Post Survey

Students: Please take a few minutes to complete this survey about using the iPads this year.

Tech 2012

In May Mr. Hetrick and Mrs. Zumpano accompanied 6th graders Brianna and Travon to Springfield's Capitol building.  May Community Academy participated in its 3rd "Tech20xx" event.  Schools from around the state were selected through an application process to demonstrate their use of technology to Legislators.  We focused our presentation on our Shoe Project using the iPads.  Awesome job, students!

  

Our Thoughts on Technology

On May 2, 2012 two students will travel to Springfield with Mr. Hetrick and Mrs. Zumpano to showcase our fantastic work with the iPads for Tech 2012.

We hear how much you enjoy technology and the iPads, now its time to tell everyone else!  Please take a minute to respond to this post:  what are your thoughts about the iPads?  What do you enjoy the most about using them?  Do they make learning easier?  More fun?

Please share any thoughts you have on technology.  Remember to put your first name and last initial when you respond!

QR Codes in Reading Workshop

Ms. Beckom's reading classes recently used QR codes.  

Ms. Beckom's thoughts on QR Codes:

The QR Codes saved time and helped my students and I to be more accurate. Instead of writing the URLs on the board, which sometimes I or more my students often write or copy wrong, I just created a QR code which took my students directly to the site.  YEA!  Additionally, I did not have to worry about making many, many copies of pages for handouts.  Via the internet, I can expose my students to more information than I ever could have enough copies of.  It was quick, easy to produce and implement.  I went to a QR code generator and I had a QR code in a matter of seconds. What's more, it is free of charge to make and use.  Additionally, it makes my lesson more interesting, because my students like to SCAN STUFF!  Scanning helped them to buy into the lesson and become more engaged learners.

Students:  your turn!  What do you think of using QR codes in reading?  Can you think of some other ways to use them?

Midyear Survey

Hi May iPad Students!  Please take a few minutes to complete this midyear survey for CPS.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dDM0S3JfREpsQXNaYkJWTXoxMUttWWc6MA

A Trip to the Apple Store

In November the 5th and 6th grade students took a trip to the Apple store.
Ms. Tell writes about the visit:

The Apple Store was a nice experience for the 5th and 6th grade ipad users at May. 
The students were asked questions about how they are using the IPADS in the 
classroom. They were eager to share their daily experiences with the ipads. Students
then took pictures and videos of each other. Students then turned their pictures
and videos into exciting i-movies. Students had an exciting time at the apple store!


Students:  What did you enjoy about the trip?

One to Watch: Popplet Lite

Generating thoughts?  Organizing information?  Popplet Lite may be the app for you!  The paid version is $4.99 and offers many great features.  The FREE version is on our iPads and has met our needs just as well.  Popplet Lite allows students to create concept maps of their thinking.  With the paid version students can create and edit multiple "popples"at one time.  The free version allows users one popple at a time, but don't let that scare you off. There is also a beta version on the web at http://popplet.com/app/#/home

This is what the application looks like:

Students double tap the screen to begin.  A blank box will appear with 4 options beneath it:

1. The first option allows you to change the color of the box outline (black, grey, blue, green, red, orange, pink).  Changing the color of the boxes could be good for categorizing.
2. The second option allows you to add text.  There are 3 text sizes available with left/center/right justification options
3. Option three is twofold:  you can write inside the box freestyle and change the color of the pen
4. Finally, the last option allows you to embed a picture into your box.  Tapping on this option pulls up your photo library.  If you want to take an image from the Internet this is also an option.  Do this by finding the picture you would like to use (be mindful of copyright).  If you are using your iPad, hold your finger down on the image. A box will appear giving you the option to save or copy the image.  Go back to your popple (it will appear as you left it when you left the app) and click on the box you would like to place the picture in.  Hold your finger in the box and you will see three options appear:  paste the image, paste the URL, or copy the popple.

You will notice the box has four circles along the outside.  Selecting and moving these will allow you to link another box to your original.  If you would like another box but NOT have it linked simply double tap the screen where you would like a new box to appear.

The menu along the top of the application allows students to change the name of their popple as well as lock it (making it closed to additional edits).  You can also export your finished product!  Popplet allows students to email as pdf, email as jpeg, or save as a jpeg.  

Here are some sample popples created by our 5th and 6th grade students.  As an introduction Mr. Hetrick, our writing teacher, asked the students to create a popple about themselves and email the finished product to him.

Students:  what do you think of Popplet?  Do you like using it?  Do you have any ideas for additional ways to use it in your classrooms?