#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.