Happy Apptoberfest!This month I'm spotlighting one of my favorite apps each week. If you missed last week's post, you can read about Teach Your Monster to Read here. Apptoberfest App of the Week: IXL MathCost: Free! (With Optional Super Expensive Subscription)Who is this App For?IXL is great for kids who could use short bursts of math review and for teachers looking to find practice sets of very specific skills for PreK-highschool students. Why Should You Care?
What Does It Do?IXL has been around for a while now, and for most teachers, they know IXL as a very good, very expensive math program. Covering thousands of math, science, language arts and social studies standards, students can take simple quizzes to learn new skills. Each question contains helpful hints and also allows users to write and problem solve using built in writing tools. While the app is free, the content isn't...sort of. Users without a subscription can only have access to 20 questions a day per device. After that, you're blocked out. So how did an app with these limitations make it into to the esteemed honor of "Apptoberfest App of the Week?" I was once told that creativity begins with limitations. The truth is, you can get a ton of utility even at just 20 questions a day. Here are a couple of different ways to make the most of IXL at home or in the classroom without having to pay big bucks for monthly or yearly subscriptions:
The amount of content and standards covered by IXL is extraordinary. Even better, the people at IXL have organized the content in a way that makes finding specific skills easy. When directing students to complete an IXL quiz, they know to choose "2nd Grade" and then I tell them the letter (for each category) and the number (for each specific skill). All I need to do is say something like "Do J12" or "Do B7" and the kids know right where to go. For those looking for a more comprehensive math review and skill-building app, you have to check out Khan Academy. The program is really designed to be completed on a laptop, as the iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android apps don't include the activities, but just the educational videos. Nevertheless, Khan Academy is a marvelous tool for supporting struggling learners, extending for the high flyers, and for preventing the summer slide. Where Can I Download the IXL App?Access Their Content On Your Computer Here: www.ixl.com Upcoming CEA Convention Session: Making the Most of One Classroom iPadOn both October 20 and 21 at the CEA Convention, I'll be leading a session called "Making the Most of One Classroom iPad." The truth is, most of us are not teaching in a 1:1 environment, so how can we make the most of the technology we do have? If you have a smartphone, iPod, iPad or tablet, join me for some helpful tips on how to get the most out of each device. This session is created for K-8 teachers and staff, from beginners to seasoned techies. I'm hoping this might just be the boost you need to use simple technology to increase student engagement, improve parent communication, and hopefully make your life simpler. Session times are listed below. Click links to sign up on the SCHED app as space is limited. Thursday from 3:30-4:30 Friday from 9:00-10:00 Support Classroom TechBookmark This Link: http://thethriftytechteacher.weebly.com/support-our-classroom-tech.html
By regularly using this link as your primary way to access Amazon, a portion of all of your purchases will be applied to technology in the classroom at no extra cost to you. This is a simple way to support our class over and over again without much time or effort. Thanks for your help!
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