Some of the new iPad apps I have downloaded recently are Voicethread, Garageband and Toontastic.

This is a really cool presentation tool and would be great for students to share photos or work or drawings. It can also be a wonderful collaboraton tool where different people can comment. We used Voicethread last year in Grade 4 for our electronic portfolios and for assessments but the iPad app makes it even easier to use and even sleeker.

Garageband is a great tool on the Mac and even better on the iPad. You can actually play the piano, the guitar and the drums and record your master piece. Watch this video to see it at its best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rse751qwkKg

A great tool Tanja and I have been using on the iPad with our digital storytellers is Toontastic which is actually a free app where you can create your own animation.

Read more about it at Toontastic’s website:

http://launchpadtoys.com/toontastic/

Enjoy!

Session 2: Read, read, read

Since our first session, I have come across many more exciting apps. Today, I just want to share some of my favorites (and some of these have already become favorites with elementary students too!).

At the top of my list is the application that has created the biggest stir around the library:

Don't Let the Pigeon Run This App! This is an app to create stories about children's book author and illustrator Mo Willems' famous Pigeon character. It only takes a few moments to have a story put together. You can select from given options and/or record your voice. Students keep on asking me to use my iPad during recess and lunch time to create new stories. So much fun!

Bobo Explores Light is another application for which students have shown much interest, especially our science fans (but I have not shared this with a larger audience yet). This is an interactive nonfiction book which includes text, images and amazing videos. It allows a really engaging exploration of various topics around light.

While our school has a subscription to the Tumble Book Library, access to the books through an iPad is not yet possible (but there is a test phase on-going at the moment). However, some of the books are available through the App Store. For our youngest readers, I downloaded TumbleBooksToGo, 6 Pack, Vol. 1, which includes books by one of my favorite picture book author and illustrator, Peter Reynolds. Depending on the App Store your account is hooked up, there seem to be slight differences: the logo I have looks different from the one above. It also seems that not all versions have the "Read myself" option. You might want to check this out before buying the app.

Another fabulous interactive book for younger readers is How Rocket Learned to Read. This is not just a beautifully narrated story about learning to read, but the book also comes with a sight word and alphabet game, which will surely be enjoyed.

Something to explore with older students, is This Day in History app from the World Book Incorporation. This is an interactive multimedia calendar (with links to text and image sources for additional information) which highlights selected historic events and people of the day. Make sure, you are downloading the correct version (see the link above) to get all the fantastic media for free.

I hope you discovered something of interest in this list. If you would like to see and hear about more resources, just stop by the library to have a look at the other apps I have downloaded so far - or get yourself an Advent Calendar to discover one free app each day in December!

25 Days to Christmas - Holiday Advent Calendar

Parents like Apps too!

Hello all, I am the tag-a-long on this trio. I am the Senior School Teacher Librarian and this is my second year working at LCS. I got my iPad last year and have enjoyed reading books, watching TEDtalks and relaxing with magazines that are not available here in Accra.
During the parent workshop on September 29, I will share some Apps for parents:


Zino: a better way than ever to explore, read and shop for the world’s best magazines on your iPad. Zinio now has more magazines than ever, and a new app built to make it easier to read your favorites anytime and anywhere. Zinio is the ultimate app for people who love magazines. Access thousands of titles, tens of thousands of issues, and millions of pages of the world’s best digital content. Read what you like!

Podcasts: On my iPod on my iPad, I am able to access some great podcasts for free. You will never want to watch bad TV show again and be done with commercials. Laugh with John Stewart or learn from TEDtalks, it is all free.

Rhona Polonsky

Apps Across The Curriculum

Hi, I am Sarah Pickles, a fourth grade teacher at LCS. I got my iPad 2 this summer as I wanted to know more about using it in teaching and learning. I am still a novice but as I have been chatting with parents it seemed there were a lot of parents just as curious about using the iPads with their children. At our first meeting I shared these apps with parents:

Everyday Mathematics

There are many apps for games that are part of the Everyday Maths program we use in school, which are free.

Book Creator

To publish their stories or create their own books (paid app)

Brainpop

There is one free video from this site on all sorts of subjects every day. (free app)

Planet Earth

Just found this great app which fits perfectly with Grade 4's new unit of inquiry. It shows you the structure of the Earth, the rotation and lots more! Perfect for our unit on Earth Science.

We will be sharing more apps on this site that we think are useful for you and your children to use.

We'll keep you posted! Like Tanja, I get a lot of my links from Twitter and the websites we have posted to the right.

Sarah Pickles

Reading on the iPad

(On September 29, 2011, we will share with our parent community at LCS how the iPad can be used for reading, learning and more. Below we include an outline of the presentation with links to some of our favorite apps – for you to follow up on or read about in case you are not able to attend.)

Hi – I am Tanja Galetti and I am the Elementary Library Media Specialist at LCS. While I love reading “good old” print editions of books, I also have a great interest in exploring all the new ways we can enjoy reading nowadays. A year and a half ago I got a Kindle and thought that there wasn’t anything that could top this. This summer I got an iPad – and I love it! While there are many different ways of reading on the iPad, I want to share four different ways that have worked for me so far more.

Kindle for iPad

• · Free download of app from App Store
• · Requires Amazon account
• · Books are purchased through Amazon.com
• · Text, illustrations in grey shades, no interactive features

iBooks

• · Free download of app from App Store
• · Requires iTunes account
• · Books are purchased through the iTunes Store
• · Text, colored illustrations, audio, no interactive features

FreeBooks

• · Free download of app from App Store
• · Books are downloaded for free through the app
• · Text, audio

Interactive Book Apps

• · Each book is an app
• · Books are purchased through App Store
• · Text, illustrations, audio, interactive features
• · Examples: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, Meet Millie

Wonder where I get my recommendations? My secret weapon is Twitter. I follow professionals (e.g. librarians and teachers) who write reviews about the books they read and/or apps they discover, e.g. donalynbooks, shannonmiller, MrSchuReads, iPad_storytime, smartapps4kids.

Welcome to The iPad Cafe!

Welcome to our new blog where we'll be sharing information about the latest apps to use with your elementary school children. We'll be posting links, reviews and suggested apps on this website to help you and your child make the most of your iPad.




Tanja Galetti, Rhona Polonsky and Sarah Pickles