Qikshare, Dragon Dictiation and I'm a real blogger now...

I'm not sure when I started feeling this way exactly, but I noticed it just a week or two ago...when my last post hits exceeded the number my friends and family could account for, maybe...but I think I am considering myself a blogger.  It brings to mind that commercial from the 90's when a kid is pulling up his diaper underpants and singing "I'm a big kid now".  I'm a blogger now.  Go on, you know you are singing it in your head...

So I got excited yesterday when I tried something new.  Or two somethings, to be specific.  And since I'm a blogger *wink, wink*, I immediately began composing a post in my head.  Here it is:

Dragon Dictation.  In iPad education, this is not really a new app.  I've read about others using it, but I guess what surprised me--and what I wanted to share with you--was the strength of the interaction and engagement created by this app.   We set the language setting to "español américas" and then we practiced our vocab words.  Simple, right?  Well, what we got was a really interactive and engaging, not to mention FUN, practice time where EVERY student received IMMEDIATE feedback on their pronunciation.  They speak their words into the mic then ask it to process.  It prints out what it thinks it heard, then kids have to reflect on what they did to produce that written response and how they can make it better or change to receive a different response.  Very high level thinking required!  Sometimes the responses are so ludicrous you can't help but laugh...but the process of practicing a word several times can be very rewarding when they finally get it to type the right word...immediate gratification!  They practice a couple more times for extra reinforcement, then move on to the next word on the list.  I have them keep all the mistakes and then the corrections on one screen and then take a screenshot.  Each student posted his or her screenshot on their class blog, then made a few comments about what was difficult for them and what was surprising, or easy, etc.  I will definitely be making this a regular activity!

The second cool thing we did was use this app...Qikshare lite.  

Students were composing crazy class rules...like "hay que comer la mochila"(You must eat your bookbag), in PicCollage.  In the paper form, I used to have students hang their responses on the wall and then we would vote on the best crazy rules using sticky notes.  (Each student received one sticky note, then they posted their vote on the best rule).  My challenge was to have students share their info and then vote in electronic format.  I wanted something like Bump that shared information via bluetooth and what I found was even better!  This is actually a form of Bump (they are quick to say they are not a replacement for it!) but it uses Dropbox, which my students are already very familiar with.  So students save to Dropbox, then open this app and select the file and Bump it!  They had a great time bumping and sharing info.  Some got a little carried away bumping and forgot to actually look at the file, but other than that--perfect!  

This is exactly what I want my class to be about...using the iPads to improve upon best practices to create an engaging (and fun!) environment for learning!    Yay for iPads!  And Blogging!  And apps!  Ok, I'll stop now.  But you get the idea.  *smile*

JPG to PDF

So I have a scanner.  It was a hand-me-down.  I am grateful to have it, but for some reason it won't allow me to scan anything to PDF.  The option is available, but it won't do it.  Unfortunately, for some programs like Notability to work, the document must be a PDF.  This presents a small problem.  :)

Talking with some other teachers during a workshop, one demonstrated her use of a simple point and shoot app that instantly converts to PDF.  I can't remember what app she was talking about, but I went on a hunt today to find one.

This is what I found in order of preference...(free version for all)

My Scans:

This was a bit disappointing.  It is basic enough to understand and manipulate without too much hassle, but don't try to do anything except save to the iPad...if you email it, there is a HUGE watermark that renders the document practically useless...And I don't like the idea of someone putting their name on my work.  Grr.

Scan to PDF:

This works fine.  You can easily upload pictures and change them to pdf files.  Can't really do much other than save them to the computer or email them, though.

FasterScan HD:

This is a much more visually stimulating app.  There are a TON more choices about where to get the jpg and what to do with it, including opening it in certain apps and faxing it!  It is also much sleeker and sexier.  This is the app I ultimately chose to work with.  I highly recommend it!

For those of you interested in the process, these are my steps:
1. scan document, save to my computer.
2. email document to myself and open on iPad (I could take a pic of it but they usually are not as good)
3. save attachment to photo stream
4. open app, get photo from photo stream and convert
5. send back to email
6. open on desktop and save to my documents

I have dropbox and frequently use this at home, but the computer at work that has the scanner won't open dropbox.. :( so I have to email it to myself.  Please let me know if anyone has suggestions for how to improve this process!

This is an awesome graphic about conversational skills and apps/websites that are needed for different aspects of language.  

Building a family tree

As an experiment prompted by a recent article I read, I thought about having students collaborate as a group while using individual iPads.  I picked my two smallest classes.  I didn't grade it, or even give much direction...I said they had to build a family tree using all the iPads available.  They worked to divide it up and make them...some were quite the works of art!  

It was pretty cool watching each of my students think critically about the smaller and larger pictures (figurative and metaphorical). 

Recommendations:

-make sure all iPads are on full brightness

-specify portrait or landscape

-make sure you have a surface where all the iPads will fit together!

and 

-If I were to do this again, I would make it a collaborative process in Spanish...and give the kids some speaking guides with useful phrases (Spanish I).  

Activity Ideas...what I've been doing instead of blogging...

Instead of blogging, I've been reading some really cool teacher tech blogs...which you can find links to on the sidebar to the right...one of those supplied me with this:
1. Doll House

This was a really cool idea I stole from a blog and adapted...students used "Doll House" app (free) to decorate a room, then they saved to photos, edited to reduce down to just the bedroom.  Some students opened the picture in picCollage and added some other pictures not available on the app.  Then they opened the pic in Skitch and added the text.  It can be done in PicCollage, too, just save as a background.  

I've been experimenting with different apps and discovered Elin's House app is also cool.  You  have more options and the interface is more user-friendly.  The graphics are better, too.  The only thing with this app is that you have to "buy" furniture...they give you 1000 tokens, so most things will still be free.  The fun thing with this one is that you can interact with the furniture...turn the lights on, open the armoire, etc.  

Not really new, precisely, but I was really happy with how this worked:

2.  PicCollage

Students have this assignment in their textbook, normally they draw on paper while I read the description...but instead of drawing, they took a picture of it and uploaded to Skitch.  

They drew the items they heard.  I did one, too, and used it as a model for them to check themselves against. I projected it to the screen so they could compare.  They then posted it to their blog and I had them analyze their results in a comment.

And speaking of blogs...

3.  Kidblog

 We've started blogging...This app is good (it is also available on the internet) because it creates a secure environment where you create "classes" that can then interact with each other, but are not jeopardized by the outside world, or other classes.

It took me about 10 minutes to enter all my students' names and assign them a generic password, which they then changed upon logging in the first time.  This app makes it ridiculously easy to post a picture...they select the "photo" tab, then click on the pic they want, then click "publish".  I had hoped this would eliminate having to upload to dropbox, copying the link, then turning in via google form. The transition has been a bit difficult for me, with some students doing the original turn in procedure and others posting on the blog, but in the long run, it is easier to grade by going to one person's blog...you can see all their assignments at once.

I use it to post pictures we will use in class for writing prompts.

I use it to post reminders...

I also use it to post answers to an activity.

The only draw back that I can find is that the app is a bit glitchy...it is new, after all...rollout was just over a month ago.  The other minor problem is that it doesn't like videos...but sometimes it will take them, and other times it won't.  In those cases, I just have students post the dropbox link or submit it directly to the google form with the link.

4. Dice Maker Lite

I'm ridiculously excited about this free app.  You can upgrade for .99c if you want to get rid of ads.

Once you open this app, select "Play with Dice Maker Lite"...you will be given a die that you can personalize.  When you shake the iPad, the dice roll...allowing you to do something like this, for basic comprehension checks...roll, then say the meaning of the verb in English...you could also use this for practice with subject pronouns.

You can add a second die to the first by clicking the " + ", then the + in a square to add a second die.  It will be a random die, click on the die and change it to  the first one you created...so now you have two.  You can add up to six for free.

I used this one for students to roll subject pronouns and verbs to conjugate...

One of my kids showed me that you can CHANGE THE BACKGROUND!  In settings, go to grid color and then select "photo album".  you can upload any pic as a background.  Here, I had my kids create a board with the two verbs we were working on in Skitch, then save it to the photo roll.  Then I had them upload as a background and use this to indicate the verb they should conjugate based on the subject pronoun visible.   You could use this to have students select which partner goes first...or as a teacher to select which student replies to a class activity...OMG, I love this one!  Like I said, ridiculously excited!

Recent Work Samples

Writing using er verbs and new vocab...

students created a diagram detailing when they complete reflexive actions

learning the ar verb endings and conjugations

notes for demonstrative adjectives

free writing Spanish I

demonstrative adjectives illustrated

Spanish I learning foods menu graphic

verb conjugation practice

reflexive verbs

labelling a city center 

el plato del buen comer

places around town web

irregular preterite ta te ti

definite and indef articles

free writing

students used one word from each column to complete sentences

Practice with irregular preterite verbs...students pick a square and conjugate based on the subject pronoun given by their opponent.  If opponent deems the answer is correct, student wins the box.  First student to 3 in a row wins.  

FLANC-presenting goodness

I presented today at FLANC, the yearly conference for world language teachers in NC.  I started with 60 apps in 60 minutes.  It ended up as 40 apps in 60 minutes because I love Edmodo and spent all my time rapturizing (is that a word?) over it...I spoke the gospel of Apple and like to think I converted quite a few!  But, seriously, I was really nervous because I wanted this workshop to provide something that people could really use.  A big shout out to ROSE GRIFFIN, whose friendly face made my day and whose offer of help came at the perfect time!  A few other familiar faces wandered by, including Ellen Hart and Zindy Wilfong (so cool to actually see her face in person for the first time...) from NCVPS!  Becky from back in the day stopped in later as well as my fave world language  coordinator from GCS (see the smiling face above), Liliana.

I rushed to pack up and unpack again across the hall for a 3 hour workshop about going paperless...I had 11 people register, pay money and show up!  I was quite honored that hardworking teachers spent their time on Saturday and their limited monetary resources on my workshop!  I was most concerned about using my time wisely and tailoring this workshop to the specific situations of the members.  We spent some time discussing work flow, QR codes, google forms, google docs, dropbox, Edmodo (do we begin to sense a theme here?) and going to some internet-based websites for learning game platforms...i.e. www.hellomylo.com and mySpanishgames.com .  Thanks to my principal, I was able to bring a few iPads for my workshop-goers to experience the hands-on goodness that is an iPad.

I was very surprised and pleased to meet so many friendly and encouraging computer-lovers like me...I've made some new contacts and created a group on Edmodo (I know, it is getting slightly sickening) so we can continue to exchange resources and support.  All of you out there in my circle, please remind me I said this next year when I am stressing out again trying to perfect my presentations, okay?