2015 Apps for Teacher Librarians Part 1 General Stuff

Still such a popular pin I thought I'd do some updates.

See the tag iDevice. I talk about apps fairly often but here's another roundup after five months with a cart of 25.
(Go here, here, here, here, and here for the original posts when I only had one iPad in the library. And the updates when I had 6 more as well as more experience? Here are Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.)

Housekeeping ... getting content on and off of devices
Dropbox: still hands down my favorite. It has the cleanest interface.
Drive: a good possibility if you are a GAFE school or also using Classroom or Photos. I use Dropbox more but have used Drive for times like copying text from a doc kiddos shared with me into our BookCreator pages.
Chirp: quick and easy for photos you don't need at highest resolution. And if you don't know what that means you don't need highest resolution so you're good. :) I can get photos for a lesson onto 6-8 devices at a time. It can also be used to send web links though a QR code would work just as well for that. Just the "wow" factor of funny little beeping noises transmitting info.

Scanners
i-Nigma is my favorite QR code reader but they all work pretty much the same. We use Neo-Reader on the library iPad sign in because you can control which camera it uses and when the iPad is locked in the security stand we need to use the forward facing camera. Pretty much for everything else you'd want the rear camera.
Aurasma: augmented reality. I have a Pinterest board but there are lots of them. Again, not hard. The hardest part is getting parents/other teachers to follow your Aurasma channel so that they can see the content!
Daqri: really only useful if you apply for the educator's account (it's closed right now but I'm told via Twitter it will be back up soon) to create your own. It's not hard once you get the hang of it. And once I realized the step I was missing? Less than 5 minutes (not counting the video creation time) to get it set up to scan! Nice because if others have the free Daqri app they don't have to follow your "channel" to see your content!


Book Apps
I don't have any new ones since it became very, very hard to get paid apps the last two years at school and most of the free book ones I've seen, well ... there is a reason they are giving it away. #appsnob Of the ones I know my favorites are still

The Flying Books of Morris Lessmore: love the story! The first link leads you to a book app. This link will lead you to an augmented reality app to go with a print version of the book.
The Monster at the End of this Book: a bit of nostalgia, yes, but they did such a nice job of balancing the book with interactivity.
Harold and the Purple Crayon (which you can't get anymore :()

Check out the Cybills for a nice list of more current titles. And of course SLJ.

OVERDRIVE: we're super lucky in our district to have a nice collection. Apparently one of the biggest in the nation, actually. It's a constant effort to remind staff and students about what's available. So crazy because I know my students, at least, have much more access to tablets than they do to desktop devices. And yet it hasn't "clicked." YET!!!



Stay tuned over the next couple weeks. I'll do an updated Photo Editing one (and talk about Canva, because they asked me to months ago and I am very, very behind) as well as more Media Creation. Did you see my guest post over on FreeTech4Teachers? It didn't make the "most popular" of his week but oh well.

Tech Camp Day 1

My two presentations are over! Whew! One was based on the same ideas as my guest post over on FreeTech4Teachers last week ... "iRead a Book, Now What?" I think people liked that one. Then the other was basically the same thing as the Image Editing page on my blog. Not sure too many people got excited about it. Oh well. Can't win them all.

Then I went to a GAFE class. Nothing new to me there but for the uninitiated they were super impressed!

And then came the Minecraft EDU class. I have read a lot about educational uses ... building habitats for animals or building settings for books they have read. I was super excited. Then come to find out: 1) it doesn't work on VDIs (virtual desktops ... no real CPU of their own, run entirely off a giant high school level server), 2) it doesn't work on Chromebooks or iPads, and 3) I get just as turned around in Minecraft as I do in real life #nosenseofdirectionatall. So bravo for the secondary tech teachers that have a non-VDI lab to run it on ... not going to happen at the elementary level. :/

Since you already know I am a geek, Internet ... and not a ridiculous geek who can spend this much on t-shirts ... thoughts? Maybe ... top 3? And count it as Back to School shopping since I want to do a Star Wars "theme" next year? Dear Clinton and Stacy ... I'm sorry. I really am.

Oh, and recap of SMART conference ... really it does some cool stuff. I could use it more. I guess I get a lot of it done in other ways. The kicker is I only have the software on my school laptop and who has time to do any prep at school? And since I hate my school laptop (the track pad is POSSESSED!) I don't like to take it home. At home I use my iMac or Chromebook.

Don't forget to share about the Surface Pro case giveaway. It will close Thursday night!

I Stand Corrected & The Things THEY Can Do

Some things you just can't predict. Close to the last 5th grader I ever would have expected picked up Hello, I'm Johnny Cash today.

Other came in today to work on Haiku Decks after research (a small group on a pass). I wish they'd done a little more thinking about how they were going to present their slides. It's more than just copying the notes. Am I wrong? Even at 5th grade they can decide which topics are the most important. And decide what kind of slide layout makes the most sense with their information. Luckily HD does not lend itself to the "oh, let's add some kitty clip art" to the end. And "oh, let's use 5 different fonts on one slide." At least there's that. They did discover some pretty good info.

Here's a little something we did last week in 1st grade. This is just an assortment of the ones I knew had "permissions" to be posted. It's not super polished ... we had read the book once before (the author/illustrator's coming on Friday) and talked about the collage art. We didn't have take the time to collage. Just drew, quick photo, quick record. All while also checking out books (THE BLESSING OF HAVING AN ASSISTANT ... not for much longer :(). But for the second time I'd used the app and all the craziness going on around us? And for how adorable and unique many of them are? I was please with the outcome. It got the teachers quite interested as well.

#researchnotresearch

Working with a grade level on several "green" related research projects ... alternative forms of energy, effects of the water cycle, and global warming and how arctic animals are adapting. Love it. The first discussions were with final products where the students would create a Haiku Deck to present findings to a city council/senate about forms of energy we should use. Or Puppet Pal plays explaining solar energy and why we use it here in TX. Or Chatterpix (iMovie looped together to get around the 30 second rule) where a polar bear talked about how what humans do to the environment affected them.

Exciting, right?

Tried to start off right also brainstorming questions. Finding that "third space" that Guided Inquiry suggests.

Makes my head hurt, though, when I see two honors students with a book open, typing into a Google Doc. Same exact sentence structure, just changing some vocabulary to "put it into my words."

Then still with the sentence style searches. "How does hydrolectricity work?" First of all, let's check our spelling. Was I talking to myself when we went through and jotted down keywords? And a few synonyms?

And apparently there is MUCH more to do to help them understand how to frame a search.

I would love to be able to say I felt like I'd done everything right the past two days. Not so much. :/ On the plus side a teacher brought by a project her kids did in the classroom for an author visit next week (post to come) and it so adorable. So there is that.






On a side note ... if you want something for Monday and can get around the fact I'm not sure these are completely kosher (if they HAD official clip art I would totally purchase it) ... go here or here.

iRead class

So I recently signed up to give a class at our district's beginning of summer tech camp. I called it iRead. The idea is to share apps that are easy to integrate with books ... apps where kids can share their reading and understanding of picture books, chapter books, and non-fiction books. Nothing super complicated or drawn out because hello, get them reading MORE. Don't overly distract them with too many projects. Keep it all to a delicate balance. ;)

 Of course it will end up here at some point. I have some ideas (some of which I've already posted ... but I'll gather them together in one place). Does anyone have any suggestions? Things they've done that their kids loved? You will be credited in the presentation, of course!

Sometimes I can't figure out why I sign up to do these things. They stress me out. :P
Later! Back to cleaning reading ... ?

TeleStory Weather

Was going to post this tomorrow but hey. Today is Techy Tuesday, right. Apologies for the double posts when I could have just done one!

With a different class we did a different activity. Both had pros and cons. THIS class used the Weather Channel app to look up weather conditions in different cities (assigned to them so we had a variety and everyone didn't pick the same places).

Here's the script (along with app directions ... although the kids never looked at them). I don't necessarily LOVE it ... like the last part dividing up the temperatures for them to fill in clothing choices? That confused them. If you're reading this right away it's still that script, you'll have to fix it. If you come back to read this later maybe I'll have an updated script with the changes I would have made. They practiced and then recorded this! For the amount of time they had? The did most awesomely!

Now this little guy didn't use the weather template like maybe he was supposed to but ... this FIT HIM SO WELL. :)

Yak It Weather

Last week we did a simple little activity with a second grade class. They've been studying the water cycle and weather. First we read Cloudette.

Then we got into groups of three and wrote three sentences. One that defined "evaporation" using the sun, one that defined "condensation" using a cloud, and one that defined "precipitation" using a raindrop. (I used Chirp to get the three pics on each device beforehand. If we'd had more time I would have had THEM draw the pics but we didn't so we just used clip art.)

They practiced and then recorded using YakIt Kids. We lost a couple due to improper saving but still. For the first time they'd used the app ... and only getting like 10 minutes of prep time after the story? These are fun. With a little more time they could do even better!

In this second one I'm not sure what happened with the second (or third scene for that matter) but the first one was a good definition so I had to include it anyway.

This was my example I showed them. Obviously didn't look up the proper definitions beforehand. 

So I got all excited about a LEGO StoryStarter grant application and then my campus chose other topics. It was disappointing. I mean, there was no guarantee I would have gotten the grant (although my track record is quite good with our foundation) but they went with more "curriculum related" things. :( Kind of annoyed I had to do all the work to write it and THEN they decided that. Anyway. Between that let down and worrying about bookfair coming up (my assistant--yes, I know right there I'm spoiled cause for now I HAVE one--will be out for set up and only one volunteer has signed up to help all week) this was a long day. Later.

Smitten ChatterPix

OK, seriously ... how cute are these? And that was after only hearing the story once and getting like three minutes to record? #notquiteenoughtime #stillfiguringouthavingawholecartofiPads #awesomeproblems

This Week We've Been

Reading Blizzard, by John Rocco. I took a few pics from the book with an iPad camera and put them in Dropbox (to distribute to all of our iPads). The first grade kids practiced using Shadow Puppet EDU to sequence the pics. We also tried recording their retellings but they didn't turn out too well cause all of them were recording at once. Loads of background noise. Plus they only got to hear the story the one time. Still, the teachers liked the app and the kids didn't do too badly with it so I think we'll see it again.







On a totally unrelated note we read parts of Creature Features in Kinder and tried Chatter Pix just up at the front with a couple volunteers. Eventually we'll have them try it individually, after they've seen it a few times with different books. And we finish getting the covers on the iPads!

QR Code Library Login How To Update

So it will never be perfectly pretty (I still need to change the wallpaper now that the iPad has been repurposed) but here it is. Again, with the Instagram repeats!

And here is a link to the how to directions. I guess they get the job done even if they are not aesthetically pleasing.

Kids walk in and it's right there. The only app immediately visible is NeoReader (yes, all they have to do is swipe to the left but it hasn't been a problem). That's the QR code reader that lets you set the camera to the front facing option (important cause that's the one that is still accessible with this security stand). They scan the card which opens up the sign in form that auto-fills grade level and teacher, and they enter their name and choose their reason for being in the library. Then hit "Submit" and "Done." Took them a bit at first but then they get it down and can do it in under 15 seconds. Faster than notebook and pencil!

We've only been using it for what, 7 school days. Don't have a lot of data yet. But I am seeing lots of "lights" go on with teachers as to how useful the auto-tracking of the kids that come on passes might be (time stamp and frequency ... teachers can see the sign in results when they are logged in to their Google accounts). Every K-2 class gets a class checkout visit a week and then can come on passes. 3-5 gets a class visit for checkout every two weeks and can come on passes in between. They only sign in if they are in the library on their time and not a scheduled class visit.

If I can find the template (egads, seriously, could I be more disorganized? Hoping it's on my computer at school though why on earth I didn't put it in Google Drive I cannot say) would you like the library pass template? Or is there any other info that would be helpful?

Library Sign In with Google

Do you keep a record of the kids that come in on passes?

We do have a flex schedule where teachers attend the library with their classes. But with 3-5 class checkout is only every two weeks. That leaves us some time to do lessons w/o so many people wandering around (though it could be better now, w/the walls! Not so distracting). The kids can always come on a pass on the "off" weeks.

It's always been in a binder or notebook. That was the easiest but let's face it ... just ended up being a piece of paper. I never took the time to go back and get the "data" from it that I'd like. Who had that kind of time? And patience to flip through pages and pages counting? Plus students didn't always fill it out completely with the time.

In my perfect world this would work. But so far I haven't been able to figure out HOW.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lydiashiningbrightly/7815685436

Each class or grade would have a laminated pass with a QR code on it. Depending on how it was set up (class or grade) all the kids would have to do is scan the pass (from an iPad in a locked stand) to open up a Google form and fill in their name. Google time stamps the entry in forms so no more "What time is it? with a clock right in front of them. :P In my perfect world through the specific QR code link the class (and by default grade, or they'd have to pick their teacher from a drop down menu) would also fill in on the Google results page. All the kiddo would have to enter would be their name.

And in my really perfect world the results would populate in two spreadsheets. One class specific tab that teachers could see (whether they chose to visit the link would be up to them ... but the info would be available) with their kids and a record of who was coming and the time stamp. That way teachers could see who was asking to come and who wasn't and even if they were playing around between the library and the classroom. And a schoolwide tab so that the library could also extrapolate our busiest days and times. And see which teachers perhaps needed some chains rattled to get their kids down here on passes.

Is this too much to ask? Spreadsheets are not my forte. There has to be some kind of script or "if/then" statement. I just haven't figured it out yet! :P




PS I wonder where the QR code in the pic leads. To be honest I just looked for a CC image on Flickr. A super on top of it blogger would have an example Google form ready to go. And a freebie library pass to download.

Apps Recap & July Currently

Or Anyone Else Who Might be Interested ;)

This is sort of a Throwback ... Tuesday. Scroll to the bottom for Currently!

Go here, here, here,here, and here for the original posts when I only had one iPad in the library.
And the updates when I had 6 more as well as more experience? Here are Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

That many posts can get overwhelming so here are my tip top faves that I use the most.


Free Must Haves
Phonto--adding text to images
Dropbox--getting media on and off the device ... I would suggest creating a free account with a generic login that is specifically for library/classroom iPad media
Haiku Deck--seriously they make image searching for presentations amazingly easy that even little ones can create nice looking presentations. See some 1st grade examples at this link (then click on the animal group submenus on the left).
Google Docs --now fully editable on a mobile device! Of course much easier when the device has a keyboard but oh well
Google Presentations--when the fully editable app is released later this summer. So technically I haven't used this one YET but I expect that we will.
a QR code reader--I like I-nigma but there are plenty of others
an augmented reality reader--Aurasma is the only one I've used so far but it's pretty easy! Here's a link to some example projects.
Chatter Pix--use a static pic and turn it into a video. Here are some examples (mixed up with Tellagamis).


Not Free but WORTH IT
Sock Puppets Director's Pass--you can record 30 seconds worth for free but with the director's pass (volume purchase edu store or in app purchases on the regular store) you can make longer recordings and export them to your camera roll to be posted/reshared as you see fit. Worth purchasing for any device students will use.
Puppet Pals HD Director's or All Access Pass--same reasoning as above but with different puppet options. Either Puppet Pals 1 or 2. Both are cool. 2 just has a couple more features.
Tellagami--this used to be free and they aren't making it easy to buy back options with in-app purchases instead of a full functionality app on the volume purchasing store. That said? What it can do? Super useful in the classroom on any number of subjects. So even with limited app budgets ... this one is worth it!
Strip Designer ($2.99)--powerful "comic" creating tool. Story Me used to be a nice free option but it disappeared a few months ago. Kids can creative write or share their non-fic learning.
Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App ($5.99)--I actually wouldn't necessarily recommend it for an individual user ... I think the price point is kind of high. But if you have a teacher device that is being used to demonstrate with lots of classes? TOTALLY worth it.
The Monster at the End of this Book ($4.99)--classic story and the app is nicely done. Not TOO gamey but more interactivity than "just" the printed book



And now for July Currently with Farley ...

Stamping a Pic using Skitch

Flipping is a big push in our district now. Annoyed with myself that I didn't do more of these before it became a "thing." I learn and try knew things for the kids, not because "someone" told me to!
I really did have the goal to make several this summer. Just ... never got around to them. Too busy enjoying #bookaday, I guess. ;) That and you never quite know what people will need ahead of time. Some things you can guess. But not all of it.





Do you know of an easier way? I think citing photos is still easier on a desktop. But the class had already started, it was the first day of bookfair and knew I wouldn't get to do much else for them, and Oh. My. Word. The tech stress this year? Because the district has also pretty much given up on fixing or updating student desktops. All money went to 3 iPads per classroom. 32 minutes from network login to opening a webpage on the computers in the lab. I kid you not. 32 minutes. Apparently a new lab is coming but we "need to be patient." Right. :P

App-solutely Great

So I wrote this for what was supposed to be a guest post for another blog earlier in the summer.
And then they never published it. And I'm too silly to ask why. "Why didn't you like it?" :/

Mobile devices can do amazing things in the hands of our kids. It’s not the number of devices you have, or number of apps on the device. It is the quality of the apps and what the students can CREATE with those apps that make the difference. Here are MUST HAVE apps.

1) Puppet Pals: There is a free version with limited backgrounds and puppets. With this version the work is “stuck” on the device. Those limitations are fine for some projects … but work with your school to try and get the full “Director’s Pass” version ($2.99). With that one you can download new backgrounds and puppets as well as import YOUR OWN backgrounds and puppet characters. Storytelling possibilities instantly and exponentially expanded! With the Director’s Pass you can also save the kids’ work to the CAMERA ROLL and therefore get it off of the device and onto your webpage … and out to a real audience! We’ve used it for role playing biography research, creating book trailers, and making promo materials for the morning announcements. A sort of 1.5 to this app would be Sock Puppets. It also has a free version with a time limit and smaller selection of characters. In some ways the time limit is good because the kiddos have to work on their scripts and reading fluency. (Side note … they LOVE the voice scrubber function!) It also has a full version with many more characters and backgrounds as well as the ability to save the video clip to the camera roll and reposting on the web to a parent and community audience.

2) Dropbox: FREE. If you don’t have an account get one! In the case of library iPads I would suggest creating a free sort of generic library account just for moving files onto and off of the devices. I think it is easiest to create the free account online and then link the iPads to that account. That way you can distribute project template files or media and all the students can easily submit their photos or video from each device to a central folder you’ve arranged in the Dropbox. It’s not complicated … our kiddos were using it like pros within days with very little instruction.

3) Some sort of QR code reader … really any one will do. We most often use I-Nigma. Even if you don’t ever plan on creating QR codes yourself more and more books and magazines are coming with QR codes to related content already created. Although really, why wouldn’t you try making your own codes? A quick Google search will point you to several different creators and tutorials. QR codes are a quick way to get the kids to a book trailer or a related website about a particular topic without mistyping a URL. Print the code out and put it on the book cover or on a display. I’m going to list Aurasma  or Layar as a sort of 3.5  Again, even if YOU don’t ever plan on trying to create any “augmented reality” activities … we’re going to find more and more authors and publishers offering content that can be integrated into lessons. You may want to try letting the kids create something. They’ll surprise you!

4) Some sort of comic strip creator … Strip Designer is probably my favorite at $2.99. It seems to have the easiest navigation and menus for both the kids and staff. Halftone is free as is Comic Touch Lite. They all have a little different offerings in terms of text bubbles, page layouts, and digital stamps. Kids love to create comics on research topics or library procedures. It’s more “fun” for them and requires more higher level thinking and synthesis!

5) An iBooks authoring app. Bookpress, BookMagic, and bookabi are three free apps that we’ve experimented with. Composer Pro is usually a paid app that I managed to snag for free near the end of the year so I’m looking forward to trying it in September. Each of these apps has a little different layout and menu so you will want to choose one and let the kids get used to using it. Of the different apps I’ve mentioned this is the one we have the least personal experience with but it’s an area that I’m determined to get the kids more exposure to over the next year. What a fabulous way for them to share their learning with an audience! Kids can author iBooks with their own stories or the results of class research on animal adaptations of the tropical rain forest.

For a long time I raised some money to get apps by recycling empty chip bags and drink pouches through Terracycle. We only had two devices at the time, and Terracycle's submission guidelines were easy enough to follow that it worked well! It was a win-win ... get apps and save the planet. Now we have eight devices ... and Terracycle has upped their minimum submission guidelines. It got too messy and I'm afraid went beyond the point I was willing to go to save the planet. We didn't have the space to store the trash until we had enough to send in! So ... I don't know what we'll do going forward. I don't like ads in apps and so get frustrated by the limitations of "free" or "lite" versions. We'll see!

Apps for Teacher Librarians Part 4: General Utilities

NEARPOD ... Teacher version on your iPad device and student versions on their iPad or iTouch devices. (I thought they used to be separate apps on the iTunes store ... but it doesn't look like that anymore. Since I already have them on our devices it's hard to test.) Allows you to "control" what they see and monitor as they view your presentation. Click through the pin for a video.

Source: nearpod.com via Angie on Pinterest

a QR Code Reader. I like Inigma but any one will work.

Teachers Pick (iPad or iTouch) Won't lie ... it took a long time to get all of the classes set up--not as long as you might think but longer than I wanted. And I'm not perfect at keeping them updated with all of our move-ins and outs. That said this still helps me a lot ... I don't call on the same kiddos all the time and it helps me remember their names! There are other apps that do the same thing ... this is just the one I happen to have. I saw one on Pinterest at some point that included Bloom's question stems as it randomly chose students. Could be useful!

Dropbox is a GREAT way to move bigger files (like videos) from an iDevice to a desktop. You do have to have a free Dropbox account. If you don't have one already and use this link I'll get a bit of free extra online storage space. You NEED this one as many apps are designed to integrate with Dropbox. ;)


 (Only ... "there ARE now." Not "there IS." Grammar. I might run on sentences but my subjects and verbs agree. Usually. :/)

Google Drive Of course this is only useful if you have a google account to sign in with. But you can move files back and forth this way. Get the pdfs from Google Drive and download, then open in Skitch for annotation or iBooks for reading!

Chrome! I dislike Safari. Couldn't even really tell you why. Chrome is the way to go. ;)

Three Ring looks to be pretty cool. Haven't used this one yet but I think it would be nice to try. Quick pics of student work and then you don't have to carry the work around, you can grade digitally. Your thoughts for in the library classroom? Check out this mashable article on it.

In my quest to understand Evernote ... there's an app!

Here are Parts 1, 2, and 3. Anyway. Are there any topics or app themes that you are interested in?

Apps for Teacher Librarians Part 3: Photo Editing

I tried to link to tutorials where I could. Most of them are not educators ... but I liked how they explained things. For now I will concentrate on ideas for educational use and let them do the nuts and bolts explaining of the app.


Pixlr-o-matic (free) & Pixlr-o-matic+ ($.99) Yeah ... not so much on the educational. Unless you're trying to age a photo to make it look like it was taken a long time ago. But the effects are super cool and the more you play with your iPad the better your tech instincts will get at everything. Check this out.



PicCollage. This one is great for making collages of student work or photos to post on a teacher website (if you have permission to post photos of kids). Or kids could make collages on different topics. (PS ... DROPBOX Plug here. It's the best way I've found of moving pics on and off of an iPad!) (PS #2 1/16 addition ... nice post on using PicCollage to make a visual dictionary.)



CaptionCard for adding text to a photo (like credits, perhaps?) while it's still on the iPad. On a desktop Ribbet, Picmonkey, or iPiccy are easier. Not that CC isn't easy ... it's just very basic. But the others look nicer.

Diptic (I got it when it was free but it's regularly $.99) Here's a tutorial.
I need to get back in to making book collages. Remember this? I was so excited to be on Free Tech 4 Teachers. How much of a nerd can I be?

Frame Magic is similar to Diptic. Maybe even a little cleaner layout. Available on iTouches (with cameras, obviously) and iPads. There is a lite version (free), a regular version ($.99). and a premium version ($1.99) I have the regular version. Pretty sure I actually got that one for free. Watch and you don't have to deal with "lite" versions with annoying ads.

Dr. Seuss Camera Grinch edition ($1.99) ... not really editing but kind of fun! And easy. Worth paying for.
Dr. Seuss Camera Cat in the Hat edition (also $1.99)
Dr. Seuss Camera Happy Birthday edition (FREE ... you've been waiting for me to say that again, haven't you)
These need no explanation as to why I might mention them. ;)

Mad Lips. ($2.99) Worth paying for. Sort of like Blabberize but you can export the videos to the iPad camera roll. Have the kids research a person. Or animal! The talk as if they WERE that person or animal. Or YOU make a video of instructions for something. Kids click and play. Laught. And then follow directions! Saw Tony Vincent use it at iPadpalooza. Fun! (If I were brave I would post one that I've done here. But I'm not brave enough yet to share with grown ups. ;) I'm working on it!)

Match a Photo. ($1.99 but I'm pretty sure I got this when it was free, too.) You can make simple Memory games here ... import pictures or jpgs of vocab words or what have you.

And actually for MUCH more than photo editing ... SKITCH. Skitch can be awesome for labeling pictures, annotating PDFs and webpages ... seriously. Maybe one day I'll write up a full "tutorial" (cause hey, I'd have some to learn before then, too!) but for now check out some how-tos on Skitch from the Evernote site here. Plus? It's FREE! I love it so much I paid for the Mac edition. Before Evernote bought it and then started giving it away for free. ;)

You know, after this post I'm thinking another one on ways to find out when apps go free might be in order. Cause paid apps do go free for promotional periods. I think it might even be a requirement for a set amount of time each year but don't quote me on that.

Apps for Teacher Librarians Part 2: Media Creation

Puppet Pals HD or Pocket ... there's a free version but I'm linking to the director's passes because of course you have WAY more options with the paid versions. (And the Pocket version Director's Pass WAS free for a couple days last week ... did you catch it?) Hooray for being able to save work and export videos to the camera roll (and then to whereever you want to post them).
And HEY! New version. Which I don't have yet. But maybe soon. (And if any readers just happen to be Christian and involved in teaching there ... how did I miss that they had a Bible version? And for those that might also be LDS ... a Book of Mormon version? Linked both of those to the freebie versions but I would think the director's pass would be worth the minimal investment. Or watch for when they go free.)

Toontastic ... same there. Free pack for anyone (check out the historical ones!) and then a school "subscription" for all of them. I LOVE their set up. Just really frustrated that they won't allow you to export the videos. They can ONLY be seen on their website and embedded elsewhere. They don't want to split their product (or something to that extent ... I wrote and asked and that was the gist I got from their answer). Frustrating because hey. As a teacher and school we don't want work split, either. We want some control over where kids' work goes. And we're PAYING. Boo to that. But I still love their animations and the story-telling structure framework. The artwork is way cuter than Puppet Pals, too. :/

Sock Puppets has a basic, 30 second recording version available for free. Then there are other options available with in-app purchases or a content pass. Kids could explain a science topic, or summarize a story.

Vintagio requires the right project. But it's so much fun! I picked it up when it was free (and called Silent Movie Director) but I'd pay. I love the sepia toned videos and music. Easier to have the kids make and show cue cards than have to rerecord over and over if they don't like how they delivered lines. Maybe for a book trailer on a historical fic story?

Action Movie is also LOADS of fun. I hope to have some PSAs on "rapid changes to the earth's surface" by the end of January for you. Warning, though. A lot of the best effects are in-app purchases. So this one I actually have on my personal iPhone, not the school iPad.

ScrollShow is a freebie! And only on the iPad. But it's a slideshow maker with a bit more kick than just PPT. Which doesn't come on an iPad. ;)

Haiku Deck for presentations ... with pics to use! Now, I cannot guarantee every single pic. Haven't seen all of them. But I have not come across anything ... untoward. And Richard Byrne likes it.

Comic Life is available on both iTouch or iPad. I have to think it would be a bit harder on the iTouch, though, just because of the size of the screen. But so much fun. The "Daring Librarian" is a master at Comic Life. So far it's just me using it on my personal Mac or the school iPad (with only one device it's hard for student projects as it does take a little while) but if the right time comes along they certainly COULD use it.




Here's Part 1 of the newer set. And that reminds me I already need to go update it ... just a few hours after I posted that the 2012 Cybils book app finalists were announced.

Apps for Teacher Librarians Part 1: Books & Currently

This is a bit of an update for the series that I did last summer when the iPad was brand new. Go here, here, here, here, and here for the original posts! This one didn't change much but I think the others might.

BOOK APPS

Most of these are not free. Don't despair (because for a LONG time I wasn't allowed to pay for any apps either) ... not all posts will be about apps you have to purchase. But this one is.

Still LOVE

Harold and the Purple Crayon (Oddly enough ... I cannot find this on the US app store anymore! Did they quit selling it? It's so awesome! One of our favorites.)
Harold at the North Pole (this one either ... SO STRANGE and I must say ... a bummer for the rest of you ;])

How Rocket Learned to Read

The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore (there is an iTouch app--must be one with a camera--that will work if you also have the print book)

The Monster at the End of this Book can also work on either. Totally worth the price. I like it better than the second one but the kids like that one, too. Could just be me and nostalgia.

Barnyard Dance is only $1.99 and will work on either device. FUN!

Dr. Seuss books from Oceanhouse Media. I have the two collection sets.

I also have the Smithsonian books from Oceanhouse Media. For your lovers of non-fic they are definitely worth it. Plus? YOU don't have to try and figure out how to say "pachycephalosaurs."

Weird but True is a totally fun app that works on either size device. Can't really be used for directed research but for fun ... maybe as a game where kids then tried to figure out where they'd go in the library for MORE information  or to verify a weird but true fact?

Bobo Explores Light. Great way to introduce inventions, inventors, and properties of light. A little confusing to navigate, though.

OVERDRIVE ... is so awesome can hardly stand it. Will work on iTouch or iPad or Droid devices. For audiobooks it's just a matter of downloading. For ebooks you have to create an Adobe account first and sign in ... but that's just a one time thing. Go here for help! And maybe go here to get a splitter for headphones.

Want to Try 

(Will get our Terracycle check sometime in January and hope to use it to get an iTunes Volume Purchasing card ... but haven't been able to buy any new ones since I first started posting about apps.)

Bartleby's Book of Buttons

Brave Interactive Comic ... not usually a huge fan of movie to books but this one looks good. And it's only $1.99.

Ultimate Dinopedia is $4.99. But it looks COOL. User reviews are mixed but it is a NYT Top 10 Best.

Didn't End Up Loving So Much

Pete the Cat will work on either iPad or iTouch. It's OK ... especially for the price. But it's NOT the book ... just sort of a couple extended activities to go along with mainly the School Shoes book. But again ... for $.99 you don't NEED the book. Just not a lot to it.

Curious George at the Zoo does not have much of a story. It was only $.99 but it really doesn't even have THAT much of a story. And it's got some in-app purchases that of course everyone wants.

Dare I say it? The Numberlys. By the same group as Morris Lessmore! LOVE the animation. The story ... not as much. But to be honest I haven't tried it with kids yet so I can't tell you their opinion. Just that I didn't quite "get" it.

I need to read Sunday in Kyoto with the music teacher and see what she thinks. Rhyme guitar with bizarre and you lose me. The pictures are kind of cool, though.

The Artifacts story is actually kind of interesting and the art fun ... but some of the interactive parts are not super intuitive. Kids end up just sort of banging around on the screen trying to figure out what the app wants them to do.



Our school district got a site license for the Reflector software (which actually goes on your DESKTOP). Makes it so you can project the iPad up on the projector screen without it having to be tethered to any sort of adaptor. When I do it it works pretty well but will sometimes make strange ... scratchy noises. Haven't asked around to see if that happens to everyone or not. (PS The free trial? Works for 10 minute increments. Which could actually be enough for many of you.)


Next Tuesday ... apps for Media Creation. (I will say that Puppet Pals Pocket Director's Pass will be discussed next Tuesday ... and drat. It was free yesterday but that's already over. I did tell FB fans in time. Apologies to everyone else. :/)

And now to link up with Farley ...

Tehnically it's New Year's Eve. I might not make it through the 5K I'm doing with my little brother tomorrow, though, so I decided to go ahead and post now (and hey! The Media Creation apps post is already written and scheduled ... so you'll get that much. Just may not get the Photo Editing, Utilities, and Miscellaneous posts cause they're not done yet ;]). Dumb allergies have made the last month super unpleasant and "training" has been not so good. But I REFUSE to wimp out. I will not start 2013 on an wimpy note. I WILL NOT. No matter how much I want to and how many strange NyQuil induced dreams I've sort of slept through the last couple of weeks.

A little overshared at this point but if you made it down this far  ...