Getting Started with the iPod Touch April 27, 2010
Posted by loislindemann in : e-learning , add a commentAn iPod Touch is a versatile device that will allow you to do many things: play music; send and receive email, access the Internet; play games… The good news is it’s really easy to use: just three buttons and a touch screen. That’s it!
Using the iPod Touch in the Classroom – some Dos and Don’ts
DO:
- Try different ways of using the iPods: paired work or use by a small group is possible.
- Experiment with different Apps. If you find a good one, please tell us about it.
- Check websites work on the iPod touch before the lesson—some sites that use Flash (such as mymaths.co.uk) won’t work.
- Count the iPods in and out each time you use them. Whenever possible, keep a record of who uses each one—this encourages students to behave responsibly.
- Let someone know if there are any problems.
DON’T:
- Allow any student to find out our iTunes password (however trustworthy they are)
- Allow any student to leave the room with an iPod for any reason
- Allow students to use the iPods unsupervised—remember that they can access the Internet!
What do I do if… ?
Technology is great, until it goes wrong! Fortunately, most things are easily put right:
- 99% of problems will be solved by pushing the round button.
Yes, it really is that simple! - 0.9% of the remaining problems will be solved by keeping the iPods charged, so if you spot any low batteries at the end of a session, please make sure that they are re-charged before someone else uses them.
- A few problems will require more drastic action: usually a reset, which only takes a few minutes. If the round button doesn’t work and there is power in the battery, ask for help.
Touched: Getting started with maths apps April 24, 2010
Posted by loislindemann in : e-learning , add a comment
The maths department at Birley recently purchased 12 iPod touches for use in lessons. I’ve been getting them set up and trying them out. They have caused great excitement in my lessons – in fact, just seeing the iPods was enough to drive some of my students into a frenzy of excitement!
Anyway, this is very much a voyage of discovery for me: I’d never owned an iPod or an iPhone, so there’s been a bit of a learning curve – helped enormously by recommendations from some of the fantastic people I follow on Twitter.
Let’s start with ten apps that have worked well for me in the classroom:
1. Arithmetick This is a free app (recommended by @colport – thank you!)
As the name suggests, it’s great for practising basic arithmetic. Choose from add, subtract, multiply, divide – or a combination of these, pick a level and get started. I’ve used this with students in Y6 working at level 3/4 and with a foundation group in Y9. A few of them couldn’t keep up with the timer and opted for a practice session rather than the game, but most students opted for the game, got really competitive and tried to get high scores.
Verdict: Great for practising multiplication tables, in multiplication and division form. Also good for number bonds.
2. TwentyFour Lite This is a free app, there’s also a paid version.
I used the 24 game as an intro to BODMAS/BIDMAS with Y7 students working at level level 5/6 . We played this as a starter activity. They loved it, several of them went home and downloaded this onto their own devices.
Verdict: Nice version of the game, shows working step by step (which was ideal for me). The free version is fine for classroom use, but any serious 24 addicts would probably run out of games and need to upgrade.
3. World Maths Day 2010 This is a free app (recommended by @misterel – thank you!)
I used this with some of my Y10 form group, they really enjoyed it.
Verdict: Nice app, wide range of levels available, but it does require an age range setting – which is reset via the settings screen, not from within the app itself. Not a big problem, but will need re-setting if I use this with younger students.
4. Guess My Age This is a free app
I downloaded this one (it’s an app version of an old trick – maths teachers will recognise it!), but didn’t ask students to try it. A lot of them tried it anyway – and are amazed by it.
Verdict: The students love this and want to know how it works – but I’m not telling! I’m sure they’ll work it out sooner or later.
5. Dynamic dice This is a paid app (currently 59p)
We use assorted dice for probability work. This is nice for students, they like shaking the iPod to roll the dice.
Verdict: The students like this, but it does present a distraction when we are supposed to working on other things, so I think I’ll save this for the next round of probability. It’s intended for use when playing games, so it doesn’t record the scores, which we would need to do in a maths lesson.
6. Coin toss and Heads Tails Both are free
Two coin flipping apps, which I was trying out for probability work.
Verdict: Heads Tails is the better of the two for maths, because it records numbers and percentages of heads and tails. Good for gathering data rapidly, without the need for students to record anything.
7. Algebra Level 1 This is a paid app (currently 59p)
Solve simple equations, selecting an answer from a list.
Verdict: Worked well as part of a revision session with Y7. I didn’t want to restrict myself to using multiple choice questions, so we started with this and then moved onto Mathmaster Algebra.
8. Mathmaster Algebra This is a paid app (currently 59p)
Solve simple equations, but this time the answer must be typed in using a keypad. The students competed to get a high score.
Verdict: Worked well as a revision activity, following on from Algebra Level 1. It got a fantastic response from the students – they were really engrossed.
9. Falling Algebra 1 This is a paid app (currently 59p)
Solve simple equations, but this time the answer is selected from a cloud of falling numbers.
Verdict: This drove me mad – but Y10 loved it, so it’s a keeper.
Some more nice maths apps are listed here and here (via @IaninSheffield, who has bookmarked lots of useful sites that I’m working my way through – thanks Ian!)
Photo: iPod touch 1.1.3 (main screen) by chrisdejabet. Used under Creative Commons Licence.
{Post originally published on my learning (b)log]
Focus on: Games Based Learning October 6, 2009
Posted by loislindemann in : e-learning , add a commentGames based learning can be highly motivating, it’s boy friendly and it’s fun. There’s also a growing amount of research that suggests that games based learning can help children with poor working memory to improve, provided that the learning is targeted.
Obviously, the key to success is to balance the learning and the fun. All of the sites featured here focus on the maths, but in the context of a game.
Games based learning doesn’t have to be restricted to the computer room. Games can be used successfully with individuals, pairs or groups playing on the interactive whiteboard. Netbooks (mini laptops) can easily be brought into the classroom, but remember to check that the games you want to use will actually run on the netbooks before you try it with a class—they don’t have quite as much software as desktop computers do!
Here’s three great sites for maths games:
1. Super Maths World
Birley CC has subscribed to Super Maths World. To access the site just use our school log in—it’s on posters in the maths classrooms.
The site looks like a ‘real’ video game, with students battling against an opponent. There are games for every topic, although you may need to look at the kids section to get the correct level for weaker students. The only disadvantage of this site is that there is no way to link directly to individual games and activities—students have to go to the homepage and click through a series of menus.
http://www.supermathsworld.com
2. Tutpup
Students solve puzzles and compete against opponents from around the world. Each game is a race, first to the finish line is the winner.
Register as a teacher to receive a class code, then students don’t need to give any personal details at all. To register, they select a colour, an animal and a number—for example, I set up a demo account as orangecat1810. Since students aren’t giving any personal details to the site and there are no chat opportunities, it is totally safe.
Best of all, it’s free!
3. Manga High
Students answer questions as part of an arcade style game. The games start off at a fairly easy level, but stick with it—they get harder! The site is aimed at GCSE students, but could be used with younger students as well.
This is a free site, although students are encouraged to register. It is carefully monitored, with no chat or user generated content, so it’s totally safe.
“For me doing mathematics has always been like playing a game. At Manga High we’ve been working hard to bring out the playful side of maths while ensuring that students get the essential skills to master this important subject. ”
Marcus du Sautoy
Want to find out more?
Watch this Teachers’ TV video featuring Dawn Hallybone from Oakdale Junior School, where games based learning is being used very successfully.
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