Number Pieces

 

 

Number Pieces is a base-ten model application which allows student to manipulate base-ten blocks in order to better understand math concepts and skills.  Students may simply use the blocks to represent numbers to demonstrate number sense.



 

 



 

 

Students may choose to use the base-ten blocks to solve various problems.

Additionally, tools are available to enhance student models as they solve problems.

 

This app is FREE but is only available in the Apple App Store.  Thanks, Ms. Burt for sharing this great app with us during your i21Zone lesson!

Math Duel

Math Duel is a one-on-one challenge that allows students to compete head-to-head in math problems.  The key to winning is accuracy AND speed.  There is a bar that divides the screen which resembles a tug-of-war challenge showing who is winning. 

Students may choose the operation they wish to use.  You can even have one student using multiplication problems while the other uses addition problems.  This is a great tool to increase math fluency and build number sense. 

 

When I purchase the app, it was free; however, currently it is listed as $2.99 for the app.  It is available through the Apple App Store and also available in the Android market.  Let the challenge begin...

Common Core Library

This is an app that is helpful in helping to understand the common core standards...and it's free right now!  The first component of this app is the Common Core Library.  This is a bank of all common core standards by grade level.  Go into the library and select your grade level to explore common core standards.  Remember, Alabama uses a different numbering system for it's COS so look carefully for your standards and how they match up with the national common core standards. 

Select your appropriate grade level.

 

Choose your strand or skill to discover standards.

See the standards.

 

WAGmob (creater of this app) also has several other apps that are reasonably priced (most are $1.99) that offer common core review and example questions for the standards. 



i21Zone Training

 

WPES Teachers are excited about our upcoming training for i21Zone.  Last year, WPES successfully began implementing BYOD (Bring Your Own Device).  This year, we will continue to find new ways to incorporate and integrate technology into instruction through i21Zone Training.  Our training begins on October 22nd.

Apps for Common Core

Looking for apps that will reinforce and practice some of your common core standards?  This app is designed to link you with apps which specifically meet common core standards.  You may choose apps for Mathematics or Language Arts.  You may also choose specific grade levels Kindergarten through Grade 12.  The common core standards are show in the national common core format so in looking the numbers will not line up with the Alabama COS/CCSS numbers.  You may also suggest apps that you find which align with the standards...happy apping!

Web Whiteboard

Thank you, Mrs. Brewer, for discovering this new web application that turns your devices into interactive whiteboards!  Web Whiteboard is a web-based site that allows you instantly interact with others on a common whiteboard.  You may create a whiteboard ID which allows others to access your whiteboard.

Today, Mrs. Brewer's third grade class used Web Whiteboard to solve various math problems.  Students were able to work out problems on multiple devices while collaborating together on various strategies to solve their problems.

Students see the same screenshot on each device and interactions between devices are delivered in real time.

Teachers can monitor on their "whiteboard".

Student solved the real-time interaction; since this is web-based, students see immediately when another writes on the class whiteboard.  Currently, this is free to use and offers many features such as drawing and sticky notes.

Here is what a few of our third graders thought about Web Whiteboard...

Tucker - "I think it was good for us because everyone could see what we were doing and some people could see our different strategies in math."

Gracie -"It was pretty cool how our work showed up on everyone's device. At times it would slow up, but that was because everyone was thinking and trying solve the problem to show what they know."

Ashley - "I like the web whiteboard because you can call on a student and everyone can see them answer on the board. It's a whole lot more fun than writing just on paper."

Fill 'Em Up...10 Frame Fill!

10 Frame Fill is a free app that our kindergarteners love to use.  Teachers have discovered this app as a useful tool to help students in learning to make sets of ten.  This critical skill introduced in kindergarten is foundational for students in addition and subtraction, as well as developing number sense! 

Students fill in with yellow chips to make a set of 10.

As the teacher, you may choose for students to answer questions with dots presented sequentially or randomly.  You may also limit the students have to respond.  Teachers may also select to show the problems in the additive family to help students recognize written equations.



Several options allow teachers to customize the app to meet their needs.
 

Thank you, kindergarten, for sharing this app and how you use it with us!

~Kindergarten, WPES

 

 

Oh No Fractions!

This is a really cool app for those who may be comparing fractions...and it is FREE.  Oh No! Fractions give two fractions and asks students to choose whether one fraction is Less than or Greater than another given fraction.

To select the answer, students slide the words LESS or GREATER to make the statement true.  Should a student be unsure, they can choose to PEEK at two fractions bars.  This gives them a visual representation to help in determining the correct answer. 

Once they select the "I'm Sure" option, students may see the fractions bars again through the PROVE IT option.  The app will tract the number correct as well as the number of times a student uses the peek and prove it options. 
 

Reading Fluency on the iPad...Not Scary at All!

Wouldn't it be great to use your iPad to have students monitor their fluency?  This app is one we explored during our recent Appy Hour. There's nothing to be scared about when it comes to AudioBoo...this app allows you to record and save audio files on your device.  This is a great way to use your iPad to record students oral reading and to help them monitor oral reading fluency.  When downloading this app, be sure to get the iPhone version.  It is free and is much simpler to use for students.  This app allows you to record up to three minutes per session.  There is no way to adjust the time limit.  However, if your goal is just to practice reading and monitor fluency three minutes versus one minute isn't an issue.  Here is how you can use this app for oral reading fluency...

Step 1: Hit the green Record button that appears on the main screen.

Step 2: Choose the red Record button to begin recording.  There is a countdown clock which appears once you begin recording at the bottom of the screen.  If you want them to only record one minute of their reading, students will need to manage a timer or pay attention to the countdown clock stopping their recording when it shows two minutes.

Step 3: Should you want to stop your recording early, simply hit the pause button.  You may resume recording once you have hit the Resume button. 

Step 4: Select the green Publish button at the top right corner when you have completed your recording and name your recording.  We suggest using the child's name.

Step 5: You may listen to your recordings by selecting My Boos from the home screen. 



This link will take you to a blog by Mrs. Wideen who has posted her I Can list and an evaluation chart which you can download FREE.

iPad Literacy Stations 

I Can Chart for Fluency Station...

Student evaluation form for Fluency Station...

On a personal note, I've been using this app with my first grader and his homework.  He loves recording himself with his nightly reading fluency passage and listening to himself read.  What a great motivation for our boys who sometimes struggle with wanting to read!  SHare with your parents...this may help them, too!

It All Makes Cents!

Looking for apps about money?  Check out these apps...

Bills & Coins

This is an iPhone app that allows students to work through activities where they count money, show various amounts of money, make change, and match equivalent amounts.  You may choose coin only options or coin and bill combinations.  This is a free app that gives good practice with various monetary skills.

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Counting Coins

This is another iPhone app that allows students to work through activities where they math the values, make the total amount, and tell the amount shown in coins.  This free app allows students to practice many of our common core standards in math which relate to money.

Socrative & Question of the Day

Shout out to third graders who are discovering how to use Socrative to answer the Question of the Day!  Students are using classroom devices as well as bringing their own devices to answer a daily question posed by the teacher.  This is a simple way to incorporate devices into a daily lesson while engaging our students.  On days when a student doesn't have a device or when students have technical issues with their device, students may borrow a school device or use the classroom computers to respond.  This allows teachers to immediately review student responses and provide instant feedback to the class.

    

Too Noisy

 
This paid app ($1.99) has our some of our teachers (and students) hooked!  Too Noisy is a noise level meter app that you can use to help monitor the noise level in your classroom.  Several of our teachers have incorporated this during station time or partner work to help manage the classroom noise level.  Teachers may adjust the sensitivity level to meet their needs.  One great use for this app is to display it using your Apple TV.   Students can reference the meter and monitor themselves as they work.   Very cool!

Acceptable noise level...keep working!

Getting noise...check your level!

 

Too noisy...lower your voice level!

For more info about this app, check our their website or find it in the App Store...
http://toonoisyapp.com/

Appy Hour 2

Our teachers are a fountain of knowledge here at White Plains Elementary School!  Just look at the fun our teachers are having learning and collaborating as we make technology and BYOD an integral part of instruction.  During Appy Hour this week, teachers learned about several apps/websites that many teachers have been incorporating in their classroom or through BYOD lessons.  Teachers shared apps they have found useful in meeting student needs.  Thank you teachers for sharing and collaborating together so that our students are 21st century learners!

Team Shake

Team Shake is a cool new find for some of our teachers.  This paid app (cost $0.99) will allow you to generate and evenly distribute students into teams.  Settings allow you to designate ability level, gender or designate who can/cannot be together on a team.  The app will distribute names based upon the number of "teams" you need for a given activity. 

Here are a few features that are outlined about this app in the Apple Store:

* Create completely random or balanced teams
* Import lists from email or spreadsheet
* Temporarily disable people who are absent
* Set groups of people to always be on the same team
* Set groups of people to always be on different teams
* Set user strength to make more even teams (now supports fully balanced teams)
* 5 users strengths level
* Pick a single random person from the list of players
* Option to balance male / female team members
* "Equal Ability" option to create teams where all players have the same strength

Third grade has incorporated this app and the students love seeing who is "shaken" together to be on their team or group.  This is a great classroom management and student engagement tool. 

Setting Reading Levels Using Google

Have you ever been frustrated when trying to find appropriate material for your students using Google as a search engine?  Below is a link to a site Mrs. Snead found that will show you how to filter content based upon reading level - based upon basic, intermediate or advanced.  This could be very beneficial as your students become 21st century learners.

How to Change Reading Level on Google Searches

Engleberth, Christin. Doodle 4 Google. 2009. www.google.com, San Antonio. Web. 11 Mar 2013. <http://techland.time.com/2013/01/14/googles-doodle-4-google-logo-contest-get-doodling-kids/>.

Bingo Baker

Bingo Baker is a new tool that was introduced during our recent i21Zone training.  This is an online tool which allows you to create instant bingo cards.  Students can be directed to a page you have created through Bingo Baker where they will find bingo cards you have created.  You may create an account to save your bingo cards ($9.95 membership) or you may create them and play-online free.  If you choose not to join, just enter your words (or numbers) into the bingo card, then choose Generate (yellow button at the bottom of the screen). 

Once you have created your bingo card by entering your target vocabulary, then you may select  the "Play Online" option on the right side of the screen.  This option will shuffle the words so each child's bingo card is in a different order (this keeps everyone from bingoing at the same time).  Students touch the screen to select words. Once a box is selected, it turns yellow.  You may tap the box again and the box will turn white.  This helps if you need to clear the screen or if you select the wrong word and need to change your answer.  This activity can be done on a mobile device or on a computer.

Be creative...how could you use this tool to assess your students?  How could you use this in reviewing vocabulary words?  What if you were giving the students the answer to a math problem and having them find the equation?  Could you incorporate this during whole group instruction or small group instruction?  This tool is a great way to creatively engage your students!   

Socrative

 Socarative is an app that was introduced during our Appy Hour in January.  This app allows you to use mobile devices, as well as laptops and desktop computers, as clicker systems to gather data on your students through a formative assessment.

 This app can be downloaded to a device or for laptops/desktops, students can enter the address for Socrative.  There is a Student app and a Teacher app.  Teachers will need to create a "Room".  Prior to the quiz, teachers will need to give the students your room number for Socrative so that they can access your quizzes.

 These assessments can easily be created by you or you may choose from several pre-created quizzes.  The quizzes can be teacher-paces (meaning you control the timing of the questions) or student-paced.  You also have the options for using this app/online tool as an exit slip or a race between teams.  The Space Race is a great way to review previously taught material. 

Students use Socrative to complete open-ended questions in math.

 Instant results help you gauge student comprehension on multiple choice answers.  Using your Apple TV, teachers may display student answers in the form of a bar graph through the teacher reults option.  Teachers may email the results to themselves in an Excel spreadsheet upon completion of the activity.  This option is very beneficial so you can see student responses should you choose to use the open-ended option in question format.     

Join us for Appy Hour

Hey, WPES Wildcat Teachers...

Join us for Appy Hour!

BYOD in the 21st Century

This video was recently shared duirng our i21Zone training at Saks Elementary School.  Four of our teachers (Mrs. Greenwood, Ms. Jackson, Mrs. Knighton & Mrs. Snead) attended the BYOD training and will help in turn-around training for WPES.  Thank you for sharing this with us!

Bluster

Bluster is an app by McGraw-Hill which allows students to practices with words that have similarities such as prefixes, suffixes, homophones, root words, rhyming words, synonyms, etc.  This can be played as a single user, team or versus (2 players) and is leveled for second, third and fourth grades.  To add some fun into the activity "weather elements" such as tornadoes, thunderstorms and snow storms can interrupt a player and temporarily frees them from responding. 

Mrs. Prickett's third grade class is using this as a part of station activities.  After teaching the students about the app, students have enjoyed reviewing many of these language arts skills as a part of their stations.  In addition, this provides practice for both formative and summative assessments for our third graders.  Mrs. Prickett shared that the kids have thoroughly enjoyed this activity!

-Dana Prickett, 3rd grade, WPES -