Mrs. Becker's HS Science iBooks

Mrs. Becker's HS Science classes created iBooks using iBooks Author on their Macs (viewable on iPads or Macs if hey are updated to Mavericks).  The students had to complete the following research below and then could add widgets (interactive review questions, interactive images, 3D images, galleries, etc.) to make their book interactive.  You can also add a glossary of terms by linking definitions to words and a table of contents is updated automatically.  If you haven't checked out iBooks author, I would love to help you!  Kids LOVE it because it is easy to use (very similar to pages) but has more engaging "techie" features you can add.  Other classes have used them to write autobiographies, art history research, to create their own math assessment review textbook, and teachers have even used them to author their own class textbook.  Below is Mrs. Becker's assignment as well as a few pictures from one of the books created.

Teen & Tween Tribune

Tweentribune.com...great resource for kid friendly articles on current events.  I like it because:
1. You can search by age/grade level.
2. There are Spanish versions available.
3. You can set up your classroom so they can make comments (after you approve them to go live) and see other comments/replies from students around the world (student collaboration outside of your classroom walls...Common Core!)
4. There is usually a higher-level critical thinking question at the end of each article that would make for good class discussions or writing prompts.

Desmos Online Graphing Calculator

Desmos is an online graphing calculator tool.  I like it because:

"With a wide range of functions and the option to save and share graphs, Desmos is a great example of how new technologies can make math more concrete for kids."

"Desmos could be a decent tool for helping students connect mathematical concepts to concrete, real-world shapes and pictures."

"The Options panel lets you and students toggle labels, grid lines, and axes; control grid size; and customize trig settings and labels. The Projector Mode button makes text larger and more readable for in-class demonstrations."

Downloading Movies on iPad

Several teachers have recently asked me how to get a movie on their iPad.  Here are a couple of quick solutions for this.  I might add that movies take up quite a bit of space, so uploading them to your Google Drive to save space may be another good option.

Downloading Movies on the iPad Article 

HS iPad Training Day

HHS Teachers were part of an iPad Training Day.  Teachers received breakout sessions on Keynote, Pages, iMovie, Notability, Google Drive, Researching/Notetaking with iPads and other resources.  Several district teachers presented these sessions.  I have added some of the resources shared that day.  

15 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do On Your iPhone!

Here is a link to a GREAT article on 15 Things You Didn't Know You Could Do With Your iPhone! (Buzzfeed is blocked at school but feel free to check this out at home for full details/links on how to do these things, I've also posted it on my FaceBook).  

Several of these also work on iPads!

Here is what the article says:

1. Make a passcode with letters instead of numbers.

2. Have Siri read your email out loud.

3. See Timestamps on your texts!

4. See which planes are overhead.

5. Shake your phone to delete text.

6. Easily see a more detailed view of your calendar.

7. To turn on Caps lock, double tap the "shift" key

8.  Use your phone as a level to hang pictures, etc.

9. Turn off all in-app purchases with one button.

10. Take a "burst" of photos at once!

11. Type an em-dash.

12. Take a photo with the volume button.

13. Or use your earbuds to snap a pic.

14. Add custom vibrations.

15. Put your phone in airplane mode to charge twice as fast!

Mrs. Drzymalla's 1st Grade & Mrs. Lafferty's 3rd Grade Skype with Author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Mrs. Drzymalla's 1st grade and Mrs. Lafferty's 3rd grade classrooms Skyped with author Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen all the way from New Jersey.  It was the birthday of her new book "Tyrannasaurus Wrecks" (released April 1st)!  The students enjoyed her sense of humor and especially the reading of her book.  She was an inspiration to our future writers and told the students "As long as you are breathing you will always have something to write about"...."Inspiration is everywhere".