iPads in the Classroom and Free Apps!

This year I was fortunate to receive an iPad for use in my classroom!  Over the summer I got busy learning all about it via webinars, websites, blogs, etc.  Finding really good apps can be a time consuming process, but I found some great resources that really helped.  To avoid a lengthy post I have chosen to tell you about two of the many, many resources out there.  One of those I have already mentioned in a previous post, but felt it worthy of a second nod.  The Simplek12 folks have provided teachers with a wealth of information including some free ebooks listing popular "teacher-tested" apps.  Their free webinars and resources are invaluable! I also ran across a web site called "Smartappsforkids."  This site lists a free app of the day, a top 100 list, lists by grade level and much, much more.  You will have to check out these two resources!

I am also going to try to review some apps here on my blog throughout the year.  One of the apps I recently tried with my first graders is called "Story Wheel."  It's like the old fashioned game where each person adds to the story of the person before them, only kids get to spin a "wheel" on the iPad and when it stops, they must add to the story based on the picture shown.  Another really fun twist on the game is that the kids record their part of the story on the iPad.  When the story is complete you can replay it, email it, post it, etc., so that everyone can enjoy the creation!  You can see my students having fun with this in the pictures below!

I look forward to trying out more fun apps with my first graders and will let you know how it goes!