Thing 23

#23 Evaluation

What I found most helpful in the 23 Mobile Things project was work within the Infographics and Presentation Things. We are moving away from traditional PPT presentation (Yes!) and these Things offered very good presentation options.

I really didn't connect with others during this project; struggled just to get them finished in time.  23 Mobile Things was set aside in favor of other work and activities.  Visiting other blogs didn't fit my time frame.  Maybe this should be one of the Things next time - or a requirement to comment on a few other blogs each time we complete a task.

I would say not much has changed for me as a result of this experience, but that does not mean it was not effective.  I feel in tune to what is happening with mobile activity at a time when in the blink of an eye one can feel behind tech progress.

This learning experience has introduced me to relevant uses for mobile apps and kept me updated in the ever-changing world of mobile technology.  I am more connected to what my students are using and ready to try new technology because of 23 Mobile Things.

Please commit to creating another 23 Things Program!

Thank You!

Thing 22

#22 Discovering Apps

Apps-Gone-Free has been helpful in finding some apps - And They're Free!  Checking the app hasn't become a habit yet so when I do look often times apps I would have liked have expired. Given most apps offered are under $2 I don't feel too bad if I miss one.

 In the best interest of time management I prefer sites that offer vetted apps for education.  Richard Byrne's site has proven a worthy resource.  The apps he evaluates have been used and reviewed.  Byrne also offers suggested uses in the classroom and other apps you might enjoy related to the featured app.

The site offers many options for support from video creation to Google tutorials.  This site is a winner indeed!

Thing 21

#21 Free-For -All

Too Noisy Pro 

I use the Too Noisy app for grades K-6 and all grade levels respond positively to it, i.e., they are controlling their own noise level in the classroom.  I pd. for the app because the "Pro" version has more alarm, timing, and scene options, and the ability to record our own alarm.  

• I simply set the noise level appropriate to the work in the classroom. 
• Students earn audible "stars" at intervals set by the teacher.
• If noise level is too high the glass "breaks" on the screen and one star is lost.
• Celebration music when specific number of goals are reached.
• I would project the app but have not yet figured out how to connect my iPad mini to a mounted projection system.  

Pic Collage

Pic Collage offers a quick and easy way to display pics with the option to use fonts, stickers, and frames.  It is user friendly and a great way for kids to quickly compose and present experiences in and out of the classroom.

Thing 20

#20 Games

Games are an area I have explored very little (not an Angry Birds fan - like the "Tetris" style games better) and found some I default to regularly.  Games are a good outlet after a stressful day.  I think there's a place for them - balance...

Here was my progression:

Word Warp

Word Abacus

Candy Crush Saga

 

Pet Rescue Saga

 My New Favorite:

Farm Heroes Saga

Thing 19

#19 Hobbies

Discovering new music and searching archives for some of my favorite tunes is my hobby; #2 behind reading. Spotify has been a great resource for supporting my hobby.  I regularly discover new music with their updated selection and easily find songs to create playlists appropriate for the library.  This is my most-used app.

Recently discovered was the Forgotify app - an app created encouraging people to play songs that are on Spotify and have never been played. (Apparently that's 20% of the songs on Spotify!)

Thing 18

#18 Education

I became a bit lost in this Thing - so many apps; so little time!

The 3D-Brain app was easy to use and I see applications for younger and older students.  How interesting for students to manipulate and see the function of each portion of the brain - much better than a textbook indeed.

The artCircles app was categorized well.  I am not an art connoisseur so my judgment might be a bit simple.  I really enjoyed scrolling through the wheel; even view art based on color.  I think art classes would benefit from exploring what this app offers.  I'm going to use it in the library as we study the Caldecott titles.  Even though this is also an app for purchasing art it serves a relevant educational purpose.

The Bill Nye app provides exploration in a variety of topics. I see relevance in using this app with students. There is a great section on optical illusions with the scientific explanation behind each one.

Thing 17

#17 Connecting to Community

I tried the Star Tribune "Going Out" app and might be using it this summer to seek out a few new places.  The categories are clear but a bit difficult to browse.  I think going online without using the app is more efficient.





I have used the MPR app and appreciate streaming it in places where a good radio station is difficult to find.






Finding a relevant app for seeking out a "rails to trails" biking routes was difficult.  The TrailLink app allows one free map and then the purchases begin.  This app is created by the non-profit Rails-To-Trails Conservancy - so the in-app purchases are tax deductible.

Thing 16

# 16 Audio

Audioboo

 A number of our classroom teachers use Audioboo to track student fluency.  The example of students using this app, combined with QR codes, to create quick book reviews is a good one.  I'm going to give this a try with our MHL books next school year.

Voice Record

In search of an app we could use to record some quotes from parents and students at our junior high graduation events, we stumbled upon Voice Record.  It was extremely easy to use and the recorded quality very good.  The length of voice memos is unlimited and memos can be converted and exported to many places: Facebook, SoundCloud, YouTube, etc.  

Thing 15

#15 Infographics

I downloaded the Viz app and struggled a bit with it shutting down numerous times as I progressed through the infographic construction.
Visualize will be a good presentation option for students; helping them move away from the habit of reading from a PowerPoint presentation.
There are many possibilities given the camera access on student devices.  I can picture students using an app like Visualize  after a nature walk - identifying and "counting" what they have seen, or presenting experiment results from a science experiment.

In the end I found this app easy to manipulate but a bit cumbersome - especially when trying to fit text into frames. A sample:

Thing 14

#14 Videos

Exploring Vine has been entertaining, and I discovered some friends who have been using the app which made it all the more interesting exploring what Vine can do (or what people DO with Vine).
I'll experiment with this a bit more.  I like the archiving feature of the vine shorts.  It is also well-organized into categories.  The DIY section proves to be a bit challenging - explaining much in 6 seconds is a bit tricky; which would be why not much published in that category is DIY!
I won't be using the app in the classroom anytime soon - an educator account would help with content filtering for our young students.

Thing 13

#13 Presentations

I found Haiku Deck  very easy to use and available in iPad and Web formats.
The tutorials on their homepage are helpful and relevant.  We had a group of students in need of an easy way to present an end-of-year project and this Haiku Deck recommendation came at just the right time.
A little experiment with this tool:

MN STATE BOOK AWARD - Created with Haiku Deck, presentation software that inspires