Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ipod Touch for $50, sort of....

So a few weeks ago I came home from work and my fabulous husband had a gift for me on the kitchen counter. Under a card that read, "To my favorite teacher and her students," was an iPad! Oh, how I had been dreaming of this day. I quickly set about to putting several education apps and books on it. My students LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the iPad, but there is one small problem. There is only one iPad and 21 of them, so I set it up as a rotation during centers. Each students is able to use it at least once each week, which so far has worked out okay. 

Cut to Sunday. I was overdue for a phone upgrade, but I was perfectly content with my early generation iPhone that I've had for several years (at least until I heard the AT&T commercial.) An iPhone 3GS for $50? Really? Well I marched myself down to the store and picked one up in a flash. I took the pictures, music and non educational apps off of my old phone, which now functions just like an iTouch because it no longer has texting and phone capabilities. The best part is that the iPad apps, like Sight Word Bingo and Horton Hears a Who, work on it too. I can't wait to show the kids after spring break.

5 comments:

Sass Class said...

I have an iPad also. What ed apps do you like for it. I am just getting started and would like some ideas.

Heather Unger said...

I have several Dr. Seuss books. What I like about those is that they will read the story to the kids and it highlights the words as it reads it. Plus they aren't crazy interactive. If you click on a graphic (say a bug), it would say the word bug and the word bug would pop up on the screen. I think that this keeps the kids from just clicking on everything and actually focusing on the content of the story. I got them for 99 cents around the time of Dr. Seuss' birthday.

I have several Mercer Mayor books that I got for 99 centers. My students LOVE Math Bingo and Sight Word Bingo. They are 99 cents and highly recommended. I also like the Super Why app and Teach Me 1st Grade.

Hope this helps.

Heather

Mindful in Montana said...

I love your blog! Our school district does not allow us to access any blogs so I'm spending weekends downloading,then printing when I get back to school! I would love to get a copy of your phnic centers! Thank you!

Heather Unger said...

Ckeskeny, our district does not allow us to access blogs at school. Your story sounds so similar to mine. I spent loads of time on the weekend. I would email the files to my school email and then print there. Now I just save it in google docs. That saves me lots-o-time. Also, many districts allow you to request certain sites be freed up. I have requested that my favorite blogs be accessible at school, and they have complied. It is school related. Maybe your district has a similar process?

Also, could you post your email so that I can send you your phonics centers?

Anonymous said...

Have you found any other apps that you are using on the iPhone? I requested a grant through my school district to get 2 iPod touch, so hopefully that will happen! I would love to hear of apps that you like! Thanks!
nikkidanielle@gmail.com

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