Socrative can replace classroom clickers

I've been playing with a few new apps in class, trying to get the students to use their ipads more.

I did a lecture on pesticides and pesticide alternatives, and had them pull up an app from the Environmental Working Group called Dirty Dozen.  This app lists the top 12 food crops that scientific research has shown to have the most pesticide residues, and the top 15 "cleanest crops".  Students looked through the information in this app, then I had them take an in-class clicker quiz through the wifi and an app called Socrative.

I have to install the Teacher Socrative app, and students install the Student Socrative App. You are assigned a unique virtual room number.  Then, you can design a quiz beforehand, or make a question on the spot in Teacher Socrative (you can do this on the computer, iPad, or Android).  In class, you can either open Teacher Socrative on your mobile device, and begin the quiz, or pull the quiz up on the computer so it shows on a screen through the LCD projector.

Students open Student Socrative, write your virtual room number, and you push each question to the students through the wifi. They respond, and you can see the results (anonymously) in the classroom.

Curtis and I tried Socrative last semester with the Acer tablets, but it didn't work very well (wifi and maybe antennae issues?).  This semester with the iPads, it is smooth sailing!  Here come the pop quizzes!

Linked Classroom Update- Should we require mobile devices?

I haven't posted about the linked Biology/Physics class for a while, because it is all going so smoothly with the tablets, that there is nothing new and exciting to post except that, "Today, everything worked".  I think we could be using them a little more, but there are simply not a lot of generic enough educational apps to pull in one everyday.  I do have a few things I thought I should report on, since the semester is coming to a close.

1) We did an anonymous midterm evaluation, and the students use their iPads almost daily for all sorts of things, which is exactly what Curtis and I were hoping for.  They all want to keep the devices, and see them as useful, which is good as I want to require these as an instructional material more and more everyday. I like to say that I've outgrown the typical classroom technology.

2) Students complained a little bit about using both Angel and Edmodo (a different secure course management system for K-12 that we used because it has a web interface, iOS app, and android app), so Curtis and I started primarily using Edmodo. It has just enough features to be very useful inside and outside the classroom (interactive calendar for due dates, discussions in a facebook-like stream, assignments that can be turned in and graded through Edmodo, and quizzes with T/F, MC, short answer, and fill-in-the-blank question formats).  It's been much easier to redesign assignments just for the Edmodo platform, and I think the students have responded well to having everything in one accessible place. If D2L doesn't have as slick of a mobile interface, I might end up just using Edmodo for all of my classes in lieu of a combination of D2L and Facebook.

Today I used Edmodo in class, something I hadn't done. I had students look at a book of photos from around the world, then open an Edmodo quiz and answer the questions about one photo. It was a nice way to avoid paper, but have them take notes that I can easily obtain.  Some of the apps have been unable to send notes and drawings easily.

3) We are having the students design "virtual posters" on the iPads for the Natural Sciences Poster Session.  We'll see what their creative minds come up with. I am curious if we can get a prezi to work on the ipad. Anyone tried it?

4) I also found a great document app, docAS lite.  You can annotate pdf (and I think doc) on the lite version, but you can't send any annotations without the full version. If I could keep my iPad, I would definitely purchase the full version!  This app can pull documents from google docs, but you can't annotate them.

I feel like the wifi upgrade, Edmodo, and just a little experience have really made a difference in how I teach with the tablet in class.  I wish we could do the pilot one more semester so I could get rid of all the hiccups from this semester.  Again, maybe I'll just start requiring devices instead of textbooks.  Any thoughts/opinions on that?

Mindjet (app for Android & iOS)

Mindjet

This app is available for both Android and iOS (ipod touch/iphone/iPad).
I think this app could be helpful for students brainstorming ideas for essays in a range of English courses (099-102).  You create a central 'bubble' in the app and then add related areas that can have their own ideas connected to them.  Attached lists can be collapsed to give a simplified view.  The app does not require active wifi, but maps can be shared over the network.

So far students have had a chance to use Mindjet in class and during proposal meetings.  Students will have one additional opportunity to use Mindjet during report meetings when we go over full drafts of their report.

What I have learned so far:

Mindjet use varied widely among students.  Some students created detailed bubble maps planning out the parts of their report.  Other students expressed reservations about the program and preferences for more traditional outlining.

Using a tablet during an individual student meetings is challenging.  During a typical meeting with a student I may be writing quick notes, comments on draft materials, answering question, and referencing handbook information on MLA style.  Quickly doing these range of activities is still easier for me without a tablet.

I'm curious to see if Mindjet is as useful for some students in the revision stage.  I should have more feedback about these last draft meetings just before finals.

Support Materials for Mindjet

As a part of preparing for using Mindjet in the classroom I gathered a couple of web resources to introduce the program.  I am including the urls along with how I introduced the application and tablet in class.

How Bubble Mapping can be used

This first link comes from the Purdue Online Writing Lab and describes how a bubble map can be used to help brainstorm and outline for a writing assignment.  I briefly mentioned some of the information in class and referenced the link.

Make a Bubble Map (bubbl.us)

The second link is a web based bubble map creation tool.  I displayed the tool on the projector and briefly showed students how it worked.

Some class time was provided to review the information and experiment with the web based bubble map program.  Students were later provided with time during a different class period to use the android tablet and Mindjet program.

1) What have you found most interesting and/or useful in your use of the tablet thus far?

The favorite app for my CNA students has been a review of CNA certification exam. The app is easy to use and can be set as review or test. I have a few international students, they really like the practice with multiple choice questions.
I played you.tube clips on measuring blood pressure for individual students...although this is easily accomplished with the classroom computer and projector.


2) What challenge(s) have you experienced or do you foresee?

I found it time consuming to sort through multiple pages of apps to find one I thought would help my students.
I think it would be great if every student could have one. Must be able to have quality wireless reception. I could use the tablet easily at home, not as easily on campus.

3) What do you plan to explore or try out next?

I also encouraged my students to use the camcorder to record them practicing a skill in the lab and then they could review their performance and critique themselves using the skill guidelines. None of them wanted to do this; I would need to make this an assignment next time.

4) Describe (briefly) one idea for a "mini-app" that you'd like to have developed for you/your students

I would like to have a 'what's wrong with this picture' app that would show a nursing home setting with the ability to add safety risks. For example, the resident would be shown in bed, but the call light was not in reach or the brakes on the bed were not set. Students would then identify the risks. The app would allow administrator to select scenarios and 'risks' or 'errors' from a large menu, or to add their own.

1) What have you found most interesting and/or useful in your use of the tablet thus far?
The most interesting use that I just discovered was Ike's anatomy/physiology quiz he built from e-learning software. When I asked the students what kind of apps they would like to use, they suggested touch apps regarding anatomy and use of the anesthetic machine. This type of e-learning software would be excellent for the Vet Tech program.

I did download an applications with sample questions for the NVTE (national veterinary technician examination). In my rotation classes, we spent a class answering the questions as a group. It did give me the idea that these students would benefit from a rotation designed to study for the national exam and how to logic through answering these questions.

2) What challenge(s) have you experienced or do you foresee?

Weeding through all the medical type apps to find one useful was the most challenging. This take alot of time. Still have some issues with wireless connection in the L wing but it does seem to be better. I am kind of a "lurcher" in this pilot study.....I have been using my personal iPad (original version) which will not connect to classroom projectors so that limited my use.

3) What do you plan to explore or try out next?
E-learning software. Is there any basic, low-cost options to start?

4) Describe (briefly) one idea for a "mini-app" that you'd like to have developed for

An app that practices identifying the parts of an anesthetic unit.

1) What have you found most interesting and/or useful in your use of the tablet thus far?
 The ease of transporting the tablet and using it in the classroom.  The tablet is much easier to bring into the classroom and use.  Students can gather around the tablet easier for group work.  It is also much easier to work with a student on the tablet than a typical computer as it can be easily angled so everyone can see what is on the screen.

2) What challenge(s) have you experienced or do you foresee?
The biggest challenge I have faced is navigating the Android Market.  There are so many different applications and the organization just does not seem to make sense to me.  I think I've been pretty spoiled as a daily iPad user.  I find the Apple App store to be so much easier to use.  One way I have tried to deal with the difficulty of finding apps is by doing web searches.  Basically I've been looking for lists of 'top' apps.  Then I can follow the link provided.

3) What do you plan to explore or try out next?
The first app that I found (Mindjet) really works well for students that are visual learners.  I am going to try and find an app that might work well for other types of learners.

4) Describe (briefly) one idea for a "mini-app" that you'd like to have developed for you/your students.
A sentence diagramming app would be really useful.  There is currently one for iOS, but I have not been able to find anything for Android.  See here for more.