Our Favorite Educational Technology Apps for the Classroom

Jeff sits down with Christopher Hoovler from CleverIOSApps.com and Cary Fields to discuss their favorite apps to use in the classroom.

Topics Covered:

• What are the new technologies we will be introducing to our students this year?
• What technologies should we be promoting as teachers?
• Should we be teaching cursive in school?
• Should we ask our students to sign up for social media/file sharing sites the same way we ask them to go buy a pencil?
• Social Media in Education (Skype, Twitter, Google+ etc…)
• How do we as teachers demonstrate internet safety
• Using blogs, wiki's in the class
• Should we fear technology for privacy reasons?
• Using your iPhone in school vs using your iPad in class

Websites and Apps Discussed:

• Keynote and Remote
• Presentations on the Mac with a really amazing wireless remote that works on all Mac platforms
• iHourglass
• Digital hourglass
• Bento
• Personal Organizer and Filing System
• Dropvox
• Record your voice and it automatically sends the file to your Dropbox account
• Mailing Desk
• View Gmail and access your GoogleDocs
• Skype
• Video and Audio conferencing over the internet
• Music Podium
• PDF Reader and Annotator
• CameraSync
• Syncs your entire photo library with your iDisk or Dropbox
• PhotoBooth
• Create simple videos that can be used for podcasts or online distribution.
• CJournal
• Helps teachers organize the times they speak with a student, or contact a parent
• Grammar App
• 1800 Grammar Questions
• iteleport
• View your home computer from anywhere in the world
• iBanner
• Garageband
• Record Music
• Teachers Assisstant PRo
• Behavior Tracking on the iPad and iPhone
• Puppet Pals HD
• Make puppet shows from your own photos
• Airport Express
• Create a wireless stream of music from your iPod to a set of speakers
• Roadshow
• Search and download educational videos
• Evernote
• Record and take notes
• Planbook
• Online Lesson Planner
• Random
• Number Generator
• Clear Tune
• Free Chromatic Tuner
• Soundhound
• Hum a tune and it figures it out for you

 Featured Guests:

Cary Fields is a teacher at Castle Dome Middle School in Yuma AZ. This year marks her 13th year teaching. She is a Jr. High English teacher, AVID teacher, and AVID site coordinator.

Cary has been using technology in her classroom for nearly as long as she has been teaching. Currently, she uses Promethean software and clickers in her classroom. Students enjoy the interactive nature of these devices and are more receptive to the curriculum.

She also loves using her iPad2 in combination with a document camera to engage students. Cary strongly believes that students need to be taught differently than we were taught simply because their technical skill set is so vastly different than what we had at their age.

Christopher Hoovler has been teaching instrumental music in Virginia for 14 years.  He earned his undergraduate degree in music education from James Madison University and his master’s degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Chris taught at the high school level for seven years and then took a brief step into the corporate world which only lasted six months before he realized teaching music was a lifelong passion.  Chris re-entered the teaching profession in 2005 as a middle school band director and has not looked back.  Accolades include numerous superior ratings at state assessment, as well as a three-time “Virginia Blue Ribbon School of Music” recipient, which is the highest honor in Virginia for a music program.  Chris is known in his building as the “tech guy” and uses technology extensively in his classroom.  Chris has also developed several apps for Apple’s iPad and iPhone including Teacher’s Assistant Pro.

Recorded September 2011