Teach-Differently

On Monday I will begin my new job. As I've mentioned before, I will be working as a Technology Resource Specialist as well as teaching a couple of classes. As always, I am nervous and excited for the first day of school, and eager to meet a new group of students.

This is the iPad case I was showcasing at our TCEA 2013 presentation. Check with their developers, they will give you a discount for education and bulk orders. On Amazon too: http://www.amazon.com/i-Blason-ArmorBox-Protection-Convertable-Generation/dp/B008J80FP0

Rated 4+
$4.99 ea. (1-19 units), $2.49 ea. (20+ units)

• The Most Powerful Photo Comic Creation App.- Everything you need at your fingertips: speech balloons, photo filters, comic lettering, templates, shapes, shadows and effects.

Free
4+
** iOS 5.0 Compatible ** Make your photos come alive by giving them the Comic Touch. Add balloon to give your subjects thoughts and words. Add captions to describe the scene of give the photo a title.Share your creations via email or save them back to the Photo Library for even more sharing options. Comic Touch Lite provides many of the features of Comic Touch. The main difference is the addition of a watermark on any shared output.

Diptic lets you combine and edit photos to create awesome collages that can be shared with friends and family via email, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Tumblr or Posterous. With text captions, 14 filters, rounded borders, fun background textures and 165 customizable layouts, there are unlimited options to create unique photo collages!

Rated 4+
Free
Choose from a selection of stickers with sounds to create a brand new effect and interactivity not possible on paper- enhance your drawing by picking your background as a professional texture, solid color or choose your own from your photo library or camera- fix your missteps with the eraser, undo or redo buttons After creating your masterpiece you can share it with friends and family:- save it to your photo library so you can show and share it later- post it to Facebook.

I previously wrote about the importance of beginning a class focusing on the learners in the room as opposed to the content to be covered in Beginning the School Year: It's About Connections Not Content.

Rated 4+
Free

Fly around the planet with a swipe of your finger with Google Earth for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Explore distant lands or reacquaint yourself with your childhood home. Search for cities, places, and businesses. Browse layers including roads, borders, places, photos and more.

Rated 4+
Free

With Popplet you can capture your ideas and sort them visually in realtime.

Rated 4+
Free
Share a great idea... Explain a tricky concept... Help kids with their homework...ScreenChomp for iPad helps you do it all.A simple doodling board, markers, and one-click sharing tools make spreading your ideas and know-how easy and fun! Just - Record It. Sketch It. Share It.

Rated 4+
Free
Express yourself with fewer words, emails and meetings…with Skitch!Use shapes, arrows, sketches and text annotation to get your point across fast. Mark up photos, screenshots, maps, and webpages then share them with anyone you like.Skitch lets you:- Annotate: Add arrows, shapes and text to existing images- Create: Draw something new- Edit: Reposition, recolor and remove your annotations at will- Share: Send your sketches and annotations over Twitter and email- Present: Show your work in real time via AirPlay on Apple TV- Remember: Save everything to Evernote for laterUse Skitch to:- Sketch and share- Point out objects and locations in a photo- Brainstorm design ideas with your team- Identify a point of interest on a map- Annotate a screenshot of your awesome high score- Have fun!Skitch is part of the Evernote family of apps designed to help you remember everything.

Snapguide is a simple, beautiful way to share and view step-by-step how to guides. Discover new things to cook, build, wear, play and more. Create your own guides and share what you love making with your friends on Twitter, Facebook and more. Discuss your interests with other people who share your passions.

Rated 9+
$2.99 ea. (1-19 units)
$1.49 ea. (20+ units)

Impress your friends with your own personal comic strips, created on your iPad, iPhone or iPod using photos from your photo album or iPhone camera.Select one of the many included page templates. Insert photos into the cells. Add a couple of balloons with fun words. Add additional effect symbols (stickers) like "Boom", "Splash", or "Bang" to spice up the story.

Rated 4+
Free

Socrative brings smart clickers, student response and ease of use to a whole new level. Be engaged for the entire class with educational exercises and games. See all your classmates’ ideas in real time and interact with the responses. Provide your instructor feedback on the lessons and how well you understand the material. Ask your own poll questions for the entire class or build a premade activity for your whole class. Have Fun!--WORKS ON ANY DEVICE WITH A WEB BROWSER

Rated 4+
Free
--ENGAGE THE CLASS, MAKE THINKING VISIBLE, CAPTURE DATA, SAVE TIME ON GRADING. --WORKS ON ANY DEVICE WITH A WEB BROWSER: Tablets, Smartphones & laptopsSocrative brings smart clickers, student response and ease of use to a whole new level. Engage the entire classroom with educational exercises and games while capturing student results in real-time. Interact with the data to further student understanding in the moment, and review the reports to prepare for future classes. Socrative will even aggregate and grade your pre-made activities!