Friday, April 26, 2013

Random Ramblings


Ever have one of those weeks when it is difficult to put two coherent thoughts together?  Well, this was one of those weeks.  There is no theme or unity in this week’s Friday Five.  Hopefully, those two coherent thoughts can turn in to five and Friday Five makes sense and provides something you can use.

1.    Splurge:  This Fluency Finder App is not cheap ($6.99) but it is a timesaver.  This app makes progress monitoring for fluency EASY!  Add students, select appropriate grade level passages and begin assessment.  You don’t have to watch the timer because you have the student read the entire passage, click the mistake button every time they miss a word.  The app calculates the WPM and saves them until the next time that student reads. You can go to their website www.fluencyfinder.com to print out the passages. 

2.    Hopscotch:  This free app is similar to Scratch.  It is a click block programming app.  Students can create programs using the simple code.  Stack Lego like blocks to make characters move. The possibilities are as varied as a student’s imagination.  This is a great way for students to improve their critical thinking and problem solving skills while playing and creating. http://www.gethopscotch.com


3.    Padlet:  Wallwisher is now new and improved and called Padlet.  This is a collaborative digital notepad.  It allows groups of people to work together and add notes to a virtual wall.  It is as simple as using a Post-It.  This can be used as an exit slip to post an answer to a question.  It can also be used as a KWL Chart. These walls can be set to public or private. You can also set it so that posts have to be moderated before they go live on the wall. http://padlet.com/


4.    Another way to go Paperless:  The Answer Pad and the Tap It app  work together to create a student response system that doesn’t require extensive prep work.  All you have to do is create a virtual answer sheet.  You can also assign a common core standard to each question.  Students have the ability to show their work in the scratch pad.  There are a variety answer types that can be included on the answer sheet.  The teacher dashboard updates in real time as students answer questions. http://theanswerpad.com


5.    Smile:  If this is the way you are feeling right now, just know that tomorrow is a new day!
 
Have a great weekend !

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