Archive
Online Typing Instruction
When having students complete writing activities using the iPad or computer, I have found that weak typing skills hinder their progress. Dance Mat Typing is a free, fun, leveled game that helps students develop typing skills. The website provides lessons at several levels so that students can learn the keyboard, develop typing skills, and gain speed. For the iPad, Monster Typer Free is an excellent typing game that helps students learn to type faster using the iPad.
Haiku Deck
Haiku Deck is a free iPad app that was developed to provide an easy way to create simple, stunning presentations. Haiku Deck simplifies presentation design to help deliver your message dramatically. The app makes presentations simple and fun!
Haiku Deck provides an excellent way to create educational presentations of all kinds. Teachers and students can use Haiku Deck to create a digital storyboard, outline a book’s plot, tell a story, explain a process, present evidence, illustrate a blog post, or share captioned photographs. The Haiku Deck gallery provides numerous examples of beautiful presentations created with the application. One sample presentation created by Garr Reynolds, a professional design expert, presents tips for creating a presentation. His tips might be of particular interest in creating a presentation with a professional look. Christopher Rizzo also provides an excellent video demonstration at Total iPad.
The simple interface allows users to choose themes, create backgrounds, and add text in various fonts. Users have access to a wealth of photographs licensed through Creative Commons. Alternatively, they can upload original photos stored on the iPad’s camera roll or photos from Facebook, Flickr, Instagram or Picasa. Finished presentations can be published and shared with others via Facebook, Twitter or email. A VGA adapter, also known as a dongle, is required to connect the iPad to a projection system for viewing by a live audience.
The Daily Lane
The Daily Lane provides a round-up of contributions from educators around the world. Features of interest include headlines, education, technology. These categories provide education-related news and items of interest to educators. Publisher Nigel Lane also maintains The Inside Lane blog, which features reviews of iPad apps, tips for using Twitter, and information about other useful educational technologies. The blog also includes a link to Lane’s Diigo library of numerous educational resources.
Best Practices in K12 Education 