Tech Tuesday - A Few Favorite iPad Apps

Long ago, I surrendered to the fact that my iPad is "our" iPad. Good or bad, immersion in technology is part of life today and sorting through the muck is a teachable moment. I wanted to share a few of my favorite apps, many of them we enjoy as a family - especially Toontastic (more on that later).

With iPads becoming so prevalent in early elementary classrooms, I've been excited to see engaging apps that go beyond the rote drill games seen in previous years. Here is a sampling of what is installed on my iPad at the moment:


GROW YOUR GARDEN

Finally! A math program without a flashcard feel to it. I love puzzles and those looking for an excellent edtech infusion for their math program should check this one out. This is a really engaging logic puzzler game. The automatic difficulty progression works well, but there are no hints which might frustrate some kids. The flowers placed in your garden as rewards are kind of hokey - but in a good way, Claire eats it up! The completed number sentence/equation flashes on screen as the operation is complete but is not an integral part of the experience. Simple concept, elegant execution. I really like this application.

(3 - 1 + 3 = 5) This is a screenshot from one of the first levels

READING RAINBOW

It's not often I cough up money for an app, but the 6 month subscription I purchased for full access to all Reading Rainbow's books and videos has been worth every cent. Claire loves being read to and has a voracious appetite for new material. With literally hundreds of books in this app, neither of us have grown tired of it. I appreciate the quality of books RR has chosen to feature, it is a well curated collection with diverse illustration styles and topics.

The interface is fantastic, there are different "islands" to fly in your hot air balloon each featuring a different genre of books. I grew up watching Reading Rainbow on PBS and this is a wonderful crossover to a new platform...but as LaVar would say:

"Don't take my word for it!"

TOONTASTIC

I cannot get enough of this app. If I was back in the classroom I would have this program in the hands of each and every one of my students. Storytelling is just the tip of the iceberg here - which the capability to animate and narrate a multitude of characters and places (including hand-drawn creations) this app has possibilities outside the realm of language arts. The only thing missing is the capability to export files. Boohoo!



A few others that I'll write reviews for in the coming days: Leo's Pad, MOMA Art Lab, Umi Numbers and Bob Books Magic. Happy "Apping!"

Tech for Tots: Google's Art Project

Thank You Google, You Rock!
If you haven't seen it yet, you must check out this site: Google's Art Project.

I am enthralled.

What’s so cool about this is that in addition to the EXTREME closeups of the artwork (that’s a portion of The Starry Night in the screenshot below) is that they rode this steady-cam style bike thing around and gave us Street View…in a museum! For me at least, part of the excitement of a museum visit was experiencing the atmosphere of all these great works in one place. And while this can’t compare to actually being there, I can see so many opportunities for this in education and even in my own family.

Tech for Tots: Evolution of the Oregon Trail

>>> Regina has cholera. Would you like to push on or rest for three days?

If you're a child of the 80's, I'm sure this game has a place in your heart. I remember vying for computer time amongst my fellow classmates intent on guiding my wagon full of family west to the promised land. I was so excited to purchase the newer version complete with primary source material scanned in for my students back in 2004. The graphics had improved immensely, although I admit the original had a charm all its own.

Here's a great read about the unlikely start and success of this educational software, and the efforts of its creators to make it historically accurate: THE OREGON TRAIL: HOW 3 MINNESOTANS FORGED ITS PATH

Do you remember this game? What was your chosen field - farmer, banker, carpenter? Did you join a wagon train or rough it alone? And most importantly -- would you push on or let me rest as I suffer from cholera?!

Technology for Tots: Fonts

Hello.

My name is Regina and I have a slight font obession.

Some women collect shoes, I collect fonts...upwards of 300 and counting. I can't seem to help myself - the files are tiny, I LOVE each and every one. I tell myself it's totally normal to have so many choices of type (and I'm hoping you'll tell me too).

My latest finds are font sets to use with Claire. Check this out:

Wouldn't this make for fantastic coloring pages or an alphabet chart? I wish I was this clever and artistic! Or maybe you can try something like this:

Both fonts are FREE! Snag them at fontspace.com. Click here for the Pictograph front and here for the tracing one. There are a plethroa of fonts on this site, I've downloaded a gazillion and have yet to clog up my hard drive. Happy browsing!

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After many requests here are 8.5x11 printables of the picture above. 

Here's the link to the full sized landscape version of the alphabet chart:

http://flic.kr/p/9ePSjP

And here's the link to the full sized portrait version of the alphabet chart:

http://flic.kr/p/9eSZBd

By the way - I didn't watermark this because what kid is going to want to color all over something labeled "Chalk In My Pocket" but I'd love if you'd link back or email me if you share this somewhere.