#23: the end

Ok, I became aware that I am really very non-techy.  The idea of finding new apps and playing around with them was a chore to me, not fun.  My eyes hurt after 8pm and playing around with the iPad was the last thing I wanted to do.  That being said, I did learn a lot during these last few months.  I know that I UNDERuse my school iPad and my home mini-iPad a lot!  I don't carry my mini with me to work and I won't do personal tasks on my school iPad, so that leaves a lot of time  in a nonproductive state for each device.  I don't have a smartphone.  But when I do get one it will be an iPhone because we are going Apple all the way around!

I really liked that not all your apps were school related, around the town and social media are used  as much for fun as for education.  I guess the real learning is how to use SnapChat for education and not just goofy pics!  Maybe if I were in a middle or high school, I would connect to my students more on mobile devices, but I am in a elementary and am not ready to take on that whole wide web with parents just yet.

In a few years, I will be ready to do more mobile thing or another 23 Things.  I liked it.

My summing up commercial:  23 Mobile Things made me more aware that the whole world is becoming connected; I want to connect to the whole world, too!

or this one:

Thanks for a great program that made me think and learn and go beyond my comfort zone!

#22: Apps gone free

I have used this service for a few months.  I find that many of the apps I download are cool for a little while and then I delete them.  So, is this what I should be doing?  I do love the free apps, but I don't really love apps.
Actually, the best way for me to find things (and this is silly) is to announce at the dinner table that I am having trouble doing something or say , "I wish there were a way for me to . . ." and my children (all middle and high school age) will tell me what app I can get for that.

So perhaps the best place to gets apps is the high school lunch table!

21: MPR News App

I love Minnesota Public Radio!  My kids used to think that there were only three radio stations: news, classical music and crazy rock music:  all from MPR!
While this may go under #4:  I find myself going straight to the MPR app instead of going to Flipbook to get my news.  Or usually, if I am listening to a great discussion while I drive between schools, I can find the same program on the app.

I have said this many times, but I don't have roaming wifi and so I do all my "mobile" aping while at home or in the office.  Not really what the iPad was made for and I know that I don't use it to its full extent . . .

#20: Games

Of all the blogs, this one is the easiest!  I played Candy Crush until I got stuck.  It was a great time waster!  I liked the fact that after losing so many times, you got booted off and had to stop playing.  Good!
Now I am into Solitare and Spider Solitare.  I like to think this is more educational then Candy Crush, but really is it?
Others games my girls and I like to play together: 7 Little Words and Rhymablez.  Addicting!

I think these slightly more education or word games can be shown to kids more often.  When we get AirPort (is that what it is called when you can show on the SmartBoard what you are seeing on the iPad?)  the class could play 7 Little Words for those last three minutes of class.

#19: Hobbies

I got Road ninja and played around with it in the office and at home a bit, but then I realized it was really made for the road (yes, Road Ninja) and I don't have roaming wifi!  What a dork!

Something I do use similar to Marquee Rochester is MovieFone.  I really like this as it gives me reviews of movies and trailers.  I love to go to the theatre and this is a great service.

I also like to use this or Amazon book reviews to teach kids how to write book reviews.  I work at an elementary school and these kids are not looking up things by themselves to look at reviews, but here I am asking them to write reviews!  So we look at reviews of other products first:  movies, books, vacuums, iPod cases to see what a review does and what is valuable or what makes a good review.

#18: Education

I just learned about DuoLingo and then saw it listed here as an app.  We love this!  We got the French version and me and my three girls have all been learning French.  Because we share one ipad at home, I wish there were different users and we each have to remember what was our last lesson.

I love the way DuoLingo approaches language from many different ways:  sight, spelling, audio, English and French.  Plus one of my kids taught me how to hold a letter down and get alternative letters (like a c with a swish on top.)

AWESOME!

#17: connection to community

I used Marquee Rochester a few times.  I am really glad that smaller towns have these and not just the Twin Cities!  So, thanks for thinking of ALL of Minnesota!

I like the "venues" options so I can search for Asian restaurants quickly.  Plus they have a quick blurb about the place at the top (I think written by each restaurant themselves.)  There is even a cross-country skiing venue!  Rock on!
I would have to work a bit to use this is the classroom, but I am sure I would start of "tech tip" of the week and share many of the sites that I don't use, but others may like.  Personally, I will come back to this often!

#16: audio

I messed around with ipadio and Audioboo.  I find that kids are not as interested in just audio and audio AND video.
One of my children records notes for classes or thought while studying and listens to them later while running.  Super nerd and smart.  But that is beyond my elementary kids ability.  I would rather use SocialCam to make book trailers or really just the video camera on the ipad is enough for some kids.

I would rather students spend more time on the CONTENT of the presentation than on the editing and fancy borders.

Does that make me super old-fashioned or just lazy?

#15: Infographics

I used InfoGraphics for a while.  Ok, so all this app presents is like a store for infographics.  I was hoping for one that allowed us to make infographics.  But maybe that is more of a graphic designer.

I had fun looking all the different graphics, but nothing that was great for elementary school.  I wanted to make one or find one about books.  Hmm . . . the closest I found was movies.  Not quite.

UPDATE!
I found a website:  www.piktograph.com that lets one create from scratch or modify other's infographics.  I would not use this in elementary school yet;  there are too many features.  But since it is like powerpoint, I would teach it to kids who already know how to create graphics or powerpoints.  So if I started teaching powerpoint in grade 1, by grade 5 kids should be able to do this.

#14: Videos

I really prefer to use Video Star to make videos with students.  I can control the music with my school itunes.  This is a pretty easy way to make a video of viewable length.  And while you can't add speech, I like all the affects.  Video Star is pretty intuitive for most kids to use.

#13: Educreations

I really like this app.  I can use it faster than powerpoint to make a lesson.  I also like that it is easy enough for little kids to use.  My school has two class-sets of iPads and if I get on the rotation of the sets, we can make some fun.  I also think it is fine for me to have a tutorial about Educreations with just one iPad for the whole class.  Those who have access at home can use it more.
I will have to do some staff meeting lessons on this as well so all the teachers become familiar with it.

Easy and Fun!

#12 Books, Books Books

I tried YALSA Teen Book Finder.  I find it is limiting.  Not every book is listed and many that I searched for were not there.  One is at the mercy of "lists."
I prefer to use Overdrive as it is connected to my public library.  I like to get ebooks or download audiobooks.  Overdrive lets me do that instantly!
I will also be adding a newsletter feature next year that lists apps such as iStoryBooks or Free books next year.  While I don't need children's books on the go anymore (my children can bring their OWN!) I know that this will be a lifesaver to parents waiting at piano with a younger sibling!

#11 Library and Reference

My library uses Destiny as its catalog.  I have the Destiny app and I do use it.  I like that I can look up books from home without logging in the long way.  I also use this as a walk around looking for books. I can call up a search and walk around with the iPad and not a piece of scratch paper.  I do not like the limited searches this app has. 
Next year I will be teaching my students more about Destiny Quest and this will certainly be one of features I will highlight.

#10 Snapchat

My high school daughter uses Snapchat all the time!  She and her friends use it as an instant messaging service.  I think it is cute and like that the pictures go away.  I do not want to use this professionally.  I will and do use this with family and friends.  I like the "instant"ness of Snapchat and the fact that you can add captions.  It is like saying "hey, look" even if they are not fight next to you.  sometimes I have to share something  funny with the stranger standing next to me in the aisle which I think is just fine.  I make friends everywhere!

#9 LINE camera

I have played around with LINE camera a bit.  I don't like how it is difficult to edit the photos to fit in the posters.  I want to use just part of a photo and it wants to use the whole thing.  I could see making posters and posting them on the school TV station or shown on the office screen.  I do not like all the extras that you have to buy.  I am not a "stamper" and think this site is too commerical.

#8 Twitter and Facebook

I work in an elementary school.  My students are not using twitter or facebook.  I love love love Facebook for personal me, but I am not going to start a Facebook page for my library.  I could start a twitter account and send out reminders about overdues or last day of check out or remember to read over the summer.  I see Twitter more as a way to spread news articles or blogs, not reminders.  but maybe that is something I need to get more comfortable with.

#7 pintrest

I can get lost in pintrest. Too  lost.  So I try to use it sparingly, like looking for lesson plans.  I could make folders, but I fear they would get too big and unweildy and I would not come back to them enough to make it worth it.  I have found that followong a few people (like Cari Young) is better for me.  I also use sites like TeachersPayTeachers and download whar I want right then and save in folders on my computer works better.

Does this make me a loser that I don't like Pintrest?

#6

I am trying cloud on.  I even had my 4th graders help me with this.  I will continue to work onit, but for now, i can't get it to save info that I type on the ipad.  I can ipload a spreadsheet and call it ip, tupe on it, but then the info is not saved.  Very frustrating.  I could see a great use for this app between my computer and iPad.  But it is jusst not very intuitive for me.

#5 remember the milk

All my posts are going to sound the same!  I am trying, really trying, but I just don't use my iPad as a notebook.  I think if I had a phone that was smaller, I would make lists on it.  But I won't carry my huge iPad to the grocery store.  Maybe because it is the schools' iPad, that I won't do home things on it either.
I hope the rest of the 23 things are more suited to my life now.  Or else maybe I am just not mobile enough!

Flipbook

I am trying, really trying to make my ipad more a part of my life.  I usually get all my news from MPR. I don't even watch the TV news that often.  So I decided to give Flipbook a try.  I even got a twitter account.  I had to search put people to follow.
I know I am pretty ignorant about many things in education, so I follow Joyce Valenza.  I like MPR, so I subscribed to the Updraft.  But I have to force myself to look at it.  I just don't turn on the ipad everyday.
Sigh, I feel like the bottom of the class.  But at least I am trying!

#3 stand app

This app is meant to get you out of your chair on a regular basis if you tend to sit at a desk all day.  I had trouble getting it to remind me at regular intervals (like every 30 minutes).  So instead I had to set the alarm for specific times.  I don't always use the iPad, i often am at the desktop, so this was not so good for me.  If I was a person who had her phone on the desk all the time, it would make more sense.  But, since I am not a constant phone user, this was silly.

#2 tips and tricks

It has been so long since I set up my blog, that it took a little fumbling to find how to blog again.  I find it funny that the speaker from co-pilot assumes everyone uses an iPhone.  I need to learn how to do more with my iPad.  I know to do the basics: mostly check email and surf, now how can I use this device for work.  Looking forward!

Post 1

I am excited to try and learn things!  I am pretty comfortable with the books in the library.  Now it is time for me to make friends with the computers.