iPad/ISTE Brainstorm Assignment
The iPad is not only a really cool piece of hardware, but also an awesome tool for the classroom. The iPad can be used so many ways and I have looked at three different apps: TanZen, GraphCalc HD, and World Atlas HD. These are just three cool apps I found but there were so many more. (all of these apps cost about $2 each, but offer free trial versions)
TanZen: is an app that allows you to complete almost an unlimited about of tangrams. This is a great game because any student can play and really improves thinking skills and problem solving. Also I think it is cool on the ipad because you can actually play the game without and outline background for a harder version and it is just plain cool. I think this app is for any age group but manly for the lower grades.
ISTE Standard 1: Creativity and Innovation (new way of doing a very old game)
GraphCalc: is a graphing calculator for only $1.99! You can’t do everything but would be ideal for algebra and algebra II. It is really neat because you can zoom in and out of the graph with a touch of a finger. It is also in color, which looks pretty neat. This app allows you also to email a screenshot of the graph. This app would be great for teachers to throw up on the smartboard and show the class an equation graphed. This app would be great for students who are more visual and is easier to use for students who may have a disability. I would suggest this app for older students in the eighth plus grades.
ISTE Standard 2: Communication and Collaboration (can e-mail screenshot that can be shared with other students)
World Atlas HD: is an atlas of the world with so many other features. You can zoom in on any country or place in the world you want. You can see borders, rivers, and cities. But you can also see the flags, location, area, population, growth, government, capital, percent urban, life expectancy, literacy rate, religions, languages, currency, and many more facts and statistics about any country you click on. This would be great for finding facts quickly and for students completing reports or comparing countries. This would also be great for studying for tests. This app could be used in any grade level really but is best for upper grades where you would want to know everything about a country.
ISTE Standard 3: Research and Information Fluency