30 Hands

30 Hands

This ipad and iphone digital storytelling app will allow users to insert pictures from the camera roll and/or Dropbox, take photos with the camera app, or draw the pictures.  Simply tap and hold on one of the images to quickly reorder them.  In addition, audio can be recorded over each photo to create a story or presentation.  30 Hands can be used in a variety of curricular areas to explain a concept, place events in order, and more.  Students and teachers will love the ease of skipping the login step and sharing the finished product straight to the camera roll.

30 Hands ipad app - Free as of today - Download soon in case this changes

Other Tips:

• 30 Hands will allow users to re-record audio on slides

• As of now, there is no limit to the number of slides

Classroom Management Apps

While managing the classroom, helpful ipad apps can save time and energy!  Three FREE apps that may support your classroom are Groupmaker, ClassDoJo and Name Selector.

Groupmaker

Available in the App Store

The GroupMaker app allows teachers to create groups of 2-20.  The app allows for randomly selected groups or groups based on gender, performance level, etc.

View the video below for more information or visit the developer's website.

ClassDoJo

Available in the App Store

ClassDoJo is a classroom management tool that allows teachers to easily document and communicate class behavior feedback to students, parents, or administrators.  View the prezi below to learn more:

Name Selector

Available in the Apps Store

This easy-to-use and helpful app can be downloaded, setup, and used within minutes.  Teachers can use the random name selector to call on students to answer questions, select a helper, lucky winner, etc. and continue to be fair in the process.  The app selects each group member before cycling through the names again.  The students will enjoy the audio, animation, and graphics displayed with the Name Selector app.  When a student is absent or out, tap the settings button and simply slide their name to OFF.

View the developer's website.

FREE Apps

When trying to supply all items for a classroom, funds can be tight.  I love to find deals, especially for the classroom.  Many apps are free for a limited time (sometimes just a day), so you will want to act quick!  Two resources I use to find these bargains are:

You can follow them on twitter or pinterest or access their website to stay in the loop on what is free each day.  You may want to check Free App Fridays as they seem to have more freebies.

I have also downloaded the Apps Gone Free app and often check their list.  Their list of free apps is updated daily.  Note that this resource includes all apps and not just educational ones, so you may need to be selective.

Padlet

Padlet (formerly Wallwisher) allows users to post ideas on a "wall."  In addition, pictures and files can easily be added by dragging and dropping them into the wall space.  A login is not required to access the walls (more information explained here).  Users simply double-tap the wall to type.  Padlet walls are accessible on a computer or ipad by accessing the web browser.  The URL of the wall can be shared to give others access for collaborative projects and brainstorming sessions.  Padlet provides a great place to create formative assessment tools.

A wall can have various privacy settings:

• Private - the  user and those invited via email can see the wall
• Password Protected - visitors are required to enter a password to see the wall
• Hidden Link - the wall has a public link, but it is hidden from Google and public areas of Padlet
• Totally Public - the wall is completely public and can show up in Google searches and on Padlet's homepage

Check out the privacy settings for a wall to learn more.

Padlet walls can now be exported.  Click the Share/Export button on the right side of the screen and select your preferred format. 

Find out more information and watch several quick videos here to learn more about Padlet.

Haiku Deck

Haiku Deck is a free presentation app with a vast gallery of royalty-free graphics which make for an impressive, visually appealing presentation.  Although Haiku Deck is intuitive and simple to use, the tutorials provided on the blog can be helpful to students and teachers.  To create a presentation, follow the steps found here:

1. Create an account within the app
2. Begin a Haiku Deck with a title and theme
3. Start a slide by inserting text and graphics
   Note: Images can be added from the app's search feature or imported via Facebook, Instagram, Dropbox, Flickr, Picasa, Google Drive, or Box
4. Save and share the presentation via Facebook, Twitter, or the Haiku Deck website

A great feature Haiku Deck just added a few months ago was the charts option. Users can insert a bar, pie, or stat chart to a slide. View directions here.

Below is a great 7 minute video on how to get started using Haiku Deck:

Below is my attempt at a Haiku Deck showing my family's San Antonio trip from the summer: