Week 5 iCafe

In iCafe in week 5 we looked at some ways of using iPads to create content for students, some ways of using iPads to assess and finished up with a bit of a look at students creating book reviews.

Creating Content
Apps that are ideal for creating differentiated content that is totally personalised include TinyTap, Zondle, Explain Everything and Educreations. With Zondle the content is developed on a PC and then accessed by the students through the App. Another fantastic way to create personalised content is by creating Beat the Teacher Resources. My favourite way to do this is be creating the pages first in Keynote, taking screenshots of the full page and then adding audio in SonicPics and sending the completed slide show to the camera roll. Beat the Teachers can be used for any problems that students need to work out mentally such as sight words, times tables and mental maths. They are a terrific resource that can be shared across iPads via the camera roll.

Assessing
The fact that it is an all in one device makes the iPad the perfect tool for assessment. The camera can be used to take still shots or movies of students or their work. These can be used to map progress or provide evidence of achievement. Screenshots can also be used to monitor progress when students are working on apps or a photo of screen is needed but cannot be sent by the app. Explain Everything and Educreations can also be used to record students explaining their reasoning as they work through a problem. An excellent way to compile evidence such as photos, movies and screenshots is using a book making app such as Book Creator. Creating a book for each student in the class would be an excellent way of creating a digital portfolio on each child. Text and audio notes can be added.

Book Reviews
I love the idea of having students review the class books, create QR Codes from those reviews and place the QR Codes on the front of the books to share with others. Verbal reviews can be created using audio recordings developed through most voice memo apps. iMovie Trailers are an excellent way for students to create book trailers and give their opinion of the book at the same time.

That was pretty much week 5 iCafe in a nutshell (or should I say - in an iPad case)