This is a sponsored post by Rug-Ed. All opinions are my own.
"We are all in this together." How many times have you heard that this year? 2020 has brought incredible challenges, especially as so many teachers are having to explore online learning. I have received many questions from panicked teachers and parents about how to keep students engaged in their learning at home. Therefore, I wanted to share 5 apps/programs that are all very different from one another yet have proven to maximize student engagement time and time again.
Book Creator has always been one of my favorites! It is available in the iOS store as well as online. Students can exercise their creativity as they create interactive stories, comics, digital portfolios, digital notebooks, poetry books, science reports, manuals and so much more. Here is an example of a Cyberbullying ebook I created as an example for a lesson I did several years ago with a 4th grade class.
Nearpod is a student engagement platform that has ready-to-go interactive lessons for K-12 teachers. Teachers also have the ability to build their own lessons from scratch! The "live lesson" feature allows for teachers to send interactive presentations & activities to student devices and control what students see and do on their screens. The real-time feedback teachers receive from students is priceless. One of my favorite features is the AR field trips!
On August 3rd Nearpod released a new update that includes an interactive video feature. To learn more about Nearpod, click HERE.
Novel Effect is an iOS app that contains music and sounds for over 200+ children's books and poems. This invisible technology follows along as the user reads a story aloud. It plays music and sounds throughout the story turning the reader into a master storyteller. Smart voice recognition stays in sync with your reading style even if you skip ahead or reread a certain part. This app brings books to life and really helps motivate even the most reluctant readers! Here is a video of me using Novel Effect with a book a read aloud to a kindergarten class:
To learn more about Novel Effect, click HERE.
Wakelet is a content curation tool (iOS app, Google Play, Amazon App Store & the web) that will allow teachers and students to capture, organize and share multi-media resources with one another. I wrote THIS blog post about Wakelet in March of 2019 that shares some ideas for using it with students. Erintegration blogged about how you can use Wakelet for backchannel chats, digital newsletters, creating interactive infographics and so much more. Wakelet allows for students to interact with a variety of media that is located in one place!
Schoolkit Math is such a great app to have on student iPads, especially when you don't have access to certain manipulatives to help teach or reinforce math concepts. Students have the ability to take screenshots of their manipulatives that they have arranged and appsmash with other apps to create all kinds of special projects as well as add to their digital math notebooks. Plus, it is totally FREE (no ads!) and very reliable. I've blogged about this app before here, here and here. If you are looking for virtual manipulatives for computer or Chromebook use, be sure to check out THIS collection.
Rug-Ed iPad Cases
You may have noticed the colorful iPad cases pictured in the images above. These are my absolute favorite iPad cases in the whole world and they are made by Rug-Ed. These cases are thin, extremely durable and one of the best on the market. They fit into most charging charts and stations. The removable stand and rounded bumper corners make these cases great for the classroom! Check out this YouTube video I made all about Rug-Ed cases:
Right now you can snag one of these cases for $29.99 plus an additional 10% off at checkout. If you are interested in purchasing one of these iPad case click HERE. If your district is looking into doing a bulk order, Rug-Ed will provide discounts! Just contact@thetechieteacher.net Jennifer by emailing her at: jennifer@rug-ed.com.
Chelsea Public Schools in Michigan use Rug-Ed iPad cases on their devicesš.
