iPads
As you know, Opstad was lucky enough to receive three grants from the district's Mobile Learning Initiative. One of the sets of iPads is shared between the 4th and 5th grade classroom. We have used the iPads quite a few times. I thought I would share the apps that we have been using so you can check them out at home (most are free).
Motion Math ($2.99)This is a great app that lets kids play while placing numbers on a number line. There are whole numbers, fraction pies, percents and decimals. I think the iphone version is a dollar cheaper.
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Alge-Bingo ($0.99)This is a great app that helps with the practice of algebra, specifically the skill of solving for a variable. There are simple equations to solve and there are more advanced ones that deal with negative integers.
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Simple Physics (sort of free...)This is one of my favorite apps that I play at home. We played as a class on the activeboard. I went to send the link to another teacher, and low and behold the app was free for a short period of time. I think it's normall $2.99 or so. The app has kids construct simple structures that have to hold up against a test -- treehouse, set of stairs etc. The kids LOVE it!!
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Educreations (free)This is a great presentation type app. It allows you to use the iPad like a whiteboard, and record as you are doing it. So far we have used it in class to define geometry terms and show lines of symmetry on different photographs.
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Book Creator ($4.99)We haven't used this app yet, but it was featured in a class that teachers attended recently. It is a very easy to use app that lets you creates books. Once you create the book, you can save it and open in iBooks where you have all of the iBook tools (bookmark, dictionary etc.).
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Lobster Diver (free)This app appears fairly uncomplicated at first, but increases in difficulty as you proceed. The object is to have the diver dive for lobster at a specified spot on the number line. For each round, the number line changes, and may include fractions or negative numbers -- only the first and last numbers are given, the player has to decide what numbers fall in between.
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Factor Samurai (free)In this app, numbers appear on the screen and the player has to decide if the number is prime or composite. If it is prime, you let it fall, if it is composite, you slash it with your samurai sword so that it splits in to two factors. The harder level has numbers falling at quite a fast pace!
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Basic Fractions (free)This one isn't a game, but it has great fraction practice! Skills include inequality, identification, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
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Number Find (free)I love this app! It's all about looking for patterns. The beginning level is a simple hundreds chart with the numbers blacked out. Your job is to locate the numbers that flash on the screen. In the advanced levels, there is still a hundreds chart, but it is in a different order. Every time you click a square to see what is hidden, your score goes down. The object is to understand the number patterns and find the hidden numbers.
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Math Drills (free or $1.99)This is a great app for math facts. We have the lite (free) version at school, which is good, but the paid version is better. The paid version keeps track of progress for each player, identifying strengths and weaknesses in all four operations.
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Chicken Coop Fractions (free)This game has the task of converting fractions in various forms to decimals. This skill is hard for kids (especially if the fraction isn't a tenth) and the game makes it fun. I would recommen turning the timer off in settings to avoid frustration. :)
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Story Lines (free)This is a great vocabulary app that works like the game of telephone (only you're not meant to lose the thread of meaning!
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