I have some apps that I use that I tell the kids are "teacher apps" meaning that they're not allowed to touch them if they're working independently on an iPad. These apps help me stay organized, or as organized as I can be with the scattered brain that I have.
Stick Pick - Seriously, Stick Pick. Best invention in a very long time. Currently it's $2.99 but it's about the best three dollars I could spend. Did you ever have a mug (a gift from some former student, obviously...) full of sticks with the names of every student in your class? You pose a question, pull a stick and that kid answers. When all of the sticks have been pulled then you know that every child was engaged at least once. That's what this is, but wait, THERE'S MORE! You enter every student's name and then you can choose from Bloom's Taxonomy, Boom's Revised, ESL, or stick only. After you get to know the kids you know about where they usually live within Bloom's Taxonomy. You enter their current level or (as I do) the next level. When their stick is pulled then it also gives you a list of question stems based on their English learning level (ESL/ELL - or whatever you call the program in your district that serves students who are not native English speakers) or Bloom's Taxonomy level. After you use Stick Pick a bit you start kind of memorizing the question stems and it gets pretty easy to quickly create questions that are appropriate for every student. As they get good at those then you can go back in and move them to the next level which feels pretty good! I feel like it is simple but it has really kept me on point with my questioning. I love that is has helped me challenge each child in an appropriate way and helps me move them forward incrementally. It helps me to make sure I'm stepping aside and allowing them to use their problem solving skills to learn rather than me spoon feeding.
Bottom line - just get this one, ok? It's so awesome.
This one is pretty easy but super handy. It's a classic looking alarm clock. Click the gear button to set your time 1 second to 59 minutes and 59 seconds. Hit the green button and the kids can see the timer count down. If the kids finish the task before the timer goes off you can click the purple check mark and it gives them a little "Well Done!" celebration with fanfare. If they don't finish their task by the time the timer gets to the end the timer rings and explodes and says, "TIMES UP!" (Although, shouldn't it be 'Time's Up' meaning 'time is' up?) It's a fabulous visual for children without a ton of number sense. It's nothing fancy, but it sure is helpful!
I see that there's also a pro version but I don't know anything about it. The free version fits my needs quite nicely.
Class Dojo
If you use one classroom app, it's probably Class Dojo. It's a way of keeping track of behaviors, positive AND negative. Children earn points as you assign for behaviors that you also assign. They have some preset behaviors if you prefer to go that route too. You add each student in and record behavior during the day. You can go back and look at reports and find patterns about what part of the day is the hardest for that students and what skill they're having trouble with. From there you can help develop a protective plan so they can learn to be ok during those times with those skills. There's a lot more that Dojo does (like letting parents log in and monitor their child's behavior) but I haven't used it to that extent. I just like using it as a very student friendly way to monitor student behavior. I've seen people use it during observations for time on task evaluations and several different types of formative assessment documentation. I haven't done that much with it but the possibilities seem endless. Lots of people use Dojo a lot so I'm guessing a simple google search for "Dojo review" could be pretty helpful. I just wanted to add it to this list because I think it's a great app that everyone should at least be aware of.
If you want further details on anything or just want to talk directly, email me at mrs.mosier @ gmail.com!
*I am not being compensated in any way for these reviews. I write these because I want to share my personal experiences with my colleagues. Bottom line, teachers need to support and be supported by fellow teachers because it's what's best for kids.
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