Tech Goal #2: One iPad in the Library Part One

I wanted to say One iPad in the Library to Rule Them All. But that would have been quite a long title, no?

So maybe you've been following the S'more Tech Camp? And her posts on what to do with your one iPad? I won't try to replicate that here ... just sharing my take/possible plans for our one iPad in the fall library. There is actually the chance that we'll have one more but still don't know about apps and which account to sync them with. So I might be lying. It might be TWO to rule them all.

Book-Related Apps
This is what we have. Yes, I did have some $. After kicking and screaming and giving up some magazine subscriptions. So to counteract that sacrifice I have to make this as useful as possible for everyone!

Any I should add? I just read about Ed Emberley's today. That one sounds cool. Given the choice I would NOT get Press Here or Spot the Dot again. Press Here is cooler as a book (I think, anyway). Spot the Dot has never worked properly since I downloaded it. I should probably contact the developers. The Crayola one is what you'd expect from a freebie. Pete the Cat was a bit disappointing in terms of content but it was only $.99 and the kids still liked it. On a personal iPad I think the Pigeon one would get a little old (and it's pricey at I think $6 or $7?) but on a shared device you get your money's worth out of it. I think ... Morris Lessmore is my favorite but second might be Harold and the Purple Crayon. Or the first Monster at the End of This Book. Sandra Boynton's Barnyard one is also pretty cool.

The app I am most excited about future possibilities? READING RAINBOW, of course. (The freebie version is loose on another page ... that's why it's not in the screen shot!) Please, please, please let them have a school friendly subscription package through the Education Volume Purchasing store! And please, please, please let me figure out more $ to pay for it! On the one book I saw they did a very nice job of balancing a bit of iPad interactivity with just a nice e-reading version of the BOOK. Not so many games to distract from the story!

For right now? The plan is projecting this on the screen and it being a full group activity with the occasion small group visiting and viewing some of the books on their own. I may or may not make up some task cards for that purpose. Thoughts? (Speaking of task cards ... I like Rachel Lynette's for other things so I imagine I might try to model them after hers for the older kiddos. Or these for the younger kiddos because they are quite nice as well. Check her blog for an editable PPT version.)




Then there are some of the Science and Social Studies apps. You'll see we have several of the Smithsonian/ Oceanhouse Media apps. Thinking about some task cards for research center rotations with these ... I know we have at least a couple different grade levels that study animals, habitats, ecosystems, and space.

The Weird But True is a favorite (Shh! I let them use it on my iPhone before we got the iPad ... because they love the books so much).
















The Look and Learn one is not my favorite. Creatures of Light is just COOL. Haven't tried it with kids yet. Not much to the Inventions one but it was free. Discovery Kids Sharks is AWESOME.

I'm not sure what use the Heritage or France ones will be ... but they sure do have some pretty pictures. I still have hopes for the National Parks one with landforms. Stack the States is fun and my focus group kiddos were surprisingly fond of the Wood Maze app.















The other folders I have set up are Media Creation, Ed Videos, Math, Reference, Reading & Writing, Arts, Notes, Mind Mapping, and Puzzles. Oh and the Utilities folder and "my" (ie the teacher) folder. I will save those for future posts.




PS The little white dot that you see? Handy little tool I learned about at iPadpalooza. When I find my notes on how I to set it up I'll post and tell you what it does. :/ See? If I used Evernote properly my notes would probably be right where I want them.