizenship concepts Scope & Sequence: www.commonsense.org/educators/scope-and-sequence
Curriculum Training: www.commonsense.org/educators/professional-development
Family Engagement
o Define actionable goals for engaging families in your 1-to-1 rollout. o Identify ways to support families with any technical or behavioral issues that may arise at home. o Identify the different “go-to” people at your school who can field questions about your 1-to-1 program.
Engaging Families Program: www.commonsense.org/educators/engaging-families
What other objectives do you want to cover in a future training?
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