Apps of the week

I have been trying to highlight an app each week with my resource room and also my iPad class. I love getting some new ideas as to how to use the app in the educational setting. Some of the kids are not afraid to take a risk and share some ideas, while some are a little timid. This marking period I have not done an app review of the week. There are a few reasons:

1. the weather has been crazy. We have stopped, started and stopped again. The past 4 days that I have seen my class are the longest stretch we have gone. 
2. the kids were mainly looking for games. While I know there is a place for the games, some of the teachers around me are frustrated that the iPads are being used that way. 
3. We haven't had time.  (Yes I know this is the same as #1)

Last week we highlighted Haiku Deck and the kids loved it. I love the backgrounds, pictures and limited space for writing. My students tend to want to put everything they need to say onto a power point slide. The nice thing about Haiku Deck is that it limits their words and forces them to speak more. On a rating scale of 1 to 5 stars, my students gave it a 4 star rating. They felt it was easy to use and loved the on screen tutorials. My lowest reader said those were the most helpful.

This week in the iPad class I am introducing Snap Guide. They will be making a "how to book" of their choice. Right now I am at a crossroads as to deciding if I should make it a certain number of images, etc. But I really want to give them the freedom to write about what they want.  I am also toying with the idea of having the kids participate in a "how to" fair. They would share their Snap Guide and their finished project with their teachers, other students, tech people and administration. Just not sure they would think it was a good project or just goofy. I shared this app with the gym teacher, they can use it to design their own exercise program, or for the younger kids, they can design an obstacle course as one of their Blizzard Bags. I can even see them using this in reading. When they read a book such as The Hunger Games, why not make a survival guide from Castniss' point of view. Just another way to use the amazing technology we have been given. My goal is to show this to my resource room students so they can help me write the review and give it the star ratings.